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Lockdown at Santa Rita Jail
Posted: Tuesday, 30 March 2010 6:05AM
Lockdown at Santa Rita Jail
DUBLIN, Calif. -- Violence erupted at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin Monday, and authorities to confine thousands of inmates to their cells.
Jail officials say they they were concerned about escalating tensions after a fight broke out in the yard at one of the jails minimum security units. As a result, they shut down the entire jail system -- minimum and maximum security units.
Alameda County Sheriff officials say the initial fight involved one Latino and one black inmate. Authorities are investigating if it's indicative of larger racial tensions inside the jail.
Nelson says it started as minimum security inmates in the yard were getting ready for lunch. A deputy noticed that some of the inmates' bagged lunches were gone. The deputy said if the lunches were not returned, yard time would be revoked.
After their outdoor time was taken away, tempers flared and Nelson says fists began to fly.
At least one inmate was seriously hurt and had to be taken to the hospital.
The lockdown was imposed for at least 24 hours. Officials expect it to be lifted Tuesday afternoon.
DUBLIN, Calif. -- Violence erupted at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin Monday, and authorities to confine thousands of inmates to their cells.
Jail officials say they they were concerned about escalating tensions after a fight broke out in the yard at one of the jails minimum security units. As a result, they shut down the entire jail system -- minimum and maximum security units.
Alameda County Sheriff officials say the initial fight involved one Latino and one black inmate. Authorities are investigating if it's indicative of larger racial tensions inside the jail.
Nelson says it started as minimum security inmates in the yard were getting ready for lunch. A deputy noticed that some of the inmates' bagged lunches were gone. The deputy said if the lunches were not returned, yard time would be revoked.
After their outdoor time was taken away, tempers flared and Nelson says fists began to fly.
At least one inmate was seriously hurt and had to be taken to the hospital.
The lockdown was imposed for at least 24 hours. Officials expect it to be lifted Tuesday afternoon.
For more information:
http://www.kcbs.com/bayareanews/Lockdown-a...
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Fights force lockdown at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin
Bay City News Service
Posted: 03/29/2010 11:52:33 PM PDT
Updated: 03/30/2010 06:40:57 AM PDT
A series of fights broke out at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin on Monday afternoon, prompting officials to lock down the facility for 24 hours, an Alameda County sheriff's spokesman said.
The fights involved inmates of one of the jail's minimum security units. Sheriff's Sgt. J.D. Nelson said the fights appear to have stemmed from an incident that happened during the inmates' scheduled outdoor yard time.
A deputy noticed that some of the bagged lunches that are distributed during yard time were missing, and told the inmates they would lose the privilege of spending time outside if the lunches were not returned.
Upon canceling yard time, inmates returned to the housing unit and a fight broke out in a common area. Nelson said that fight was stopped, but two more fights followed, one in which one of the participants suffered serious injuries and required hospital treatment.
He said each fight involved one black and one Hispanic inmate and that jail officials implemented a 24-hour lockdown to investigate the disputes, in part to determine whether there are larger racial tensions in the jail.
The lockdown, which is affecting all of the jail's 3,700 inmates, is expected to be lifted Tuesday afternoon.