r.payton@att.net

Dear Dennis -the problem with posting is that gang bangers know computers probably better than guards do-since most their activity is based on the net . Please do not post anything that could lead back to the yard or worse to an officers home .

People don't realize that if you weren't a criminal when you went in you sure as hell will be within 2 weeks .There are rules to prison life that inmates must follow -''Blood-In Blood.out '' being the most prevalent -you either join a gang or fight everyday you are there Blood in means you either stab someone or kill someone -blood out means you have to be jumped out of a gang -usually this entails walking a gauntlet while every one of your former brothers beats on you -the AB-aryan brotherhood are the most severe -''Kill to get in , Die to get out .''
the starting pay for a prisonguard in Indiana is 8.50 an hour -I personally value my life a little more than that but why do you think they put prisons in bum fxxx Egypt ? They are usually the only job in town .

ccbig

I think this is a very serious issue that needs to be addressed ASAP.

I put together a email that had the news article M Richardson gave at the start of this thread and a link to the website Mr. Anderson wanted to post but couldn't (site link - http://www.correctionalsafety.org/)

I sent this email to people I know calling on them to join in a call for action on this issue. I hope you all will do the same!

__________________
If we don't fight hard enough for the things we stand for, at some point we have to recognize that we don't really stand for them.

~Paul Wellstone~

CorrectionalOfficers_Dad

Agree with your comments. Unfortunatly, they are so true. Rest assured, we are not posting any information that would lead back to the yard or to the officers.

CorrectionalOfficers_Dad

Thank you, CCBIG

M Richardson

We typically will have exercise movements (outdoors for sports) with a ratio of around 15 to 20 to one. In California adult prisons, it is not unusual to have ratios in the hundreds - but there are armed guards in overwatch positions. Of course, an armed guard in a tower is kind of thin assistance when 500 guys kick off a riot and you are alone in the middle of it.

__________________
Race cars, not greyhounds!

M Richardson

Correctional Officer's Dad - thank you for your posts. I will look up your site. Please wish your son a quick recovery for me. He will be in my thoughts.

__________________
Race cars, not greyhounds!

ccbig

Is there a current piece of legislation that I could ask my Congressman & Senators support to address this issue?

__________________
If we don't fight hard enough for the things we stand for, at some point we have to recognize that we don't really stand for them.

~Paul Wellstone~

r.payton@att.net

I doubt many are old enough to remember the Attica riots where Rockefeller had them open fire on anything that moved -mostly prison guards were killed -at such a ridiculous salary you aren't going to have much of a union and as a former inmate no one -save family of prisoners and guards -cares what happens inside a facility . We recently had riots in new Castle because the inmates transferred in from Arizona could not smoke -no smoking in correctional facilities in Indiana-when you are a 2 pack a day man and they send you 2,000 miles away from home and then tell you you can't smoke -you go kinda nuts -so they fired a few tear gas cannisters and locked em down fora few weeks and that's it -another riot last week or week before -there are no lobbyists for two groups -prisoners and mental health patients so they get the left overs in the budget .I wonder why more riots don't happen .

CorrectionalOfficers_Dad

H.R. 6462 introduced by Congressman Dennis Cardoza, titled the
"Jose Rivera Correctional Officers Protection Act".

There probably will be other legislation introduced (will keep you updated). We are also looking into requesting potential Congressional Inquiries.

CorrectionalOfficers_Dad

M Richardson - Thank you, my son's attack occurred Sep 07. He had a couple of surgeries, mouth wired shut, then off work about 3 months. So he's back to work. He's trying for a transfer out of the US Penitentiary, to what's called a FCI (Federal Correctional Institution). A little bit less "dangerous" supposedly.

Shortly after his attack, an officer at USP Atwater was held hostage, then shortly after that, an attempted hostage situation with an officer, then shortly after that, numerous assaults on staff, then of course, the ultimate tragedy ... Officer Rivera's murder. So the writing was on the wall.

The officers recognize an inherent risk, working at a prison. But what they are not willing to do anymore, is take on that risk, without safety equipment and better manning.

