A Riot at CCA's Mineral Wells Facility?

Tue, 07/29/2008 - 7:03pm — Bob

We've received a steady stream of reader tips about unsafe conditions at Corrections Corporation of America's Mineral Wells' prison, a TDCJ-contracted facility. The latest comes from a reader who reports:

There was a major prison riot in Mineral Wells on 07-23-2008 involving over 50 inmates. CCA was unable to handle the situation as usual and the inmates where ship back to TDCJ.

Racial tensions were the motive for the riot. The white offenders ended up at the Byrd Unit in Huntsville and the black offenders ended up at the Goree Unit in Huntsville, after the riot.

These inmates all had low custody and trustee custody levels being G1-G2. This shows again, CCA is unable to even handle minimum custody offenders.

We're unable to verify these claims at the moment, but have submitted an Open Records Request to determine what exactly is going on at Mineral Wells. As some readers may remember, Mineral Wells was home to a major disputurbance last summer and an escape in May 2007, and drew reader concerns over safety after metal coverings were placed over dorm windows in March. We'll keep you posted on developments from Mineral Wells and all CCA prisons.

Scandals

Comments

Sat, 08/02/2008 - 10:51pm — donna123

Mineral Wells Prison, CCA

.The CCA Mineral Wells prison riot involved 200 people not 40 or 50. I was informed the national guards were brought in and people were care-flighted out. There are only about 2 guards for 300 in-mates and the food portions are getting smaller. The inmates have no protection from other inmates in gangs or associations. I have heard they do not release inmates on their projected parole date, even if all courses required are completed, have not been in trouble, and are model prisoners. There is always a long waiting list for courses they are required to take. The in-mates are very lucky to receive parole, related to retaining revenues and more profit for CCA.. Recently they have been releasing some to everyone's surprise. There is suppose to be major changes coming in Sept. 2008, resulting from TDCJ. From my understanding the Gatesville parole board lead voter on DWI is J. Gonzales and never paroles DWI offenders as her dtr. was killed or injured by a drunk driver. Is this a conflict of interest as all people should be given a second chance. The treatment is inhumane and CO'S (so few of them) are of no help in time of crisis for the inmates. Visitors have to stand in heat or cold for 2-3 hours to see loved ones. Also if the CO or classification officers do not like the inmates they will give them a case ti be added to their file. There will a a major incident at mineral wells before it's over, just hide and watch. The only good thing is they have A/C and contact visits.

Sat, 11/22/2008 - 12:46am — poexali

A Second Chance?

On the darker side, a second chance to kill again... on the lighter side, a second chance to live outside of a prison... now if my daughter were killed by a drunk driver, how will I give her a second chance, when she's done nothing wrong? The DWI offenders everywhere, not just Texas, deserve no such second chance like you are describing. If they didn't kill, they could have. Why should they have the right to risk people's lives when they drive drunk or otherwise intoxicated. I don't understand why people are taking these crimes so lightly. You sell drugs, you use drugs, you drive drunk, etc., you're still breaking the law, and punishment must follow. "It's been two years... why isn't my man out? He just drove home after a few drinks. He can handle it." Well, he obviously attracted the attention of a cop. Further, while behind the wheel of a car, he is deadlier than a sober man. How is this hard to understnad? If a parole board member lost someone in a drunk driving accident, that makes them eminently qualified to sit on a parole board. The sentencing was done by a judge, and a sentence was received - parole is a privilege, not a right... or at least it is now. A DWI offender may be sober now, but he hasn't had the opportunity to get drunk and drive immediately afterwards. To borrow from an old Yiddish proverb, just because a man hasn't had a chance to steal doesn't make him honest.

