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| Prison lockdown finally lifted |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 04/18/2006 |
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The longest lockdown at the Washington State Penitentiary in more than 25 years has ended after prison officials began enforcing controls on inmates' movement to work, classrooms and the dining hall. Signs alerting the staff to a heightened security level were switched to "normal", and about 1,050 inmates in the prison's main institution returned to normal activities and schedules, Superintendent Dick Morgan said. The 44-day lockdown was the longest stretch that extra security measures were in place since the penitentiary was locked down for 84 days in 1979. Lockdowns typically last only a few days. The prison's main institution was put on full lockdown March 1 after an inmate injured three staff members. That attack followed one Feb. 26 that injured one corrections officer. Officials said both assaults were by inmates disgruntled about new dining-hall procedures. The lockdown did not affect medium- and minimum-security areas. Spokeswoman Lori Scamahorn said the assaults were linked to inmates' opposition to a new seating policy in the dining room intended to reduce opportunities for intimidation and make the institution safer. The policy restricts the inmates' choice of where to sit. Since the lockdown began, inmates are being brought back to the dining hall in smaller numbers to get used to the new seating and serving arrangements, she said. Prison officials also have a stricter policy on authorizing and tracking the movement of inmates going to and from work or education sites. |
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