Prison Riot in Indiana

[Red October]

NEW CASTLE, Indiana (AP) -- A "full-scale riot" broke out Tuesday at a medium-security men's prison, according to the mayor, and pictures taken from television helicopters showed at least two fires burning in the courtyard.

Indiana Department of Correction spokeswoman Java Ahmed confirmed there was a disturbance at the New Castle Correctional Facility, about 43 miles east of Indianapolis. She said more than one cell house was involved, and two staff members were injured.

The Department of Corrections sent emergency squads and county and state police to the prison. New Castle Mayor Tom Nipp said the entire city police force had also been activated. Helicopter pictures also showed police in riot gear standing outside the prison fence.

The medium-security facility is managed by the GEO Group Inc., based in Boca Raton, Florida, according to the Indiana Department of Corrections Web site.

The prison, built in 2002, can house about 2,200 inmates. It currently has about 1,000 from Indiana and 630 from Arizona.

In March, Arizona and Indiana reached an agreement on housing up to 1,260 Arizona inmates.

The prison housed an average daily population of 450 in 2005, according to the DOC web site. It also has a psychiatric facility that treats inmates who are bused in from other prisons.

GEO Group last year contracted with the Indiana Department of Correction to assume management of the prison.

I'm not sure what caused the riot or who is leading it, but generally prison resistance like this is a good sign.

[Janus]

Correction Commissioner J. David Donahue said the riot began after a group of inmates from Arizona took off their shirts in the prison's recreation area to show staff they wouldn't comply with orders. They had been told to keep them on.
Indiana prison riot (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070424/ap_on_re_us/prison_riot;_ylt=An0CQ._Dx3UsCZrUw9qft_lvzwcF)

Also, it seems that some of the prisoners were discontent at having been moved from Arizona to Indiana due to crowded prison conditions.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

I'd be upset too. Alot of people in jail are the main bread-winners in their families. So if you have a spouse and children who can barely stay alive with you in jail, it's often hard to get a visit from them.. if you're in a whole other state, it's next to impossible.

[Tekun]

Originally posted by Red [email protected] 24, 2007 08:25 pm

NEW CASTLE, Indiana (AP) -- A "full-scale riot" broke out Tuesday at a medium-security men's prison, according to the mayor, and pictures taken from television helicopters showed at least two fires burning in the courtyard.

Indiana Department of Correction spokeswoman Java Ahmed confirmed there was a disturbance at the New Castle Correctional Facility, about 43 miles east of Indianapolis. She said more than one cell house was involved, and two staff members were injured.

The Department of Corrections sent emergency squads and county and state police to the prison. New Castle Mayor Tom Nipp said the entire city police force had also been activated. Helicopter pictures also showed police in riot gear standing outside the prison fence.

The medium-security facility is managed by the GEO Group Inc., based in Boca Raton, Florida, according to the Indiana Department of Corrections Web site.

The prison, built in 2002, can house about 2,200 inmates. It currently has about 1,000 from Indiana and 630 from Arizona.

In March, Arizona and Indiana reached an agreement on housing up to 1,260 Arizona inmates.

The prison housed an average daily population of 450 in 2005, according to the DOC web site. It also has a psychiatric facility that treats inmates who are bused in from other prisons.

GEO Group last year contracted with the Indiana Department of Correction to assume management of the prison.

I'm not sure what caused the riot or who is leading it, but generally prison resistance like this is a good sign.
Well, resistance to authority is always a good thing
But many times, prison riots come as a result of personal beefs, gang tensions, and the like
For example, on many occasions riots are gang or racially motivated, and they result in the deaths of many inmates who get caught up in the commotion (e.g. the recent Guatemalan prison riot or the LA riot 6mos ago)
However, if the riot is meant as a method to resist prison conditions, then by all means its great

[bcbm]

Good, I hope they burn it down and kill some screws in the process.

edit: Ah looks like it was quelled after a couple of hours yesterday, pity. Two screws injured though!

[Guerrilla22]

Good for the prisoners. Too bad they didn't burn down the whole facility. It was one of the privately operated prisons which makes it even more deplorable. Profiting from societal inequalities. :angry:

[Red October]

Originally posted by black coffee black [email protected] 25, 2007 03:51 pm
Good, I hope they burn it down and kill some screws in the process.

edit: Ah looks like it was quelled after a couple of hours yesterday, pity. Two screws injured though!
Yeah, I hoped it would last long enough for the prisoners to issue some sort of statement or demands for better conditions. Though this was a medium security prison, so the inmates would not have been as "hardened" as someone doing time in maximum security.