Prisoner Uprising in Jefferson City, Missouri

Wednesday, April 25 2007 http://news.infoshop.org

Prisoners at Jefferson City Correctional Center (Central Missouri) are currently protesting the overcrowding and inhumane adminstrative segregation policies at the prison. General Population is currently full and inmates are being held in administrative segregation longer that their conduct violation sentences mandate. Inmates on the administratice segregation unit "7-house," have refused additional cell mates causing a housing crisis in the prison. The rebellious prisoners of 7-house are being shackeled to steel benches without food or adequate clothing. Additionally, 60 inmates are reported to be on a "food strike" until the ad-seg policies are changed by the prison administration.

Jefferson City Correctional Center
8200 No More Victims Road
Jefferson City, MO 65101
573-751-3224
Dave Dormire, Superintendent

MODOC
2729 Plaza Drive
P.O. Box 236
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Phone: 573-751-2389
Fax: 573-751-4099

MODOC Inspector General
573-526-6504

MODOC Public Information
573-751-2389

Solidarity to the rebels.

The following letter dated 4-22-07 contains more info and details:

When a prisoner is sent to administrative segregation (ad-seg) it means that he or she is to be segregated from other inmates. What Jefferson City Correctional Center (JCCC) does is to put two inmates together. They do this to create a revolving door effect. Ad-seg is mental warfare which most inmates can’t handle. They either get in fights with their cell mates or check out of the cell. Either way you get a conduct violation (CDV) which then demotes you in the phase process giving you 30, 60, or 90 more days. This means that whoever comes to ad-seg ends up staying for six months and often longer. Ad-seg is supposed to be reserved for inmates who’ve committed serious CDV’s like at all other prisons. JCCC, however, changed their policy at the end of 2006 and now sends inmates charged with any and all petty violations to segregation. This way they can keep ad-seg full at all times. The process only works if inmates keep catching CDV’s. Now that the inmates are aware of what’s happening, they’re no longer getting these petty CDV’s. This has exposed the phase process as a foolish trick that has not and never will work.

Now that inmates in general population are not coming to ad-seg, all the beds in general population are full. The inmates in 6-house who have completed the phase process have no where to go. Additionally, inmates in 7-house who are on phase 3 have no where to go. All of this means that the sections of the prison reserved for segregation are full of inmates who should be in general population. This is a violation of due process because the phase process is no longer functioning. I’ve heard that there are 120 inmates waiting to go to general population. As you can imagine all hell has broken out.

Now, all inmates in 7-house are refusing to take cell mates. These inmates are handcuffed to a steel bench, hand and foot, for 3 to 5 days. For as long as you are on the bench you get no food, only a bathroom break every two hours. Many of these inmates only have on their underwear. This has been going on for two weeks. All the benches in 6, 7, and 8-house as well as the benches in one visitation room are full of inmates refusing to take cell mates. I’ve heard that at least 60 inmates are on food strike until the superintendent changes the phase process. This place has turned into a zoo!

And it only gets worse. Ad-seg staff have now stopped all showers, clothing exchange, haircuts, visits to law clerks for legal purposes, recreation, sick call, doctor and dentist visits, cell cleaning, trash removal, case worker interaction, complaint form filings, money deposit slips, legal forms, etc. They have even stopped food trays. Now all we get is a sack with a piece of meat, four pieces of bread, a slice of cheese, and a pack of cookies. For breakfast it’s milk and a box of cereal, a peanut butter sandwich, and a bag of spoiled cranberries that a dog wouldn’t eat.

JCCC is the most corrupted prison in Missouri. Department of Corrections officials have known this all along. What took the inmates so long to do this, god only knows. This is the beginning of a revolution. The fire has been lit and will continue to burn!

It goes to show that people with degrees and titles know absolutely nothing. Common sense is a gift apparently given to only a few. JCCC staff are so concerned with oppressing and violating inmates that they implement procedures designed to inflict the most pain possible at the time, never taking into consideration the consequences of their actions. They are trying to get away with as much evil as they can before getting caught and punished. They are praying that this catastrophe doesn’t become public knowledge, but the devil don’t answer prayers.

Please forward as widely as possible.

God Speed!

An inmate at Jefferson City Correctional Center