Representative Flood indicated that she has received information from corrections officers and others that food was the problem at Northpoint and that she understood the link between bad food, high canteen prices, debts, and violence at the institution. Representative Crenshaw observed that the Department had promised a report on the Northpoint riot early in November but at a recent meeting of the Appropriations and Revenue subcommittee on courts, the department failed to present the report or any meaningful information about the causes of the riot. Upon request, Mr. Hughes commented that the riot did not “just happen”, it was carefully planned by the inmates who studied the guard and supervision patterns, inmates knew at the time of the riot there would be fewer staff, and that six of the guards had less than six months of experience. Based upon their observations, inmates chose the time when the riot would happen and knew that only 19 officers would be available to control 1,250 inmates. The riot was put down in 4.5 hours with help from other institutions and from state and local police, but during that time arson fires destroyed or damaged much of the institution. Senator Jensen asked if the food at Northpoint had improved since the riot to which the answer was, no.
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