Monkey Business

Start with a cage containing five monkeys. Inside the cage, hang a banana on a string and place a set of stairs under it. Before long, a monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana. As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all of the other monkeys with cold water.

After a while, another monkey will make an attempt with the same result -- all the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water.

By the time a third monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent him/her from doing so.

Now, put away the cold water. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new monkey will see the banana and want to climb the stairs. To its surprise and horror, all of the other monkeys attack it. After another attempt and attack, the monkey knows that if it tries to climb the stairs, it will be assaulted.

Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace it with another new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm!

Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth, then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs, he is attacked. Most of the monkeys that are beating him have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs or why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey.

After all the original five monkeys have been replaced, none of the remaining monkeys has ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs to try for the banana. Why not? Because as far as they know, that's the way it's always been done around here.

And that, my friends, is how CDC (California Department of Corrections)policy begins.