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| Arizona private prison 'in turmoil' |
| By Arizona Daily Star |
| Published: 08/07/2001 |
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Arizona's prison director wants lawmakers to give him more control over private prisons following reports that a Hawaii gang had effectively taken over a Florence prison. Hawaii auditors determined in late April that a gang called United Samoan Organization was essentially running the Florence Correctional Facility, which houses 550 of that state's inmates - 300 of whom are sex offenders. The prison, operated by the Nashville-based Corrections Corporation of America - or CCA - is about an hour outside both Tucson and Phoenix. After the deaths of two inmates, six inmate assaults and a riot that left one officer with six stitches - all of which happened in April - Hawaii dispatched four auditors to inspect the prison, which opened in 2000. Two female auditors were not allowed to tour the facility because of fears for their safety. Auditors determined that gang members were having sex with female Immigration and Naturalization Service inmates. Gang members were using drugs and making an alcoholic drink called 'swipe,' which the monitoring team found in a five-gallon bucket in the kitchen. Despite being assured by CCA in April that there was limited gang activity in the prison, the audit team determined many inmates and employees were living in fear of the 100 gang members. Department of Corrections Director Terry Stewart said that he also may ask the Legislature next year to ban the private prisons' practice of importing maximum-security inmates and sex offenders from other states. A bill giving the corrections department authority over private prisons died in the Legislature last year. That was before the Hawaii audit was made public. The audit said the Florence Correctional Facility was a 'prison in turmoil.' The 'hostile environment' there kept the team from doing a thorough inspection of housing units, inmate work programs, recreational areas or the commissary. Over the three-day visit, the team never saw officers search an inmate. Inmates were allowed to visit other pods and cluster in the halls in great numbers with few prison personnel around. Officers didn't seem to know where inmates were. It took them two hours to find one reputed gang member for an interview. Officials determined 'there appears to be widespread drug introduction into the facility by staff members.' One officer admitted bringing marijuana into the facility, saying he was afraid of the inmates and traded drugs for protection. 'At this point, we know' that the Samoans runs the facility,' wrote Gang Intelligence Sgt. Patrick Kawai. Hawaii Department of Public Safety Director Ted Sakai wrote to CCA's chief operating officer in late April, saying monitors believed that the warden depended on the gangs for the governance of the facility. The following month, CCA brought in a new warden, Frank Luna. Luna did not return calls, but in a May letter to Hawaii officials he said he was cleaning up the problems. Known gang members were segregated, and many were shipped to another prison. Educational and vocational programs were added. He started drug testing of inmates and was trying to hire medical help to address 'gross' understaffing of the health unit. Hawaii DPS Director Sakai did not return calls seeking comment, but Hawaii's deputy warden, Randy Asher, said he was 'very pleased with the improvements' after touring the prison just weeks ago. He declined to elaborate. |
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