Indiana Inmates Stage Uprising, Seize Hostages

Inmates attacked guards at a maximum-security prison with knives Friday, taking over a cellblock and holding three officers hostage, officials said. One of the three was released 5 1/2 hours later.

Five guards from the Indiana State Reformatory were hospitalized with stab wounds, and one of them was in very serious condition, authorities said. Two inmates were also injured, one seriously, and were hospitalized.

The disturbance began in the morning while inmates were being searched for weapons, said assistant prison superintendent Craig A. Hanks.

The search was ordered after an inmate allegedly threw a liquid--possibly bleach--at an officer, Hanks said.

During the shakedown, Lincoln Love, an inmate in the reformatory’s maximum-restraint unit, assaulted a staff member with a knife, Hanks said, but was later subdued.

Other inmates then went to the shift supervisor’s office and assaulted officers there, Hanks said. The incident spread to the infirmary and then moved to J-Cellblock.

Friday evening, inmates in that cellblock were negotiating with correction department officials through the bars, but authorities would not disclose their demands.

However, in a telephone call to reporters at the reformatory, inmates said they were presenting 22 demands, including one that would exempt them from punishment for the uprising.

The prisoners also demanded that the prison establish a grievance committee, set minimum wages for inmates, allow prisoners to be politically active without intimidation or reprisals and end censorship of all letters, magazines and newspapers.

Prison guards wearing riot gear and carrying pump shotguns and tear gas canisters sealed off the facility.

Authorities said three inmates were directly involved in the takeover.

Hanks said the institution was secure, except for the one cellblock.

“We’ve made plans to feed the rest of the population but not that cellhouse. In a situation like this you use every chip you can,” he said.

The hostages were identified as counselor John Weist of Indianapolis and corrections officer Carl Ingalls of New Castle. The hostage who was released was identified as officer Dana Millstead of Daleville.