Lucasville: the aftermath.
Easter Sunday, April 11, 1993, 2:50 p.m.Approximately 250 inmates were returning to L-Block from recreation yards at the maximum security Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in rural Lucasville. Staff on the yard included two activity therapists, six recreation officers and three correctional officers. As the officer at the entry metal detector began processing inmates into L-Block, he was attacked. Almost simultaneously, inmates assaulted a corridor officer, taking his keys and baton. A silent alarm alerted the control center, and officers began to respond. Inmates rushed to unlock cells and overpower corridor officers. Several officers and an inmate escaped to stairwells and locked themselves in, calling for help on the stairwell telephones. The shift commander led a group of officers to the main L-Block corridor where they engaged in combat with rioting inmates. K- and J-Block officers secured their ranges as inmates in L-Block continued to break into cellblocks, releasing inmates and taking officers hostage. By 3:10 p. m., L-Block was lost to the inmates, and the longest prison siege in U.S. history where lives were lost had begun. Correctional Officer Robert Vallandingham and nine inmates were murdered during the disturbance. Thirteen correctional officers were held hostage--five throughout the entire 11-day ordeal. More than 2,000 people from corrections special teams, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Ohio National Guard, FBI and local law enforcement agencies assembled with one goal--to end the siege and bring the remaining hostages out alive.
The losses incurred during the SOCF tragedy were considerable, both in human and financial terms. Pain and anger still smolder beneath the surface calm of SOCF staff as they report to their posts. Inmate tensions mount as a modified lockdown continues. In the small community of Lucasville, frustration is evident in angry debates over such issues as easing the lockdown and enforcing Ohio's death penalty. Former hostages, family members and inmates have filed lawsuits against the state. However, if the department is to move forward, we must learn from our experience and share those lessons with other correctional agencies.
Security
One of the most important changes made after the disturbance was the transformation of L-Block, which the inmates had attempted to destroy. A year after the incident, a renovated L-Block was opened for staff and media inspection. Security upgrades include block control stations with security vestibules, escape hatches, remote control locks, immovable cell fixtures and steel mesh wall reinforcements. The cost of repairing and improving L-Block was nearly $20 million. Upgrades to K- and J-blocks will follow.
Once renovations are completed, inmates in the three blocks will eat, recreate and participate in programs separately. Inmates on the three security tiers will not interact. The new inmate management system, combined with the physical plant upgrades, will render SOCF a true maximum security facility.
The Lucasville riot is probably the most investigated event in penal history. Eleven internal and external committees studied various aspects of the disturbance, resulting in myriad recommendations. Even before the riot's end, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC) was committed to determining the cause of the disturbance and preventing a recurrence. A catalog titled, "A Systems Approach to Corrections in Ohio" was developed to track recommendations as they are proposed and implemented.
For years, the DRC sought relief from serious prison crowding. Ohio's prisons are operating at more than 187 percent of capacity. Community corrections initiatives, previously scorned as "day care for criminals," have received increased public approval and funding since the disturbance. The Governor's Select Committee on Corrections, chaired by Simon Dinitz, professor emeritus at Ohio State University, targeted this primary stumbling block in a special report.
In the report's introduction, Dinitz said, "Living in extremely close proximity to a stranger frequently leads to stress, shortened tempers, impatience and what the committee has called a 'diminution of civility.'"
Construction anti funding for thousands of new prison beds have been accelerated, including the addition of a "high-max" prison. This new prison will be in Youngstown and will house Ohio's most dangerous and predatory inmates. Corrections professionals acknowledge that we cannot build our way out of prison crowding. Ohio Gov, George Voinovich and Lt. Governor Mike DeWine's innovative "Cornerstones for Corrections" plan outlines an initiative that expands community corrections, strengthens probation and parole programs and stiffens sentences for violent and repeat offenders.
Programming
Providing meaningful inmate programs has long been a bedrock of Ohio's correctional philosophy. DRC's goal is to release inmates who are prepared to become self-sufficient through educational, vocational, work and treatment programs. Several of Ohio's innovative programs have received national recognition.
