CCA's Willacy State Jail Locked Down, Whitmire Calls for Investigation

In a story that doesn't seem to be getting much media coverage, the Austin American Statesman reported Friday that CCA's Willacy County State Jail had incurred a disturbance last week which raised existing demands for investigation and oversight of private prisons.

According to the story, the jail

remained on lockdown Thursday after a dispute between rival prison gangs over control of cellblock tables erupted into a chain of violence that left 19 convicts hurt, according to state prison officials.

Senate Criminal Justice Committee Chairman John Whitmire, D-Houston, who has demanded greater scrutiny of private prisons, called for a full investigation into why the episode took hours to quell. Prison officials said such an inquiry was under way.

Officials with Corrections Corporation of America, which runs the 1,069-bed Willacy County State Jail, did not immediately return phone calls for comment.

No serious injuries were reported, and no staff members were injured.

Of course, Whitmire's concerns about private prison oversight were raised significantly by the recent investigation and closure of GEO Group's Coke County juvenile center by the Texas Youth Commission which lead to last week's hearings on private prison oversight.

Senator Chuy Hinojosa has said the committee would look into private prison operators' records as a way to make sure the state wasn't contracting with private prison companies notorious for mismanagement and abuse.