THE LEDGER-STAR
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, September 20, 1994 TAG: 9409200478
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON FRANK, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines
Authorities regained control of the seventh floor of the troubled Norfolk City Jail early this morning after about 60 state felony prisoners angry over a new menu set fires and injured a guard during a six-hour standoff. One guard and two inmates received minor injuries.
A 20-man emergency response team from Portsmouth and prison specialists from a state facility in Chesapeake donned riot gear and entered the jail early today. Their presence and a negotiating team headed by Sheriff Robert McCabe and Norfolk Chief of Police Melvin High convinced the prisoners to surrender control of two cell blocks - 7H and 7G - at about 1:45 a.m.
The prisoners involved - about 30 in each cell block - were handcuffed and transferred off the seventh floor and into other holding cells. About half went to cells in the city's General District Court and half went to cells on the jail's second floor.
``We believe we handled this appropriately,'' said George Schaefer, spokesman for the Norfolk Sheriff's Office. ``We sent a message that this behavior will not be tolerated.''
Although Schaefer admitted that jail guards were locked out of the two cell blocks for the duration of Monday night's disturbance, he downplayed the threat posed by the prisoners.
``I would not characterize this as a riot situation,'' Schaefer said. ``We were always in control.''
He predicted that the prisoners would be transferred out of the jail and into state facilities. Negotiations to do so will be conducted today, he said.
The injured guard, Schaefer said, had ammonia thrown into his eyes by prisoners Monday night. He was taken to a nearby hospital, treated and released.
One prisoner, Schaefer said, was taken to the hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation. Another prisoner received a laceration above the eye that required stitches when the emergency response team entered the seventh-floor cell block.
The prisoners apparently were angry, Schaefer said, that a new food-service contract that took effect last week ended a buffet-style format that allowed prisoners to eat as much as they wanted. The new menu offers restricted food portions, Schaefer said.
The disturbance began at about 7:49 p.m. when jail authorities reported that prisoners on cellblock 7H had started a fire by igniting paper and sheets. A series of similar fires followed until that cellblock and cellblock 7G were blocked from the inside by prisoners.
No hostages were taken, but guards were prevented from gaining access to the two cellblocks.
Firetrucks and paramedics from Norfolk and paramedics from Virginia Beach and Chesapeake responded. Police roped off the jail entrance and closed the city block around the jail to pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
A SWAT team from Norfolk stood by as the specially trained emergency response team from Portsmouth arrived and prepared to enter the jail building, located at the corner of City Hall Avenue and St. Paul's Boulevard.
Late Monday night a squad of prison specialists from St. Brides Correctional Center in Chesapeake was called in.
Schaefer said negotiations with the prisoners lasted until the Portsmouth emergency response team announced that it was going to enter the cellblock and retake control.
Both the sheriff's office and the Norfolk Police Department will investigate the incident. Arson charges are possible, said Larry Hill, spokesman for the Norfolk Police Department.
Monday's troubles are the latest in a long line that has brought the Norfolk City Jail under federal scrutiny.
In a report received by McCabe on Aug. 5, the U.S. Justice Department concluded that the City Jail was ``grossly overcrowded'' and was a serious public-health threat.
``Based on our investigation, we believe that conditions at the Norfolk City Jail are grossly deficient and violate the constitutional rights of prisoners,'' the Justice Department said. The report demanded that McCabe come up with a plan within 90 days to cut the jail's population nearly in half - from 1,377 to 750 - and implement the plan within six months.
Schaefer said this morning that even though jail capacity is 579, there are currently about 1,300 prisoners in the facility.
``But this is not our plan to empty out our jail by having situations like this,'' Schaefer said.
Schaefer praised the Portsmouth emergency response unit that helped quell Monday's disturbance. He said Norfolk is in the process of developing one of its own.
``As we speak we are training our own response team,'' Schaefer said. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by JOHN C. BELL
Authorities gather in a section of the seventh floor at the Norfolk
jail prior to entering the captured cellblock. A fire was started in
that section and arson charges are being considered.
KEYWORDS: JAIL RIOT DEMONSTRATION by CNB