http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-prison-hostages,0,3237076.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines


Two Guards Taken Hostage at Arizona Prison


By ANANDA SHOREY
Associated Press Writer

January 18, 2004, 3:26 PM EST

BUCKEYE, Ariz. -- Two state prison guards were taken hostage by inmates early Sunday, and negotiators were called in to try to defuse the situation.

One inmate overpowered one of the guards shortly after 5 a.m. during breakfast preparations, then met up with another inmate in the prison yard and the two gained access to the officers' tower, said Jim Robideau, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Corrections.

A male correctional officer taken hostage was injured, said Cam Hunter, a department spokeswoman. Officials did not release details of the injury, but said the other hostage, a female correctional officer, was not believed to be hurt.

Two other officers and a staff member were injured in a scuffle, Robideau said.

All other staff and inmates were accounted for, and the rest of the inmates were locked in their cells, authorities said.

Negotiation teams and officers from the Corrections Department, the Department of Public Safety and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office were at the Arizona State Prison Complex-Lewis.

Officials at the scene said they didn't know what the negotiators were discussing with the inmates.

The hostages' families were told of the situation. "The families are in a state of anxiety and turmoil, just like we are here," said Bennie Rollins, another department spokesman.

The medium- to high-security prison, west of Phoenix in Buckeye, houses 4,400 inmates, most convicted of felonies such as manslaughter and aggravated assault.

Earlier this month, the prison was the site of two small fires started after an altercation between two inmates spread unrest among 80 prisoners. No one was hurt as a result of the fires, but three correctional officers suffered minor injuries.

Hunter said the two incidents were not related.

* __

On the Net:

Arizona Department of Corrections: http://www.adc.state.az.us/

Could anyone local keep us informed, I am checking the internet but this is where i am headed to next week and I am concerned thanks in advance arri

Hi Arri,

Just found this on the "Arizona Republic" website. . . If I see anything else that offers new/additional information, I'll post it here. . . Take care.

http://www.ecola.com/go/?f=&r=az&u=www.azcentral.com


Two guards taken hostage by inmates at West Valley prison

Emily Bittner
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 19, 2004 12:00 AM

BUCKEYE -- State prison officials had no progress to report after six hours of negotiations with inmates holding two guards hostage at one of Arizona's largest prisons, but they discounted any connection with an inmate uprising two weeks ago.

Prison spokeswoman Cam Hunter said the negotiators have no visual contact with the inmates who took over a guard control station in the Morey unit of the Lewis prison complex between 5 and 6 a.m. this morning.

Bennie Rollins, regional operations director for Department of Corrections, said three or four doors that should have been locked and would have prevented the inmates from moving through the unit might have been open, instead.

"There may have been doors opened. Whatever controls for keeping them within (the kitchen area) there were some issues with that. If we have inmates that moved that far then some sort of breakdown happened.''

The incident started when one of the inmates assaulted a kitchen worker, who is employed by a private firm that services the prison.

A male guard, being held hostage along with a female guard was injured. But Hunter had no details on how badly he was hurt. The woman was not hurt.

"You just really feel for these correctional officers," said Hunter, who described the area where the inmates holed up an a "traffic control" station.

She said two of three other prison workers who encountered the inmates while they raced to the traffic center sustained minor injuries.

The 4,400-bed prison on 337 acres off State Route 85, was the site of an incident Jan. 7 in which three guards suffered minor injuries.

At that time, there were two small fires in a unit where two inmates had an altercation that spread unrest among about 80 other inmates.

Hunter said 26 inmates who were identified as having started or taken part that episode have been moved to higher custody levels. She said none were in the Morey unit and the inmates in the two events were not acquainted.

Police blocked off all approaches to the prison off State Route 85. There were 100 deputies from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office on the scene and at least four sharpshooters on a roof in the complex.

The medium- to high-security unit, houses mostly those convicted of felonies such as manslaughter and aggravated assault. The prison system has five levels of inmate classification according to their crime and risk. The Morey unit houses those classified as Level 4, the second highest level.



The Associated Press contributed to this report

thanks brookie
i appreciate all the input as i had seen this previous to your thread and want to know all i can

http://www.kpho.com/Global/story.asp?S=1606926&nav=23KtKHLQ

I just heard on the news this morning, that it has been going on for 11 days! WOW!!! That is amazing! I mean this is really a trip how did they manage to pull this off? I guess I should read the article huh? They also howed on the news a prisoner, removing a camera on top of one of the towers. Crazy I pray for everyones saftey!

