From the Editor - Prison Legal News

News in Brief:
Argentina: On December 13, 2007,
Prefect Febres, a member of government
death squads during the US backed
military dictatorship that ruled Argentina
from 1976-1983 was found murdered in his
prison cell by cyanide poisoning a few days
after being convicted of torturing political
prisoners, murdering them and stealing
their children. He was due to be sentenced
on December 17 and was expected to tell
the court who had given the orders for the
torture and killings he participated in and
the possible whereabouts of some of the
stolen children. He was one of the first
members of the military to be tried for
crimes against humanity and the first who
was willing to speak publicly as well.
Arizona: On June 7, 2007, Ciriam
Montante, 26, a state prison guard, was
sentenced to seven months in federal prison
after pleading guilty to delivering 30
kilos of cocaine in exchange for $3,000.00
as part of an FBI undercover operation
that resulted in 67 prison guards, policemen
and soldiers being arrested for
transporting illegal drugs for FBI agents
posing as drug traffickers.
California: On October 27, 2007,
over 1,000 prisoners were evacuated from
the Orange county jail in Irvine due to
nearby wildfires that threatened to engulf
the jail.
Colorado: The Department of Corrections
is investigating how a video showing
Canon Minimum Centers warden Ron
Leyba walking around a prison office and
finding prison employees sleeping, dancing
and painting their fingernails wound
up on YouTube. Leyba said the video was
a spoof of a Nextel commercial aimed at
recruiting and retaining DOC employees.
YouTube removed the video after the
DOC complained and claimed the video
was state property.
Dubai: On June 3, 2007, Mohammed
bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of the
kingdom, granted amnesty to 352 prisoners
as a gesture of kindness and said
the act of mercy reflected the kingdom’s
“sublime religious and social values.”
Florida: On December 16, 2007, a
tornado demolished one of two buildings
constituting the minimum security annex
at the Pasco County jail in Land O’Lakes.
The destroyed building was a temporary
structure housing 125 female prisoners to
relieve overcrowding in the main jail. The
main jail building sustained roof damage.
No one was injured by the tornado.
Florida: On October 25, 2007, eight
prison guards at the Lowell Correctional
Institution were disciplined by prison officials
for allowing two female prisoners to
participate in a “gay wedding ceremony”
(as prison officials put it) at the maximum
security prison. Prison officials claimed that
allowing prisoners to gather for the event
placed staff at risk. One guard was fired,
another resigned and six were suspended.
One of the prisoners who was married was
transferred to a different prison.
India: On December 16, 2007, over
300 prisoners escaped from the Chhattisgarh
state jail. The escape began when
40 Maoist political prisoners overpowered
guards and seized their rifles, opening
fire on other guards while helping other
prisoners escape. Several Maoist groups
are currently waging armed struggles in
India to seize state power.
Kentucky: On June 8, 2007, Alice
Stapleton, 30, a guard at the US Penitentiary
in Big Sandy, was sentenced to
78 months in prison on charges she was
paid $1,000 bribes on three occasions
to smuggle heroin, marijuana and cell
phones to Personne McGhee, a prisoner
at the facility, after receiving them from
his mother Clady McGhee. The McGhees
were not charged.
Louisiana: On February 14, 2008,
Tamara Lee, 22, a guard at the Jefferson
parish jail was shot and killed by her husband,
Shawn Davis, 29.
New York: On February 21, 2008,
Larry Davis, 41, a prisoner at the Shawangunk
Correctional Facility was
stabbed to death. Davis made headlines
in 1986 when he was acquitted of shooting
and wounding six New York City
policemen who tried to kill him because
he knew about police corruption. He was
convicted of weapons charges in that
case and an unrelated murder charge and
had been in prison since 1986. Another
prisoner has been charged in Davis’s
murder.
New York: On June 4, 2007, Daniel
Shanahan, 43, a guard at the Lakeview
Shock Facility died after his SUV collided
head on with a car driven by John Mack-
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April 2008
42
Prison Legal News