Prison Riot in Nebraska Leaves 2 Inmates Dead

[Omaha Steve]

Source: NY Times

By RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA

A riot at a Nebraska prison left two inmates dead and two hospitalized, officials said on Monday, after prisoners took control of part of the complex and set fires.

Guards retook control of the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution by Monday morning, and “two inmates were discovered dead in a housing unit,” according to a statement from the state Department of Correctional Services. “Staff are working to identify and notify next of kin,” the statement said.

The department said nothing about how the inmates had died or who was responsible.

Violence broke out at the prison, in the southeast corner of the state, on Sunday at about 2:30 p.m., the department said, when prison staff members “noticed a large gathering of inmates in front of a housing unit” and tried to break it up. Two employees were assaulted in that melee but not seriously hurt, and several other episodes followed in multiple housing units.

FULL story at link. Omaha coverage: 2 inmates found dead at Tecumseh State Prison, officials say: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/12/us/nebraska-prison-riot.html



RYAN SODERLIN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Nebraska State Patrol troopers guard the entrance of Tecumseh State Prison.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/12/us/nebraska-prison-riot.html

[Ms. Toad]

1. My brother has been there since ~2002

I'd appreciate prayers, positive energy,whatever your thing is.

He was on death row and came within 36 hours of execution before his sentence was commuted, and he was transferred to Tecumseh (Nebraska's supermax) because of the nature of his crime.

He is a (positive) leader among the Native American inmates, and has a clean record, so it is unlikely that he was involved other than possibly being caught in the midst of things.

I'm waiting on word (and given that part of their control tactics involve keeping people in the dark it may be a while).

[Comrade Grumpy]

2. Keeping my fingers crossed for you and him. n/t

[Ms. Toad]

3. Thank you.

They have released the names of the dead inmates - he is not among them.

No word yet as to whether he was in the housing units involved.

Unfortunately, this will almost certainly delay the next step in his medical diagnosis - they found a stomach tumor last week & we were waiting on a follow-up CT scan to see if it had spread.

Keeping inmates on edge is part of a control mechanism - whenever there are off-site medical visits, they swoop in with no advance warning (so he won't have time to plan some grand escape). With things on edge, I expect medical care will take an extreme back seat. Ironic, since one of the things they were apparently rioting about was better access to medical care.

[Omaha Steve]

4. I'm glad he wasn't one of the dead

Keep us up to date. I hope he gets the medical attention ASAP.

[marym625]

5. I'm glad you can put your mind at ease and know he is alive

I hope you soon receive more good information.

Sending good thoughts