Fri, 09/19/2008 - 10:20pm — donna123

Open Records Information On Mineral Wells

. Any new information on the Mineral Wells, CCA riot in July 2008, from the open records act? Nothing new posted and I was just wondering what they documented. Thanks

Wed, 02/25/2009 - 2:26pm — Anonymous (not verified)

CCA Riot Jan. 02,2008

Published: January 02, 2008 09:33 am #9 Top Story - Another prison riot #9 - Another prison riot While the inmates at Corrections Corporation of America’s pre-parole facility didn’t attempt to escape on Aug. 12, debris – from rocks to a toaster – rained down on law enforcement as they maintained a perimeter during an evening riot. The riot, according to the facility’s public information officer Rose Thompson, began when a “small group of inmates [were] unhappy with a recently communicated reinforcement of a standard policy requiring inmates to wear T-shirts while on the outside recreation yard.” The melee lasted approximately three hours, drawing to a close when two Special Operations Response Teams from CCA reportedly used chemical agents to subdue approximately two dozen inmates who refused to comply. They “identified approximately 36 inmates who admitted to participating in property destruction or refusing to return from the recreation yard to the housing units…,” Thompson had said, while an unknown number of those offenders are expected to be transferred to other facilities in the state. Law enforcement from several agencies including the Mineral Wells Police Department, the Palo Pinto County Sheriff’s Department, Parker County Sheriff’s Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety responded to the scene.

Wed, 03/11/2009 - 8:04pm — Republican (not verified)

We had a similar incident in

We had a similar incident in New York in 1972. Remember Attica? Except that one ended in a number of deaths.

Mon, 03/23/2009 - 1:11pm — Anonymous (not verified)

They “identified

They “identified approximately 36 inmates who admitted to participating in property destruction or refusing to return from the recreation yard to the housing units…,” Thompson had said, while an unknown number of those offenders are expected to be transferred to other facilities in the state.

Mon, 05/04/2009 - 6:57pm — Anonymous (not verified)

Reply to poexali

To poexali: You are a very narrow minded person. Did it ever occur to you that alcoholism is a disease, and when people get drunk they lose there sense of what is right and what is wrong, hense the term "impared judgement?" And i agree with that they should not have drank and drove as most of them would agree too. However, they made a mistake and do you really think prison will help them in any way? If anything it will push them to drink more, its idiotic and naive to think prison would change a person with an addiction. Wouldnt the correct answer to fix the problem be rehab? Or is your answer to every problem in society throwing people in prison? I bet some day your daughter will drink and drive, and I hope you never have to live with wondering why shes in prison for two years, becuase youre they type of person who put her there. I hope you learn not to say such ridicoulous things.

Fri, 05/15/2009 - 3:21pm — Anonymous (not verified)

CCA lies

I was at CCA mineral wells for two years the whole place is a fake and the guards are just as bad as the offenders.. I have seen guards bring in drugs and cell phones alot, I have also seen them steal from the offenders on number of times. CCA is a WASTE of our tax dollars

Sun, 02/07/2010 - 3:39pm — Anonymous (not verified)

bad place to be

I was at mineralwells cca there are no protection .some guards get tataoo from inmates. there are so many drugs ,cigrates and lots of cell phones.

Wed, 07/28/2010 - 10:46pm — Poexali II (not verified)

Reply to "Reply to Poexali"

I should think my post was perfectly obvious. I don't believe in second chances. I don't believe rehab works with any more efficacy than just not drinking, and according to AA's most recently released success rates (from 1988 - 5%), only a complete retard would believe it did, as just quitting works about 5% of the time... just like AA. So no, rehab doesn't work effectively. Suck it up. Just because these are people you know and love does not exempt them from the law or from consequences. That is also retarded. Plug the holes in your bleeding heart and rest easy knowing that if your loved ones are cognizant enough to pick up a bottle and drink with good judgment (before they drink, doof), that they know the consequences of whatever they might enable themselves to do (as every kindergartener knows that drugs and alcohol are bad and either illegal to have used or use while driving, or illegal to use or possess, there is no excuse). Grow a pair and be a man, even if you're a woman. Jeeze. It's people like you that ruin societies.

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