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CNN Live Event/Special
Geoghan Attack Under Investigation
Aired August 25, 2003 - 19:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, earlier in the hour we told you the details of the death of an ex-priest and convicted pedophile John Geoghan.
A short time ago with prison advocate Jim Pingeon, an attorney with the Massachusetts Correctional Legal Service which represented Geoghan. I asked him what we know so far about the former priest's death.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM PINGEON, MASS. CORRECTIONAL LEGAL SERVICES: My understanding is that another inmate entered his cell and strangled him and beat him to death in a very ferocious and brutal killing.
COOPER: Now you and your organization have been in contact with John Geoghan for quite some time, for about a year or so. He had been transferred to this facility. Did he like this facility? Did he feel safer here?
PINGEON: He felt somewhat safer than he had at MCI Concord where he had been previously. But Mr. Geoghan was a man who lived in constant fear and had a very difficult existence in prison, both because of fear of attack by other prisoners and because of fear of mistreatment by prison staff.
COOPER: You work with a prison advocacy group. You no doubt know a lot about prisons, the way they work. Does it surprise you that someone in protected custody could be murdered?
PINGEON: Unfortunately, we were not at all surprised by what happened. We have long viewed the protective custody units in the department of correction as a disaster waiting to happen.
COOPER: Why are they a disaster?
PINGEON: Well, because prisoners don't feel safe in the protective custody units. They feel that they're at risk from attacks from -- by other prisoners and they are at risk of mistreatment by guards.
COOPER: I mean, I still don't understand, though, how prison officials could have allowed this to happen. I mean, my understanding there was one guard on duty at the time. Talk a little about how these correctional -- you know, the protective custody units are set up.
PINGEON: Well, the purpose of a protective custody unit is to separate the most vulnerable prisoners from the general prison population to prevent assaults and attacks of inmates on inmates.
One of the problems with the system is that it contains a mixed population because there aren't enough protective custody units in Massachusetts so that some of the prisoners on the unit are people who have committed very aggressive violent crimes, such as Mr. Druce, who is alleged to have murdered Mr. Geoghan. And others like Mr. Geoghan, are very vulnerable, elderly, defenseless, prisoners and these two people, these two types of people, are housed together on the same unit and we think that's a serious problem.
COOPER: Why is it that in prison child molesters are considered the lowest of the low?
PINGEON: Well, it is the culture of the prison system. I think it's not that different from society as a whole.
There is a general revulsion towards child molesters. And that revulsion is experienced by prisoners, perhaps it's because many of them are victims of child sexual abuse themselves, and feel anger towards people who have committed that kinds of crime. Perhaps it's the similar to what the general public feels.
COOPER: All right. Well, Jim Pingeon, appreciate you joining us tonight. Thank you.
PINGEON: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired August 25, 2003 - 19:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, earlier in the hour we told you the details of the death of an ex-priest and convicted pedophile John Geoghan.
A short time ago with prison advocate Jim Pingeon, an attorney with the Massachusetts Correctional Legal Service which represented Geoghan. I asked him what we know so far about the former priest's death.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM PINGEON, MASS. CORRECTIONAL LEGAL SERVICES: My understanding is that another inmate entered his cell and strangled him and beat him to death in a very ferocious and brutal killing.
COOPER: Now you and your organization have been in contact with John Geoghan for quite some time, for about a year or so. He had been transferred to this facility. Did he like this facility? Did he feel safer here?
PINGEON: He felt somewhat safer than he had at MCI Concord where he had been previously. But Mr. Geoghan was a man who lived in constant fear and had a very difficult existence in prison, both because of fear of attack by other prisoners and because of fear of mistreatment by prison staff.
COOPER: You work with a prison advocacy group. You no doubt know a lot about prisons, the way they work. Does it surprise you that someone in protected custody could be murdered?
PINGEON: Unfortunately, we were not at all surprised by what happened. We have long viewed the protective custody units in the department of correction as a disaster waiting to happen.
COOPER: Why are they a disaster?
PINGEON: Well, because prisoners don't feel safe in the protective custody units. They feel that they're at risk from attacks from -- by other prisoners and they are at risk of mistreatment by guards.
COOPER: I mean, I still don't understand, though, how prison officials could have allowed this to happen. I mean, my understanding there was one guard on duty at the time. Talk a little about how these correctional -- you know, the protective custody units are set up.
PINGEON: Well, the purpose of a protective custody unit is to separate the most vulnerable prisoners from the general prison population to prevent assaults and attacks of inmates on inmates.
One of the problems with the system is that it contains a mixed population because there aren't enough protective custody units in Massachusetts so that some of the prisoners on the unit are people who have committed very aggressive violent crimes, such as Mr. Druce, who is alleged to have murdered Mr. Geoghan. And others like Mr. Geoghan, are very vulnerable, elderly, defenseless, prisoners and these two people, these two types of people, are housed together on the same unit and we think that's a serious problem.
COOPER: Why is it that in prison child molesters are considered the lowest of the low?
PINGEON: Well, it is the culture of the prison system. I think it's not that different from society as a whole.
There is a general revulsion towards child molesters. And that revulsion is experienced by prisoners, perhaps it's because many of them are victims of child sexual abuse themselves, and feel anger towards people who have committed that kinds of crime. Perhaps it's the similar to what the general public feels.
COOPER: All right. Well, Jim Pingeon, appreciate you joining us tonight. Thank you.
PINGEON: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
