Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, December 21, 1993 TAG: 9312210146
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Southwest Bureau
DATELINE: WYTHEVILLE LENGTH: Medium
It is apparently the first smoke-free jail in this part of the state.
Pike is also banning television from the maximum-security cell. He said inmates destroyed two televisions in a fire set by burning paper Dec. 14.
"As long as I'm sheriff, there won't be another match or cigarette in that jail, legally, and there won't be another TV in the maximum-security cell," he said.
Paper products will now be regulated in their distribution to inmates. "We're limiting all the paper products," Pike said, "and any writing or reading materials, we retrieve in the evenings."
Even personal-hygiene items are retrieved at the end of the day, he said.
"When they go to bed," he said, "they won't have anything in the cell at night except what they're wearing, their socks and shower shoes . . . Nothing they can set on fire."
Pike and his staff had anticipated an escape attempt by a particular group of prisoners, and had made a spot search of the cell block earlier Dec. 14. They recovered a hacksaw, a homemade drill fashioned from a piece of metal, and a makeshift handcuff key made from a piece from a portable radio.
"When we foiled their attempt, we felt like they got miffed," Pike said. The fire on the second floor of the 67-year-old jail occurred that night. Some prisoners had to be housed at jails in neighboring counties until repairs were completed.
Charges of arson, conspiracy to commit arson and taking part in a riot have been lodged against seven prisoners: Thomas Castle, Jody Garlick, Michael Gross, Leonard Gravley, Kenny Hall, Jerry Robinson and Willie Lon Rice.
Castle has since been transferred to a state institution.
Pike said he believes the group hoped a mass escape could have been carried out by setting the fire.
by CNB