Ohio Penal Industries employs almost 3,000 inmates in factories producing textiles, furniture and janitorial products and in-service programs such as data entry and asbestos removal. An additional 800 inmates devote more than 35,000 hours a month to community service projects such as renovating dilapidated houses for sale to low income families, counseling at-risk youths, maintaining public buildings and parks, and producing Braille books and games. Each of Ohio's prisons and DRC's central office is involved with a school system through the "Adopt-a-School" program.
However, as the select committee noted, crowding impacts programming along with all other aspects of prison life. Its report states, "Space which is intended for prison industries, recreation or vocational training has been converted to dormitory space to house inmates. ... Education and work opportunities available to inmates are barely adequate to keep them productive when populations are at design capacity. When populations rise, it becomes impossible to keep a substantial proportion of inmates productive." We will continue to explore ways to expand beneficial prison programs. However, prison populations must be reduced to maximize the benefits of programming.
There have been unanticipated benefits as a result of the disturbance. The media attention has given the department unprecedented access to public opinion. Through in-depth news coverage of prisons, prison management and alternatives to incarceration, the department has been given the opportunity to combat stereotypical notions about prison life. Media and legislative attention also have forced the DRC to examine traditional prison practices such as weight lifting programs in high-maximum security prison settings. Conversely, there have been calls to cancel educational Ohio Instructional Grants (the Ohio version of Pell grants) for inmates and to carry out Ohio's death penalty.
Staffing
"Funded substantially below that of other states, Ohio has the worst staffed and most overcrowded prison system in the nation," stated a report issued by the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association, AFSCME Local 11.
The union report and supporting testimony from correctional officers spurred the Ohio Legislature to fund 904 new correctional officer positions.
To improve preparedness, an additional week of correctional officer training has been added at the Corrections Training Academy (CTA), bringing pre-service training up to seven full weeks. CTA added staff to train the new recruits, with classes running at 100 percent capacity each week.
"Lucasville afforded us the opportunity to take an already good training program and strengthen it," says former CTA Superintendent Janis Lane. "Coming through something like this gives us a true sense of how vital and relevant training is."
The disturbance at SOCF provided a wake-up call for all DRC employees. The department didn't exactly have an "it can't happen here" attitude, but when this crisis occurred, it generated a great deal of introspection.
The DRC has worked hard to strengthen preparation and prevention strategies. The department instituted a policy mandating an independent review of prison incidents to ensure proper handling and closure. Based on findings of a review by the Law Enforcement Training and Research Association, an enhanced Critical Incident Management Plan is in the final stages of preparation.
The DRC has paid special attention to emergency preparedness. While the department had sound emergency plans and excellent training and special teams, the SOCF disturbance forced the DRC to expand training. The department formed Regional Special Tactics and Response (STAR) teams to provide a secondary response to critical incidents. STAR teams are composed of 27 members in the state's northern and southern regions.
Existing prison disturbance control and tactical response teams have been replaced by on-site Special Response Teams (SRT), which must be ready to respond to any prison disturbance. SRTs will restrain and subdue disruptive inmates, rescue hostages and provide special security teams to address critical incidents or disasters through the use of special tactics and weapons.
The teams are led by commanders with the rank of major and two lieutenants who serve as team leaders. The SOCF disturbance taught DRC officials that the department must standardize its equipment and training, and toughen standards for individual members to meet the challenges posed by prison disturbances.
The STAR team mission is to provide support for the SRTs; serve as a tactical team for hostage rescue, sniper coverage and assault plans; staff high-risk transport; and assist in institution shakedowns and security training. The DRC's goal is to field elite, highly motivated, professional and competent teams. These teams are tactically and technically proficient, on call 24-hours a day and capable of arriving anywhere in the state within a few hours. DRC officials fully expect this mission to expand as the department finds new uses for personnel.
STAR and SRT members are required to meet rigid fitness requirements. Mock scenarios have been enhanced to provide more meaningful practice.
"Our teams are composed of volunteers who have willingly accepted the extra duty, rigorous training and personal risk of team membership. They are fully aware that if we are called in, there is a possibility that deadly force will be used," says South Regional STAR Commander Gary Link.
A more sophisticated system for monitoring inmate violence has been standardized and implemented. The department recognized the existence and influence of Security Threat Groups (STGs) and gangs prior to the disturbance. However, the emergence of gang leaders as negotiators during the riot brought the issue to the forefront. The department accelerated gang-related initiatives by holding special seminars, conducting STG training and selecting STG coordinators at each facility and the central office. Gang activity has been formally prohibited through policy, and gang intelligence networks and a data base have been formed.
