Inmates Come, Go and Attack as they please

[lisaznola]

Inmates can open some jail cells

Jeff sheriff confirms older locks are worn Tuesday, May 13, 2008
By Allen Powell II

When Jefferson Parish Deputy Michael Tisdale was attacked in March by five inmates who had opened their own jail cells, it uncovered a problem that authorities acknowledge: Inmates can let themselves out of their cells in the oldest part of the lockup.

Tisdale suffered lacerations, bruises and a fractured nose in the March 21 incident at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna. An inmate refused the deputy's order to return to his cell and was joined in the beating by four others, who also had opened their cells, according to a Sheriff's Office report.

Inmates call it "racking back" the cells. And it happens when they want to settle disputes, pass items to each other or free themselves after being confined for hours

"Anybody can rack back their cells over there," said Timothy Smith, 35, who spent about a year in the jail and recently pleaded guilty to three counts of molestation of a juvenile.

Sheriff Newell Normand confirmed that there are jail cells that do not close properly and can be opened by inmates. He attributed the problem to the facility's age and inmates who spend hours devising ways to break the cells' locking mechanisms. Chances are if an inmate breaks out of his cell, he won't get out of the correctional center, Normand said.

"Any time you have mechanisms you're going to have failures," Normand said. "You can go to any jail in the country and find similar situations. We are in fact looking at the locking mechanisms in the jail to see if there is anything we can do."

AND

--- Five booked in attack ---

Tisdale was handing out medications when he was attacked.

Roderick Fox, 18, 961 Beechgrove Blvd., Bridge City; Dwight Jefferson, 23, 1005 Tallow Tree Lane, Harvey; Christopher Lindsey, 21, 42 Willard Place, Waggaman; Floyd Munson, 21, 2733 Helen St., Kenner; and Keith Wilson, 33, 1009 31st St., Kenner, were booked with battery of a police officer with injury.

Smith said he spent about six months in the older section of the jail and saw cells regularly racked back by inmates. Inmates would open their cell doors by lifting up on the bars and pulling back violently, he said.

Smith said inmates often opened their cells to settle disagreements, exchange items or get a change of pace, because they are allowed out only sparingly because of the nature of their crimes. Those who are caught out of their cells can receive 100 days in an isolation unit, but sometimes they are not punished at all, Smith said.

Sheriff's Office spokesman Col. John Fortunato said it is unclear how long the problem with the cells' locking mechanisms has existed and that less than 10 percent of them are damaged.

More here:
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpa...l=1&thispage=1

Just 1 of the many problems in the prison system down here. :(

It's really disturbing that a child molester is telling reporters that he, and any of the other low lives can just come and go from the cells.

[CPL CHUD]

Why aren't they always punished for getting out of their own cells? Seems like they should be given more constructive things to do with their time, like dig ditches.