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| Snackless Inmates Get Restless |
| By Albuquerque Journal |
| Published: 03/22/2002 |
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A weekend without candy bars sparked a mini-riot at the Lincoln County, N.M., Detention Center that lasted less than a half-hour. Prisoners in one of the jail's dormitory units tried to light their mattresses on fire, plugged up their toilets and threw things at guards who tried to settle them down, according to Lincoln County Manager Tom Stewart. The reason for the uprising: A woman who sells the prisoners chips, candy and other snacks did not show up over the weekend. The jail in Carrizozo, which is less than two years old and is managed by Correctional Systems Inc., was in the process of switching from a local vendor for inmate snacks to a larger out-of-state company, Stewart said. He said the local vendor, who comes to the jail and takes orders for snacks and then returns to deliver them, stopped coming. That left inmates with no alternatives to jail food, and that made them mad, he said. Inmates began lighting their mattresses Sunday afternoon. It did not turn into a full-fledged fire because the mattresses are made especially for jails and will not ignite. Lincoln County Sheriff Tom Sullivan said he, the undersheriff and eight deputies helped clear the 29 inmates from their dormitory. State Police officers and the two Carrizozo town marshals also responded. The uprising was squelched in under a half-hour, Stewart said, and damage to the unit is minimal. Two windows and some mattresses must be replaced, he said. And some parts of the floor are scorched and will have to be cleaned or replaced. He put the cleanup and repair costs between $1,500 and $3,000. One inmate from the unit who complained of smoke inhalation was taken to the hospital in Ruidoso, was treated overnight and was returned to the jail, Stewart said. |
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