Networking
All DRC and Lucasville officials agree that inter-agency cooperation during the riot was optimal. Throughout the ordeal, SOCF's corridors were filled with people from many agencies who worked together to end the disturbance. The department's historically strong ties and solid emergency plan developed with the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSP) paid off. OSP officers were on the scene from day one, immediately securing SOCF's perimeter and working closely with the department to resolve the crisis.
"My experience at SOCF was the most intense event in my 33 years with the patrol," said OSP Colonel Tom Rice, now retired. You can plan and practice for a crisis, but you never know until you're in the thick of it whether all your efforts will be cohesive. The riot also allowed me to witness the excellence and professionalism of people in corrections."
The Ohio National Guard, called to action by Gov. Voinovich on the fourth day of the disturbance, relieved the OSP on the perimeter, set up an information hotline for inmate families and was on standby to assist in an assault should the need arise.
Ohio Air National Guard Gen. James J. Hughes said, "The level of cooperation between the warden, OSP and the National Guard was the best I have seen in some 19 incidents of this type. Also, the governor's leadership in managing the incident was outstanding. His communication, both directly and through the chain of command, was extremely helpful."
Ohio's elected officials exemplified strong leadership throughout the crisis. The department provided key leaders and the chair of the Correctional Institution Inspection Committee with regular, in-depth briefings. Throughout the ordeal, all showed restraint and great courage in the face of public demands for action. In particular, the department owes a great debt to Gov. Voinovich and Lt. Gov. DeWine for working closely with the department to bring the ordeal to a peaceful conclusion.
Early on in the process, we recognized the need for expert assistance in managing the emergency and anticipating the aftermath. The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) was extremely supportive, sending former Georgia DOC Deputy Commissioner Lanson Newsome to the scene. Newsome's assistance was invaluable in running the cellblocks that were not involved in the disturbance, documenting events and providing an assessment following the surrender.
Personnel from numerous area law enforcement and medical agencies also assisted. In particular, Scioto County sheriff's deputies provided protection and services to the hostages' families who were assembled at the high school across the street from the prison.
The department hostage negotiation teams, credited with saving hundreds of lives and ending the siege peacefully, were aided by Dayton Police detectives Dave Michael and Frank Navarre. Michael and Navarre are hostage negotiation trainers at the Corrections Training Academy. The FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Alan Tolan, lent Special Agent Larry Ankrom, a criminal personality expert, as an advisor to the negotiation team. Twenty-five additional agents assisted in setting up the command center and manning the FBI's surveillance equipment.
The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Ohio Bio-dyne counselors were on site to assist staff and families through the crisis. Attorneys from the Ohio Attorney General's Office offered counsel throughout the disturbance. The National Transportation Safety Board was on hand to deal with the forced landing of an OSP helicopter, and the state fire marshal was on standby to provide advice.
Cooperation was not limited to outside agencies. DRC operated as a cohesive unit, fielding teams and support staff from throughout the system, including hostage negotiation, disturbance control, tactical response, snipers and public information support. The massive task of transporting hundreds of maximum security inmates out of SOCF to prisons across the state operated like clockwork. Many employees showed up unasked to assist in the effort.
Labor and management differences were set aside as everyone worked together toward a common goal. Union representatives went to great lengths to offer assistance to staff and family members. The camaraderie that grew out of the Lucasville tragedy continues to sustain us.
As part of the surrender agreement that ended the riot, the department agreed to review and attempt to improve unit management practices at SOCF. Investigations found that the unit management at SOCF was not operating at an optimal level. Though the structure was in place, inmates were dissatisfied with responses at the unit level, increasing inmate frustration and tension. In addition, the "security vs. treatment" dichotomy remained at SOCF throughout the implementation of unit management, creating a lack of communication between custody and unit staff.
With the assistance of an NIC grant, the department conducted a Unit Management Summit to help facilities maximize the positive effects of unit management practices. Unit management training has been enhanced, and a system of bench marking is used to assess progress. The effort has fostered teamwork between unit and security staff that did not previously exist. The dysfunctional state of unit management at SOCF should serve as a warning to all agencies to carefully examine existing management strategies to ensure they are operating as intended.
