Inmate concerns

To my cites      Back to enforcement      Back to Private Prison main

1 2 3

Brazoria County Detention Center in Angleton, Texas, a Capital Correctional Resources Incorporated (CCRI) facility, guards made a "training video" of themselves beating, stun-gunning, and unleashing dogs on naked prisoners from Missouri. Injured inmates were dragged face down back to their cells. After the guards' rampage, cell block telephones were cut off, preventing the Missouri captives from calling home( 18 ).

On August 1999 Wackenhut private prison guard Ralph Garcia was killed in a New Mexico facility. This was followed by three days of rioting(19 ).

Gregorio De La Rosa while serving a six-month sentence for a drug offense at a Wackenhut facility was beaten to death with four days left on his sentence on April 26th of 2001 (20 ).

In 2004 four private prison guards beat a female inmate to death Estelle Richardson, died from a skull fracture. A police investigation found that the guards used excessive force (21 ).

Terry Battle was found unresponsive in his cell by guards. Terry had hepatitis C, hypertension, gastroenteritis and was blind. He had seen the prison doctor the day before for diarrhea. Terry died from pneumonia (22 ).

On December 2008 Jesus Galindo detained at Reeves County Detention Center in Pecos, Texas died of an Epileptic seizure, while in solitary confinement. His death sparked a series of riots (23 ).

Researchers from the US Department of Justice in 1997 surveyed sixty private prisons. They compared "major incidents," including "assaults, riots, fires and other disturbances" to public prisons over a 12 month period. This survey found a greater amount of incidents in private prisons per thousand inmates than in public prisons. Other research backed up this claim a three year comparative study of "serious incidents" In Oklahoma said "private prisons recorded more than twice as many incidents as public ones." (24).

An audit by the state of Colorado on the states private prison providers showed prison doctors changed two inmates prescriptions killing one and possibly killing the other. Doctors delayed required Services of mentally ill inmates. Corrections department didn't required clinics in private prisons to get licensed by the state, this is required by the law. They didn't inspect clinics from May 2003 to December 2004. The state violated law by placing violent inmates in private facilities. Inspectors didn't work as much or as long as they there suppose to. Some simply copied old oversight reports and placed new dates on them. Three quarters of the mentally ill inmates didn't get an initial appointment with a mental-health practitioner within a state-mandated time frame. Other incidents in Colorado, on November 1998 CCA opened Kit Carson Correctional Facility in Burlington. Nine months later the institution is investigated for drug smuggling and charges that up to 15 female employees are having sex with prisoners (25 ).

In October 2005, Michigan closed the state's private youth prison run by GEO after an advocacy group sued the prison over inadequate inmate care. Budget shortfalls also played into the prison's closure. Tom Masseau, director of government and media relations for Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service Inc., said his watchdog group found juvenile inmates who needed special education but were not receiving it and inmates who were not receiving appropriate mental health care. The prison also managed problem juveniles by putting them in solitary confinement, he said. Mr. Masseau said his group tried to work with GEO and the state before filing a lawsuit, but the problems remained unsolved and inmates faced reprisals. "The youth would report back that they were retaliated against for meeting with us," Mr. Masseau said. "We said enough is enough" (26).

In 2009 human rights activist protested a private prison run by GEO Group. The focus of the group was Reeves County Detention Center in Texas. Human rights organizer Bob Libal said "We know that nine prisoners at this facility have died in the last four years, and that's the reason we have the nine coffins out here in honor of those who have passed away in that facility," and continued "We also know prisoners at the Reeves County Detention Center, many of whom are only serving time for immigration violations, report conditions that include medical neglect, abuse by guards, overcrowding, inadequate food and unsanitary conditions." (27 ).