Just wondering why Amanda_Crawford@Arizonarepublic.com insists publishing the most misleading information about how these inmates are never mistreated? I wrote to her and explained that even the Families of the inmates get the brunt of the rude behavior and flack from the CO crew. The don't understand that the way of life even on the outside is just like it sounds You got to give respect to get any and the Correctional Officers have none for anyone including the families of the inmates. I want to make sure that it is understood with the public that its not pie for the inmates either, so when she says that the "CO's are in Danger every moment" they also hear that the inmates aren't human in the CO's eyes either. They get treated like animals, not that prison should be a resort, but your still human. Why don't they look at the history of these hostage events and what the inmates wanted. The one in Florence in "98" all he wanted was to see his kids. The one in TX all he wanted was to see his property they took from him in county. These are things that should have been accessable long before the inmates decided to get violent. Its just a power trip with these people, now they wonder why they are acting like this. I pray daily for the CO that is in there with these guys, but they really do need to change the way the system works.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0129prison-main29.html


Negotiations, not force, remain crisis strategy


Judi Villa
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 29, 2004 12:01 AM

Today will be the 12th day inmates have held a female corrections officer hostage at Arizona's second-largest prison.

With each day that passes, one question looms larger: How will this end?

"She'll walk out under her own power from the ground floor of the tower," prison spokeswoman Cam Hunter said, choking up with emotion. "I fully expect that to happen. I think it's just a matter of time."

Two inmates with violent pasts and long sentences seized a watchtower and two officers Jan. 18 after a melee in a kitchen at the Arizona State Prison Complex-Lewis near Buckeye. The standoff is now believed to be the longest at a U.S. prison.

A male officer was freed Saturday, and prison officials confirmed Wednesday that he has gone home from the hospital.

Across the street from the prison Wednesday, Robin Wanek flicked a lighter again and again, trying desperately to spark a flame in the wind.

Several minutes later, Wanek cupped the lighted candle in her hands, bowed her head and prayed for the female officer left behind: Let her go home safely to her family.

"You just gotta hope she has the strength to get through it," said Wanek, a corrections officer in Phoenix.

Experts say the greatest risk of injury to hostages is when an incident begins and when it ends, if authorities are forced to make a tactical entry. As a standoff goes on, there is less likelihood of violence, especially if hostages aren't being hurt as days pass.

Tactical entry dangerous

A tactical entry can startle captors, experts say, and cause them to impulsively kill hostages.

"More than likely when they go in, somebody's going to get hurt," said Bob Mourad, a retired Secret Service agent from Phoenix who is not involved in Arizona's standoff. "Sometimes it can go more wrong doing that than spending another day talking."

In 1971, hundreds of state troopers stormed New York's Attica prison to end a four-day siege; 43 people, including 11 hostages, died in the assault. And in Huntsville, Texas, three years later, inmates who had taken over a library for 10 days killed two hostages and wounded a third when prison officials sprayed the group with fire hoses during an escape attempt.

Charging into a building "is a violent act in itself," Mourad said. It puts hostages in danger and should be "a last resort."

"If you watch cops on TV, it's always storming the thing. But in reality that's not how things work," Mourad said. "They have a hostage in there."

Negotiations tend to be more calming and, in the past, have resulted in fewer lives lost.

Eleven-day standoffs in Atlanta in 1987 and Lucasville, Ohio, in 1993, both ended with negotiated settlements, although in Lucasville, an officer was killed on the fifth day and nine inmates also died.

Reginald Wilkinson, Ohio's corrections director, said officials chose to negotiate at Lucasville even though they easily could have breached the cellblock where inmates initially held 12 officers.

"We believed that if we had assaulted that cellblock there would have been a lot more injury and death," Wilkinson said.

Safety governs decisions

Ivan Bartos, warden of the State Prison Complex-Yuma, said every decision that's being made during Arizona's standoff "is made with regards to the safety of that corrections officer."

Negotiators spoke briefly to the female officer Wednesday.

Prison officials have released few details about the officers, the inmates or how the takeover happened, saying they don't want to hurt negotiations.

Bartos said tactical intervention remains an option, but negotiations still provide the most promise for a positive outcome.

"We have to find the strength to be patient," Bartos said.

