Inside a Prison Riot

It has been five months since violence erupted at California's overcrowded men's prison in Chino, but stories of abuses suffered by prisoners in the riot's aftermath are now coming to light.

After the long night of violence on August 8 when two housing blocks at the facility were burned and destroyed, some prisoners say they spent as long as four days straight in outdoor cages with no protection from the sun. Others say they are still waiting for health care services to treat injuries suffered during the riot.

A woman whose relative was locked up at the time of the riot has launched a website called "In The Riot" to share the first-hand stories of prisoners who suffered mistreatment in the days and months following the riot.

One prisoner writes: "It was hot in California in August and I received a severe sun burn because I lived in a dog kennel cage under the heat of the sun. The nights were freezing cold and I literally begged them to give me a blanket or some clothes, but they REFUSED. They also did not give me any medical attention for my stab wounds."

Another: "I was another one who was zip-tied for hours, placed in cages for 3 days with no clothes and no blankets, not given food for hours."

The cages are used normally for prisoners in solitary confinement to receive their one hour a day of outdoor exercise (that's another issue for another day), but after the riots there have been reports that as many as ten prisoners were locked in the cage for as long as four days straight.

At first, these were unconfirmed reports from prisoners, but an excellent report yesterday from Steven Cuevas at Southern California Public Radio confirmed that prisoners were held outdoors for at least two days, and that the prison in Chino is still reeling from the events of August 8.

Prison violence is a real threat and corrections officers need to take measures to control gang activity and prevent riots. But an uprising shouldn't be cause for a suspension of rights, either.