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.
2020
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.
07
Oct
Hunger Strike and Work Stoppage at Clallam Bay Corrections Center, Washington
October 7, 2019 – October 12, 2019: Prisoners at the Clallam Bay Corrections Center began a hunger strike and work stoppage on Monday, October 7 in response to numerous grievances with the facility including food issues, compensation for labor, lack of exercise equipment and complaints about outsourced services such as J-Pay and Global Telelink.
13
Sep
Attack on Guards at North Kern State Prison, California
September 13, 2019: After a guard found a prisoner with a contraband cellphone, the prisoner attacked the guard and seven others joined in. The prisoners punched and kicked the guards, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
07
Aug
Attack on Guard at Central Utah Correctional Facility, Utah
August 7, 2019: According to prison officials, two prisoners allegedly conspired to attack a prison guard at the Central Utah Correctional Facility. One prisoner blocked a surveillance camera while another struck the guard multiple times in the face, causing damage to his nose and eye sockets.
31
Jul
Hunger Strike at Scotland Correctional Institution, North Carolina
July 31, 2019-end date unknown: According to the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee (IWOC), an unknown number of prisoners participated in a hunger strike in protest of arbitrary denial of recreation time and lack of access to notaries for legal work.
