It’s 12:10 and time for lunch. Though many are hungry most are unexcited
about mealtime options. Inmates dressed in orange make two lines to
be served a gourmet selection of gloppy Turkey Ala King, a stale biscuit, and mushy green
beans. Though tasteless and unappetizing, the men
eat as fast as they can, as the dining hall can get dangerous quickly. After food comes time in the yard, showers,
hobbies and snacks. Then all must prepare for late afternoon count. Only today, in this prison in Kentucky, count
is delayed quite unexpectedly. This is because the jail suddenly lost power. From there things got crazy quickly, as we’ll
describe in this episode of the Infographics Show, Here’s What Really Happens During
Prison Blackouts. Gloomy even in the middle of the day, at first
the loss of overhead light was just a minor inconvenience. A monotone voice gave the announcement over
the intercom that everything would soon be back to normal. Guards walked around casually making jokes
and reminding inmates to behave or they’d get a ticket. Everyone expected the back-up generators to
kick in. Somehow, they didn’t. An hour passed. Then a few more. The power company seemed unable to repair
the electrical wire that had caught fire outside the building. Then it was night. Tensions started to mount as it grew pitch
black indoors without the normal TV, cards, dominoes, or books to keep everyone distracted
or busy. Guards stopped acting relaxed and began to
stick closer together. Others appeared wearing green camo riot gear. They had helmets with headlamps, pepper spray,
and tasers and began running back and forth, their steps echoing in the halls and then
fading into the distance. Loud noises were followed by shouts and screams. The prison filled with rumors and whispers
about what could be going on. Now that the security cameras weren’t working,
some had apparently found time to be intimate with partners, willing or unwilling. Others robbed those they knew wouldn’t fight
back and were easy victims. Those with enemies found themselves targeted
as all were obscured from view and thus faced no accountability for their actions. Men who left to get their medications did
so under armed escort and returned with detailed and disturbing stories. 20 people had received medical attention due
to cuts and bruises and many more had required hospitalization. Some, to confirm earlier suspicions, had been
raped. Those considered rats or child molesters were
victims of assaults both sexual and of violent rage. Without cameras as a deterrent, they were
attacked mercilessly and without hesitation. An almost 70-year-old man who had been convicted
of harming children may have been killed. He had been brutally punched and then hit
with a laundry bag holding a can and then by a belt with a lock attached. This was followed by a TV thrown at his head. Then those attacking urinated on his body,
crumpled on the ground. Many laughed at this news and said it served
him right and was a good warning to others. Those who committed similar crimes listened
uneasily, worried for their own safety. Normally dangerous even in the day and under
the watchful eyes of guards, now someone could be killed under the shroud of darkness and
not be discovered until hours later. This description of what happened during a
blackout is based off of first-person accounts of real inmates. Clearly darkness in buildings crammed with
criminal offenders can get downright treacherous. Somehow, they happen surprisingly often despite
the dangers they bring to both the prisoners and employees. In the state of Illinois, for example, situations
such as these have made many question the state’s ability to properly deal with prison-based
emergencies. There are at least three incidents that highlighted
failures of its backup systems. One was a blackout that lasted over an hour
and a half caused by a storm that ended in a guard getting attacked. Another took place in some of the coldest
weather and left inmates in the frigid darkness without heat or light. The last was due to construction and resulted
in a borderline riot situation. In all three of these instances, backup systems
were not sufficient to light up the facilities. There are even two prisons in the state that
have no backup generators in place. These require portable versions to be hauled
in manually during an outage. In New York, the lack of preparation for power
outages has even resulted in charges of civil rights violations. In Brooklyn, inmates went an entire week without
any heat, electricity, hot water, or sanitation. Prisoners with open wounds due to disease
or injury were denied treatment as their bandages filled with pus or blood. Another who had seizures pressed a button
for help but no one ever responded. Those who needed medication struggled to see
well enough to even read the directions on the bottles. Phones to the outside didn’t work and inmates
were denied access to visitors, including their attorneys. More shocking still, some sources allege that
heat had been failing to properly warm the jail a good week before the fire that led
to the loss of electricity. The government denies this, as well as that
temperatures were dangerous following the outage despite claims of frost on prison windows. Though interestingly, government officials
that toured the prison during this time wore heavy adverse weather clothing. Blankets were eventually delivered after a
call to the mayor. However, once there, many claim that they
were never distributed. Though aware of the problems as they happened,
leadership seemed to be in no hurry to fix them either due to indifference or disorganization. Freezing, dirty, and hungry, the inmates all
started banging on the walls of the prison which echoed clearly outside the facility. Disturbing footage of this was taken into
evidence during an investigation. In anger and desperation protestors tried
to bridge prison security to get inside. They were forced away by guards who covered
them in pepper spray. Ultimately, despite how crazy things got,
little changed, though the lights went back on, the heat was fixed, and the floors were
cleaned. Backup systems were planned but it awaits
to be seen whether or not these will function properly. Further, requests for correctional facility
oversight were denied. So, should the situation happen again, it
seems this whole mess could happen a second time. However, while bad, Texas prisons following
Hurricane Harvey were arguably even worse. Though those in charge knew the storm was
approaching, prisoners failed to be warned. Prisoners were kept in cells that reached
knee-deep in water mixed with feces and urine and denied access to sufficient water, food,
or medicine. Many developed headaches from dehydration
and peeling skin or rashes in the over ninety-degree weather. Without power, many were unable to flush their
toilets, shower, or change their clothing for up to two weeks. Again, the government denied that these were
the actual prison conditions. One facility even claimed that there was no
water coming from their city, but according to a city specialist there was, it just had
a boil notice on it. There were even rumors that officials in some
locations posted misleading pictures of employees handing out supplies to make it look like
they were doing more than they really were. The thing is that these were taken long ago
during different situations. In fact, some of those pictured allegedly
no longer even worked in the prison system. That’s not where the terrible stories end. During the storm five Texas prisons were also
evacuated. 6,000 inmates were moved, and some were placed
in a unit that was ruled unconstitutionally hot just weeks prior. Unfortunately, because officials refused to
admit just how bad things got or how they were handled was wrong, in the future prisoners
may again be subjected to similar or even worse conditions. Many of those in prison ended up there for
a reason. However, some may not have. Regardless, most state that as human beings
they deserve humane treatment. Currently, it seems that in many areas things
such as electrical malfunctions, fires, and adverse weather can lead to a loss of power. Further, back up systems may fail to work,
if there even are any. Because prisons are virtually free from public
scrutiny any unsafe or unsanitary situations are hard to prove let alone discover. For these reasons, changes or improvements
happen slowly or not at all. Of these situations, which is the worst? Do you believe people in prisons deserve better? Let us know in the comments! Also, be sure to check out our other video
called What The Last 24 Hours of Death Row Prisoner Look Like in 2019! Thanks for watching, and, as always, don’t
forget to like, share, and subscribe. See you next time!
