Wednesday, March 31, 2010

More Assaults at Idaho Prison

Just days after the American Civil Liberties Union sued the operators of Idaho's largest prison, the Idaho Correctional Center, an Idaho Falls man who was savagely beaten and suffered what could be permanent brain damage there notified the state that he would sue for at least $25 million.

According to a tort claim filed March 16 with the Idaho Secretary of State, guards at the privately run ICC allowed Hanni Elabed to be severely beaten, "as a form of retribution connected with his refusal to participate in drug distribution at the ICC ..."

Elabed's attorney, Ben Schwartzman, said that Elabed was asked to distribute drugs in the prison, refused and reported the incident.

Read more...

When is this trend in violence going to end? Based on the evidence to date, it seems clear that the situation at the Idaho Correctional Center is out of control. I encourage Director Reinke to take control of this unit and immediately break the contract with Corrections Corporation of America. Too many inmates are at risk and the failure to address the violence continues to place the state in a situation of continued liability.

3 comments:

charlene said...

I have a fiancee and a brother in ICC.
This just scares me to death, theres always something happening at ICC. My fiancee cj hardly gets to call me because there always in lock down due to fights being broke out. I hope they get some sort of control on this BAD situation.I just hope and pray they make it home alive. I miss them very much and they denied me visiting them due to background check...Im in college for adiction studies program and I graduated drug court June 2009. I attend meetings regularly but that doesnt matter. I was still denied and cant reapply until 08/2011, and all that bad stuff going on in there how could I possibly be of any more threat than whats going on inside the walls of ICC?

Dr. Michael Blankenship said...

Society seems to have forgotten that people are sent to prison as punishment, not for punishment. Idaho is facing the same problems that plague the entire system - too many inmates, too little money, a hostile public, and politicians who make policy decisions based on ideology instead of rationality. I predict that the courts will once again intervene as the states continue down the path of failure.

Dr. Michael Blankenship said...
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