"Riot" at VT Facility

[Gaoler]

2 prisoners escape cell, trash block

Published: Monday, June 25, 2007
By Sky Barsch

ST. JOHNSBURY — Two prison inmates went on a rampage and attacked staff and another inmate Saturday night at the Northeast Regional Correctional Facility, said Bob Kupec, facilities executive for Vermont correctional facilities.


The damage forced 21 inmates to spend the night in the gymnasium.


The two men, who Kupec would not name, escaped from their cell Saturday night when a prison employee opened the door because one of the inmates said he needed medical attention.


“At that point, they threw something at the staff person and basically indicated that they were going to create a problem,” Kupec said. The staff person sounded an alarm, Kupec said.


The two prisoners then “set upon trashing the housing unit,” Kupec said, breaking a television and using the glass and metal to threaten staff. They used pieces of furniture to barricade the entrance to the housing unit, including a filing cabinet that had been bolted to the floor.


The men used a mattress and blankets to cover themselves and began to throw sharp objects. The men assaulted another inmate, who was not seriously injured, Kupec said. They broke sprinklers, causing flooding, he said.


Staff members activated the Correctional Emergency Response Team, Kupec said, which showed up with a negotiator, who worked to calm the men down.


“The negotiator did an excellent job talking some sense into the inmates,” Kupec said.


The St. Johnsbury facility was on emergency lockdown from 9:30 p.m. Saturday until 6 a.m. Sunday, said Officer Susan Mackin, contacted at the prison Sunday evening.


Kupec said he has asked state police to conduct an investigation. The two inmates were brought to other prisons.


“They were people that just thought now’s a time, let’s create a little havoc and see what we can do to get some notoriety,” Kupec said. “They did. They also will end up through the courts paying for that notoriety.”

[Gaoler]

Granted not much really happened, but this is kinda big news for us in VT. Not much happens here in the state. NY has facilities with a higher headcount than our entire state just to give you a size idea.

[Arkimedes]

Did those two retards at least have to clean up the mess?

[Gaoler]

I'd be willing to say no. VT is more than a little "huggy", so I'm about 99% sure the answer to that and most others will be no.

[CO4NYSsoon2bDI]

Well then....if they are used to being coddled. Send them over to NYS, we would love to have these retards clean our floors, dust our window sills and call it a programming rehabilitation.

[Arkimedes]

Originally Posted by CO4NYSsoon2bDI

Well then....if they are used to being coddled. Send them over to NYS, we would love to have these retards clean our floors, dust our window sills and call it a programming rehabilitation.

LOL Ya gotta love NY CO's

[keykeeper]

VtCo, I know kupec well. He was the warden of our facility before going to Vt. He's all about the i/m's.

[TX_CO]

We would have administered OC and made them mind, and do it before calling a supervisor. The idiots would have ended up in Solitary paid for the damage and had charges filed against them for destruction of state property and felony assault on a public servant as well.

This type of incident occurs a lot here we (CO's) just deal with them accordingly (within policy of course).