Locating a maximum security prison in rural Ohio more than 20 years ago was a boon to the economically depressed region. However, daily interaction between street tough, minority inmates from urban areas and the mostly Caucasian staff from rural areas created the kind of tension that set the stage for the 1993 disturbance. While the DRC has led state agencies in minority recruitment, officials recognized that more had to be done to break down cultural barriers between inmates and staff. Increased diversity training and the recruitment and retention of qualified minorities have become top priorities when the DRC staffs new and existing prisons.
In reviewing past prison riots, the DRC learned that the aftermath of a tragedy can be more draining than the event itself. The many investigations and modifications have exacted a toll on staff time and energy. For example, several media outlets expressed dissatisfaction with how the department handled their inquiries during the crisis.
"The Lucasville Media Task Force Report," commissioned by the governor states: "Almost from the beginning, one of the features of the riot was the unusual role played by members of the media. Within hours of the initial rioting, hundreds of journalists descended on the prison. More than a dozen television satellite trucks lined the road ... over 2,000 media information requests were received by the department during the first days of the crisis. Throughout the emergency, prison officials expressed concern that news stories might influence negotiations with the prisoners. For their part, reporters complained about the lack of information available to them and what they characterized as a generally uncooperative, antagonistic atmosphere between reporters and state officials at the prison."
A recent article titled, "The Lucasville Follies" in the Columbia Journalism Review by Bruce Porter criticized the media for reporting unsubstantiated rumors. "...the coverage of Lucasville can serve as an epic case in point of just why the reputation of journalists has sunk so low. Glaring mistakes were reported as fact and were never corrected. Reporters intruded upon the privacy of townspeople, trampling on the grief of families whose relatives had been murdered or held hostage. They ran scary tales--totally false, it was later found that spread panic and paranoia throughout the region."
It is difficult to imagine any agency having the wherewithal to respond to the incredible volume of requests for information generated during and after the riot. Overall, the DRC's public information team performed admirably. However, in an effort to address some of the legitimate media complaints, a number of new initiatives have been added.
For example, the DRC has compiled a resource file on each state prison to provide basic information about the facility and key staff. This information includes number of inmates and staff, other inmate demographics, biographical sketches of the warden and deputy warden, total acreage of the facility, facility programs, and various drawings and photos. This material will be made available to reporters on site during crisis situations.
Meanwhile, involving the media in negotiations, at the request of inmates, will probably continue to challenge both news and correctional agencies for years to come.
One Year Later
On April 1, 1994, almost a full year after the riot, the state obtained its first riot related conviction. Inmate Darnell Alexander, 36, was found guilty of kidnapping correctional officer Michael Hensley and was given the maximum sentence of 15 to 25 years. The sentence is to be served consecutive to Alexander's current life sentence for rape. "Given the seriousness of this case, given Hensley's ... suffering, we cannot allow ... this type of situation to be tolerated in prisons in our state," said Judge Donald Cox.
Much of the credit for the conviction goes to OSP investigators who took over L-Block immediately after the siege ended. OSP investigators remain a fixture at SOCF, as they continue their research. Criminal trials stemming from the SOCF riot are expected to continue for many months.
Meanwhile, the DRC is concentrating on two vital areas: improving readiness and enhancing prison safety and security. Having learned the hard way, DRC officials also feel a strong responsibility to educate and assist all interested correctional agencies in preventing and responding to similar crises. Several DRC staff have served as speakers and advisors at critical incident response seminars and retreats. The department welcomes the opportunity to assist correctional agencies and to distribute any reports including the "Systems Approach to Corrections in Ohio." If any good is to come of the tragic events at Lucasville, the department must share its experience and expertise.
Reginald A. Wilkinson is the director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.
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| Title Annotation: | Stemming the Violence |
|---|---|
| Author: | Wilkinson, Reginald A. |
| Publication: | Corrections Today |
| Date: | Aug 1, 1994 |
| Words: | 3286 |
| Previous Article: | Freedom from fear: tackling violence in our communities. |
| Next Article: | Hostage recounts 11 days of terror. |
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