A violent crackdown was reported at Sussex Correctional Institute (SCI) in Georgetown on January 30 that resulted in injuries and involved an incident where one inmate was allegedly thrown down a set of stairs.
The Call was told by several sources that said the crackdown began around 9 p.m. — a time when inmates are often on calls with loved ones — in response to a fight between two men.
The fight was quickly broken up, but correctional officers allegedly continued to harass and menace inmates during their calls. Inmate Fenel Baine said in a Facebook post that an officer “tried to get [inmate] Jhasir George [to] get off the video visit right beside me.”
“He was pushing him in his face, and Jhasir swung on him one time, and they roughed him up… took him off.”
The officer’s treatment of George prompted some inmates to yell for them to stop, including Darrel Copeland and Devon Young. An officer then “started going at” Copeland, said Baine. He was handcuffed and led back to his bunk when he allegedly “snatched away” and officers “sprayed him right on the stairs.”
Copeland said that officers handcuffed him and maced him before slamming him against a wall. He said that they “took me to the stairs threw me down the stair but [the officer] was still holding on too me wen we got down stairs again he slamed me and put his body on my back an put whole can mase in face again.”
He said he is “waiting to see nurse because my eye cant take any light its not normal I been mase nd OK but my eyes been hurting for days every time light hit it.”
Young said that four officers tackled, handcuffed, and punched him in the head. He said he “couldn’t see, and my face was on fire.” He “started blacking out,” and was taken to the showers where he was stripped, made to wear an orange jumpsuit, and denied access to his inhaler. He was then left in a holding cell to await transfer.
He said that his shoulder is “messed up,” and he has been experiencing severe anxiety, nightmares, headaches, and difficulty eating since the incident.
Between ten and eleven inmates were reportedly handcuffed, pepper-sprayed, and subdued during the crackdown, which Jason Miller, Chief of Communications and Community Relations for the Delaware Department of Corrections (DOC), characterized as an “altercation.”
“Security staff quickly intervened in real time to separate the inmates, de-escalate the situation, and end the altercation,” said Miller in an email statement.
“A small number of inmate bystanders were actively noncompliant with officer commands, and additional staff responded, including facility supervisory security staff, to secure those individuals.” Sources reported that uniformed Correctional Emergency Response Team (CERT) officers arrived early in the morning on Saturday, January 31, though Miller claims that “CERT was not activated.”
“Those individuals were removed and were subsequently assessed by facility medical staff and cleared before their transfer to another housing unit pending a disciplinary investigation,” he said.
Two inmates were transferred to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington, and six to the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center in Smyrna.
Copeland and Young are facing internal disciplinary charges. Young said he’s been charged with “inciting a riot, threatening behavior, active resistance towards staff, engaging in a riot, demonstration strike, refusal to lock in, no direction to get into the bunk, abuse of privileges, creating a health safety or fire hazard, disrespect, failure to obey an order, entering an off-limits area, and disorderly behavior.”
The refusal to lock in charge “makes no sense,” said Young, because the men are not held in locked cells. Miller confirmed that the crackdown took place “in one open dormitory-style housing unit.” Young said he has been in contact with the Delaware American Civil Liberties Union.
Inmate Lamar Howard told his mother, Desiree Atkinson, that while he was on the phone with his girlfriend, he said, “It looks like there’s about to be a riot.” Prison officials allegedly told him they heard him say, “Let’s start a riot.” He has appealed the charges of inciting a riot and threatening behavior, said Atkinson, but has since had his property, job, and all of his good time revoked.
Copeland said that several charges against him were dropped, but that he still faces a charge of active resistance towards staff, which he is appealing.
Young said that he is “mad that we’re going to be punished for things we didn’t do.” When asked how he would have liked to have seen the situation handled, he said that “instead of pushing inmates, [officers] could have just told people [to return to their bunks].”
“We shouldn’t [have] been assaulted.”
Miller said that the “incident at SCI will be thoroughly reviewed according to DOC policy.”