Minnesota’s Stillwater Prison in lockdown as 100 furious inmates ‘take over an entire unit’ after being locked in with no access to showers for days due to understaffing
Minnesota’s Stillwater Prison on lockdown as 100 irate inmates ‘take over an entire unit’ after being locked up for days without access to showers due to understaffing
- A number of convicts took over part of the institution on Sunday morning
- As many as 100 furious prisoners refused to return to their cells, protesting that they did not have access to clean water
Minnesota’s Stillwater Prison has been put under lockdown after about 100 irate inmates refused to return to their cells in protest at being denied access to clean water.
A number of convicts took over part of the prison on Sunday morning after being unable to shower for days due to understaffing in the male-only prison.
Minnesota Department of Corrections spokesman Andy Skoogman said they activated members of the Crisis Negotiation Team “out of an abundance of caution.”
Additional police, firefighters and ambulances rushed to the Bayport jail, which houses about 1,200 inmates.
Michelle Gross, president of Communities United Against Police Brutality, said: ‘We have just received information that inmates peacefully protesting a lack of access to clean water have taken over a cellblock at MCF-Stillwater Prison.
Minnesota’s Stillwater Prison has been put under lockdown after about 100 irate inmates refused to return to their cells in protest at not having access to clean water
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“They have been locked up for days without access to ice or showers due to understaffing. Some corrections officers stand in solidarity with them.
Correction officers are free to leave the area. Prisoner’s rights groups are asking people to go to Stillwater Prison to testify.”
The ambulance service has requested ten additional ambulances to respond to the preparations, in addition to the eight ambulances currently on the scene.
No injuries have been reported and tactical teams have not yet signed up.
AFSCME Council 5, representing Minnesota correctional officers, blamed understaffing for the prison protest.
They said: “Today’s incident at MCF-Stillwater is endemic and highlights the truth behind MN Department of Corrections operations, where chronic understaffing leads to upset offenders due to the need to limit programming and/or recreation time when there is no sufficient security. personnel to protect the facility.
“Our union believes at its core that our correctional facilities cannot have transformational programs for offenders without adequate facility security; we can and must have both.’