News

Rioting at a West Texas Prison

February 6, 2009 4:32 pm by: Ruxandra Guidi

A five-day-long riot at a private prison in West Texas has prompted the American Civil Liberties Union to call for more government oversight and better medical care at non-public prisons.

Over a week ago, inmates at the Reeves County Detention Center in the west Texas town of Pecos began to riot. The facility houses a large number of undocumented among its population. Three prisoners were reportedly hospitalized as a result and buildings at the complex were damaged. A lawyer representing some of the inmates says they were protesting poor medical care and food quality. It was the second riot in just two months at the prison managed by a privately-run company called Geo Group.

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