March 24, 2020: Nine prisoners housed at the Pierre Community Work Center in South Dakota walked out of the facility without permission after another prisoner there tested positive for COVID-19.
2020
24
Mar
03
Feb
Planned Protest at Chippewa Correctional Facility, MI
February 3, 2020: In early February, three men incarcerated at Chippewa Correctional Facility in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula were accused of organizing a protest at the facility.
27
Jan
Fire at Miami Correctional Facility, Indiana
January 27, 2020: Multiple prisoners started fires in their cells at Miami Correctional Facility on January 27, 2020, according to prison officials. The prisoners allegedly used paper and toilet paper with the electrical outlet to light the fires.
20
Jan
Hunger Strike at Central Prison, North Carolina
January 20, 2020 – ongoing: Sixteen prisoners went on hunger strike on MLK Day in solidarity with two hundred prisoners allegedly facing brutality in the prison’s mental health unit.
10
Jan
Attack on Guards at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, Massachusetts
January 10, 2020: According to state prison officials, a group of prisoners attacked guards, injuring three. Additional guards responded to the attack, and the prison was put on lockdown.
04
Jan
Five Prisoners Killed, Two Escape Amidst Violence in Mississippi Prisons
December 29, 2019 – January 4, 2020: A series of riots and fights between prisoners in the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) has resulted in the deaths of five prisoners and two escapes.
2019
24
Dec
Disturbance at Nebraska Diagnostic and Evaluation Center
December 24, 2019: At around 7:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve, at least 14 inmates attacked guards and destroyed property including a window, furniture, and surveillance cameras. According to a press release from the Department of Corrections, the incident started when “staff members confiscated food items as well as homemade alcohol” from inmates.
04
Dec
Two Prisoners Barricade their Cell at Marble Valley Regional Correctional, Vermont
December 5, 2019: Two prisoners at the Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility barricaded themselves in their cell and refused orders from guards, according to WCAX. The prison’s “special response team” was called in to end the standoff.
30
Nov
Majority of Prisoners Sign Petition at Nebraska State Penitentiary
Late November, 2019: 780 prisoners at the facility sign a petition addressed to the press, the ombudsman, and the ACLU to protest a range of issues from lockdowns to programming to food quality.
19
Nov
Prisoners Attempt Unit Take-Over at Southern State Correctional Facility, Vermont
November 19, 2019: Prisoners at Southern State Correctional Facility, Vermont’s largest prison, allegedly attempted to take over a unit at the prison, according to a Vermont Department of Corrections press release. Corrections Commissioner Mike Touchette said in a press release that one prisoner hit a corrections officer in the head with a blunt object while two others attacked another prisoner.
