March 18, 2019: Eight prisoners began a hunger strike in response to being placed in solitary confinement without due cause.
2019
15
Mar
Disturbance at Covington County Jail, Alabama
March 15, 2019: During a transfer of three prisoners, a group of “unruly” prisoners engaged in what the sheriff’s department called a “riot”—although they did not specify what that entailed. According to the sheriff’s department, the prisoners were upset because they believed that one of the prisoners being transferred had been pushed to the floor, although the sheriff claims the prisoner actually jumped.
11
Mar
Uprising at Maui Community Correctional Center, Hawaii
March 11, 2019: At least 42 prisoners refused to return to their cells at the end of recreation time and instead caused “significant damage” to prison infrastructure. The uprising occurred in two pods of the housing unit. Prisoners broke sprinklers, leading to flooding in the pod. The prisoners also started a fire which caused smoke damage in a neighboring pod.
08
Mar
Uprising at Crawford County Detention Center, Arkansas
March 8, 2019: When a sergeant and a deputy attempted to remove a prisoner from a pod containing 40 prisoners, the other 39 prisoners interfered. When the prisoner was removed, the rest of the prisoners attacked prison infrastructure, destroying televisions, lights, ceiling tiles, phones and the sprinkler system, which caused significant flooding.
04
Mar
Uprising at The Hills Youth and Family Services, Minnesota
March 4, 2019: A disturbance began when a detainee at the privately-owned and operated residential youth treatment center hit a staff member in the face. The event escalated until a large group of detainees had barricaded themselves in a room while other small groups were roaming the building.
15
Feb
Hunger Strike at Suffolk County House of Corrections, Massachusetts
February 15-20, 2019: Seventy-two ICE detainees in the 8-2 unit of the Suffolk County House of Corrections launched a hunger strike in response to a number of grievances related to jail conditions. The hunger strikers presented a list of demands to prison staff on February 10 which include problems with specific staff members as well as a number of grievances related to conditions at the jail.
09
Feb
Hunger Strike at Yuba County Jail, California
February 9-16, 2019: Approximately 50 immigrant detainees in the ICE-operated detention facility launched a hunger strike in response to a variety of demands, including lack of medical care, adequate exercise time and educational programs.
02
Feb
Hunger Strike at Tabor Correctional Institution, North Carolina
February 2-9, 2019 (end date approximate): A group of seven prisoners launched a hunger strike in protest of a new policy requiring that those sending money to a prisoner’s commissary account go through the process of becoming approved as visitors through the prison–a rule that greatly restricts who can send funds to prisoners.
01
Feb
Food Strike at Coyote Ridge Corrections Center, Washington
February 1 – February 26, 2019 (exact end date unknown): The majority of the prisoners at Coyote Ridge Corrections Center launched a hunger strike to protest cold “breakfast boats” that they say are primarily sugar. A breakfast boat is a boxed meal that is given to prisoners with their evening meal, usually with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a muffin, bran bar, cereal and powdered milk.
30
Jan
Attack on Guards at Elmira Correctional Facility, New York
January 30, 2019: Three correctional officers were treated for injuries after being attacked by several inmates at Elmira Correctional Facility. The incident started after one inmate reportedly left a classroom without permission.