Of course, it's no better at any of the other facilities. Here's a small example: Keep in mind, none of these officers have protective equipment, or non-lethal weapons to protect themselves, i.e., OC (pepper spray), asp, baton or taser.

USP- COLEMAN, AUGUST 19, 2008 (DETAILS ARE STILL SKETCHY)

I'm so **********! Mad right now. How can these people who run our joint let this happen? I understand I work in a USP, but please do something. These inmates are GONE and out of control, they don't care what they do to us. My Buddy almost got beat to death last night. USP 2 needed to be locked down after Friday, when an Officer received a broken nose because he didn't unlock the inmate fast enough. On Saturday with the Rovers, they removed about 80 Gallons of wine, from the units. On Monday night my good friend, while trying to remove a bag of wine from a drunken inmate got attacked. Then he got jumped from behind by another inmate. The inmates worked him over real bad. The responding Officer from the other side got a concussion from getting kicked in the head while trying to help. The inmate who attacked him from behind said he was going to kill him.

USP- BIG SANDY, AUGUST 17, 2008

At approximately 5:00 pm, a fight broke out on the Rec. Yard. The disturbance was gang related. 2 inmates sustained life- threatening injuries. They are both in the hospital on life support. The institution was placed on lockdown.

USP-LEE, AUGUST 7, 2008

Inmate gang related disturbance, weapons used. Live round fire was used by Tower Officers to prevent the loss of life. No staff injuries. Over twenty inmate manufactured weapons initially found and confiscated shortly after the disturbance was contained. Institution placed on lockdown.

USP-VICTORVILLE, AUGUST 4, 2008

Five staff members were assaulted in Unit **. The Lt. called for more staff to respond to the unit. The institution was placed on Lockdown!!!

FCI-TEXARKANA (LOW), AUGUST 3, 2008

A major riot almost broke out in the low. Two groups (gang related) chased each other around on the Rec. yard. One group ran into the Modular unit and grabbed the pool sticks off the tables, broke them, with the intent of using them for weapons. The institution was locked down and visiting was suspended.

USP TERRE HAUTE AUG 3, 2008

Institution was placed on lockdown following a major incident on the recreation yard. At approximately 8:00 am, two inmates were involved in a fight in Unit **. Following this incident, an incident broke out on the recreation yard at 8:17 am, involving multiple inmates w/weapons. Approximately 80 inmates were involved. At 8:19am, additional assistance was requested from the FCI. DCT & SORT teams were also activated. A tower officer fired nine less lethal munitions. No live ammunition was fired. A Lt. pulled staff back until firearms and munitions were available. Staff then responded to the incident with lethal and less lethal weapons. As staff were removing involved inmates from the area, another fight broke out on a different section of the recreation yard involving Unit ** inmates. Nine ambulances responded to the institution, which led to the news media showing up shortly thereafter. Nine inmates were taken to the local hospital for treatment of stab wounds. Five of the nine inmates remain at the local hospital, with one inmate in critical condition. Another twenty inmates were placed in the SHU. The institution hospital looked like a MASH unit, with bloody inmates all over the place. Thankfully, no staff were injured. The incident was precipitated by an incident that occurred on Saturday, August 2nd, in which an intoxicated inmate entered into a housing unit & became involved in a dispute with two other inmates. The two inmates beat him almost to death. He remains in ICU at the local hospital with a skull fracture, broken jaw, & other injuries. The Sunday incident was apparently retaliation for the Saturday incident.

USP-BIG SANDY, AUGUST 3, 2008

*At 6:40am, an inmate fight broke out behind a Unit in the Corridor with weapons. Responding staff broke up the
fight with no staff hurt.

*At 4:55pm, an inmate assaulted an Officer by walking into his office and slapping him across the face, The officer hit his Body Alarm and responding staff attempted to lock the inmate in his cell, in which it took 15 minutes to lock the inmate back into the cell due to not wanting to go to the cell. It was intense and we almost lost the unit. The unit is locked down and will be coming up tomorrow.