Disturbances broke out at three federal prisons Friday, and all such facilities nationwide were put under a lockdown, one day after a riot by Alabama inmates injured 13 people and caused $1 million in damage.
One building was set on fire and at least 20 people were overcome by smoke inhalation in Memphis, Tenn., authorities said. A melee by 150 inmates in Allenwood, Pa., left a staff member with minor burns and caused minor property damage.At least two prison staff members were treated for minor injuries after a disturbance at the federal prison in Greenville, Ill. A Justice Department statement said the problem there began when inmates refused to go back to their cells for the prison lockdown.
A Justice Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the lockdown was ordered as a "normal precaution." He would not comment further.
Thursday's riot at the federal prison in Talladega, Ala., was triggered by an "outpouring of anger" over Congress' refusal to reduce the penalty for crack cocaine convictions, said two people who were trapped inside during the trouble.
The trouble began with a group of inmates arguing in a prison yard. As the fighting spread, prisoners armed with baseball bats fought with guards, broke windows and set fires over six hours.
Several sections of Talladega Federal Correctional Institution were heavily damaged, including the prison chapel where Ed Baggett and two other volunteers took refuge from the roving band of more than 100 rioters.
Baggett, who directs the inmate choir, said rioters were unhappy because Congress rejected a U.S. Sentencing Commission recommendation to lower penalties for crack possession and trafficking.
"It was just a destructive wave," said Baggett, who was trapped in the chapel with two other volunteers. "It was an outpouring of anger. . . . They were just making their anger known."
A law enforcement officer elsewhere in the prison at the time also said inmates were upset about the vote. The officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said some inmates had been agitated since the Million Man March in Washington on Monday.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson criticized crack sentencing laws at the rally, saying they disproportionately affect blacks.
U.S. Bureau of Prisons spokesman Bill Bechtold wouldn't comment Friday on whether the vote played a role. Neither would prison spokeswoman Corliss Moragne, saying the investigation was incomplete.
The disturbance Friday in Allenwood also may have been linked to the congressional vote, local television and radio stations reported. A prison spokesman could not confirm those reports.
The melee there began in the dining hall of the medium-security prison. Rampaging inmates pulled fire alarms and broke windows, the prison said in a statement.
A female staff member was burned when a hot liquid was thrown in her face.
The prisoners took no hostages and order was restored within an hour. Officials said about 1,252 inmates are housed at the institution.
Staff at the Federal Correctional Institution in Memphis referred all calls to the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Washington. Local television stations reported that the disturbance was under control Friday evening.
In Greenville, Police Chief John K. King said federal prison officials asked local authorities to "stand by and cover the perimeters of the prison."
"They have a problem inside," King said. He would not be more specific.