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.
2019
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.
09
Sep
2016 National Prison Strike
September 9, 2016: The strike called for and supported by multiple prisoner and support organizations kicks off on the 45th anniversary of the Attica Uprising. Dozens of facilities experience some kind of disturbance or lockdown. Accurate numbers are difficult to gather because of uncooperative prison staff, but between 20,000 and 60,000 prisoners participate or are effected.
12
Apr
Michigan Food Strike Spreads to Cotton Correctional Facility, Michigan
April 12, 2016: The food strike started on 3/20 spreads to a third facility in Michigan with at least 660 prisoners refusing meals at Cotton, as reported by the prison administration.
26
Mar
Michigan Food Strike Spreads to Chippewa Correctional Facility, Michigan
March 26, 2016: The food strike started on 3/20 spreads to a second facility with at least 800 prisoners refusing meals at Chippewa, as reported by the prison administration.
20
Mar
Michigan Food Strike Begins at Kinross Correctional Facility, Michigan
Prisoners organize a food strike to protest poor food quality by the privatized food contractor Trinity Services Group just eight months after Trinity takes over the role from Aramark Correctional Services. According to a prisoner at Kinross who participated in the events, the protests are also a demonstration of prisoner unity. According to prison administration, at least 1,000 of the prison’s 1,300 prisoners participate.
2015
20
Feb
Uprising at Willacy County Correctional Center, Texas
February 20, 2015: Nearly 2,000 inmates participated in an uprising at a private prison run by Management and Training Corporation. The facility, which lies approximately 40 miles from the US-Mexico border was used primarily to house immigrants due for deportation.
2012
17
Dec
Food Strike at Federal Correctional Institution, Fairton, New Jersey
January 4th, 2013: Prisoners participated in a food strike in response to a new policy which would punish an entire block or unit of prisoners for not admitting to carrying “contraband.”
2011
24
Jan
Food Strike at California Men’s Colony
January 24 – 26, 2011: One thousand prisoners refuse meals in a hunger strike in protest of austerity measures at the prison, including cuts to programming and routine lockdowns associated with under-staffing.
