April 16, 2020: Prisoners refuse to eat meals in cafeteria following a COVID-19 outbreak.
2020
23
Mar
Food Strike at Strafford County House of Corrections, NH
March 23-24, 2020: Half the prisoners in one unit of the Stafford County House of Corrections participated in a food strike on the day the prison began a 22 hour a day lockdown in response to Covid-19.
21
Mar
Protest on Rikers Amidst COVID-19 Outbreak
March, 2020: In response to a growing outbreak of COVID-19 on Rikers Island, prisoners have participated in multiple protests demanding proper medical care, access to protective equipment and cleaning supplies, and release of certain high risk prisoners and prisoners with short sentences for nonviolent offenses.
17
Mar
Meal Strike at Monterey County Jail In Response to COVID-19
March 17, 2020: Prisoners in both the mens and womens sections of the jail refused meals for fear of being infected with COVID-19.
17
Mar
Meal Strike at Monterey County Jail, California in Response to COVID-19
March 17, 2020: Prisoners detained in the women’s side of the Monterey County Jail staged a meal strike on March 17, in fear of contracting the coronavirus through their food. Rene Brooks, an organizer of the strike, maintains that some prisoners are still participating as of March 23.
2019
27
Jun
Food Strike at California State Prison, Corcoran
June 27, 2019-ongoing: At least half of the prisoners in the 3C unit of the California State Prison, Corcoran began a food strike on June 27 in protest of a change in prison policy that would take kitchen jobs away from general population and give them to prisoners in protective custody, according to multiple sources. Prisoners are refusing state-issued “trays” but are instead eating bag lunches provided by the prison.
14
Mar
Hunger Strike at Adelanto Detention Facility, California
March 14, 2019: Approximately 150 immigrant detainees participated in a coordinated food strike at one of the largest privately run immigrant detention facilities in the county, owned and operated by Geo Group. The detainees refused to go to the cafeteria for a regularly-scheduled meal and then a smaller number began a hunger strike.
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.
2018
21
Aug
2018 National Prison Strike: Ohio
August 21-September 17, 2018 (exact end date uncertain): According to Central Ohio IWOC, at least two prisoners, David Easley and James Ward, go on hunger strike on August 21 in response to a call for a national prison strike and in protest of violence by correctional officers at their institution and lack of healthcare for prisoners. According to IWOC, Toledo Correctional confirms that some prisoners are refusing meals but does not confirm how many. Although it is uncertain how long the initial hunger strike lasts, IWOC announces that the strike begins again on September 14, this time joined by a third prisoner, Matt Hinkston.
2016
27
Dec
Food Strike at Baraga Correctional Facility, Michigan
December 27-28, 2016: About 80 prisoners at Baraga Correctional Facility in Michigan refused to go to the chow hall during meal time for at least two days in order to protest the quality and the quantity of food served to them by private contractor Trinity Services Group.