Just wondering why Amanda_Crawford@Arizonarepublic.com insists publishing the most misleading information about how these inmates are never mistreated? I wrote to her and explained that even the Families of the inmates get the brunt of the rude behavior and flack from the CO crew. The don't understand that the way of life even on the outside is just like it sounds You got to give respect to get any and the Correctional Officers have none for anyone including the families of the inmates. I want to make sure that it is understood with the public that its not pie for the inmates either, so when she says that the "CO's are in Danger every moment" they also hear that the inmates aren't human in the CO's eyes either. They get treated like animals, not that prison should be a resort, but your still human. Why don't they look at the history of these hostage events and what the inmates wanted. The one in Florence in "98" all he wanted was to see his kids. The one in TX all he wanted was to see his property they took from him in county. These are things that should have been accessable long before the inmates decided to get violent. Its just a power trip with these people, now they wonder why they are acting like this. I pray daily for the CO that is in there with these guys, but they really do need to change the way the system works.
It is statements like these that really show ignorance. For all you know, the inmate in Florence was at Eyman Complex and was a pedofile who was not allowed to see his kids and the inmate in TX well who cares about a fricken drivers license or comb. I mean really lady... What do you think it is about? Do you expect to get the same treatment from CO's that you would get from say... Safeway? Really. Prison is no easy place to work. Especially as a line staff member. The higher custody levels require far more involvement than one could even imagine. An inmate cannot even take a shower without being escorted to the shower and secured inside. Even that has to be documented. Phone calls are documented. Visits are documented. They have store. They have rec. School. 3 meals a day. Holy cow! What do you want for them? A room at the Raddison? Through the hostage ordeal, we provided the inmates 3 meals a day. Room service since they couldn't very well walk to the dining hall on our yard anyway. And you know what? they even complained about that. "its not my fault there are maniacs in the tower". "I should still get my rec". etc. Believe me... I heard it over and over. As well, I never worked so many hours in such a short period of 2 weeks. the first day was 36 hours straight. And guess what... I had to crawl across a roof to get in. I would just as well have wished that since everyone was locked down that the staff could take time off while the director figured out what she was doing in all of this. Leave the inmates to kick their doors and scream and yell without my having to be present to hear it. It makes no sense. They know I cannot do anything for them yet they kick and you know what? they all do it. I cannot stand to see people arrive on Saturday or Sunday for visitation with that look on their faces. Seeing the inmate walk across the yard as Billy bad@$$ and turn into a puppy dog inside. It is sickning. Heck, half the time they are playing cards all morning to get called for a visit and they postpone it because they still need to get ready. Sure they blame that on us but I am here to tell you. You think you know who your inmate is? Believe me, you'd flip out if you saw him on the inside. Even the nicest inmate at visitation can be a jerk on the yard. You can feed me a line of bull stating that that is because they have to act that way but I say BS. I think you need to appreciate the fact that your inmate is being told that you are even there. or that he can call you. or that he can write you (well that you actually get the letter anyway.) Truth is... you don't know who else he writes, calls, visits, what he does with his celly in the middle of the night, what his drug of choice is, what type of Hepatitis he may have contracted yet, where he got his nasty case of MRSA from, what kind of BS comes out of his mouth when he is acting like the inmate that he is. I am sorry that you are the one who pissed me off. You are a victim to your inmate. I know he left you in a spot. I won't concern myself with what or why but understand. Your inmate only gets what he gets because we are there to see to it. If they have it coming, they get it. I promise you that much. Even on our yard where we cater to inmates and practically give them everything they could want provided we can get our hands on it our inmates still want more and more. They don't and won't stop because we keep giving. It didn't prevent a hostage situation now did it. That inmate said in a radio interview that 'a man can only be treated like dirt for so long before something happens.' He wasn't treated like dirt by us, I can promise you that much. Just a sociopath like most of them. Don't be so quick to judge. You obviously only hear from your 'insider' about what is happening on the inside. That is a narrow way of looking at things. like the day a woman and her son were leaving visitation. the child was crying. The mother looked at the boy and stated... you'd better shut up or 'that man' will take you away like they did daddy. Now really... is that necessary? I didn't take his daddy away. I don't make his daddy's life hell. I make sure that someone else doesn't cut his throat for God knows what! Just know there is far more to the big picture than you could possibly understand if your only source of information is from him. :pissed:

PSegCo - So tell me - what was the purpose of your posting? To anger people or to hurt them, or to gain sympathy for your job? I'm not sure - but in any event, you might want to remember that there are good and bad people in all walks of life - even inmates - and that it is wrong to sterotype and judge others by grouping them all together. Not all inmates are evil, and not all visitors are unkind - just as there good and kind COs, and there are others that are hateful. I hope you felt better by venting all your frustration.

Sounds like someone got there heart broke by an INMATE