Indiana Inmates Free Hostages After Uprising

Inmates wielding knives and reportedly protesting poor treatment attacked guards at a maximum-security prison Friday, took over a cellblock and held two guards hostage for more than 15 hours before freeing them, officials said.

Under an agreement with inmates that secured the hostages’ release, Commissioner Gordon Faulkner of the Department of Correction promised to ask the U.S. Justice Department to have the FBI investigate any rights violations alleged by the inmates.

The agreement also said Faulkner would ask state police to investigate alleged crimes by the prison staff and ask members of the Indiana General Assembly to hear inmates’ grievances.

The hostages were released shortly before midnight, about 90 minutes after a tentative agreement was reached between inmate negotiators and prison officials.

The agreement, which was distributed to reporters, said that after the hostages were released, six inmate negotiators would go to the cellblock and organize an orderly lockup.

Five guards were hospitalized with stab wounds, and one was listed in very serious condition, authorities said. Two inmates were injured, one seriously, and were hospitalized.

The disturbance at the Indiana Reformatory began around 8:30 a.m. while inmates were being searched for weapons, said Craig A. Hanks, assistant prison superintendent. One of three guards taken hostage was released after 5 1/2 hours, officials said.

Friday evening, six inmates negotiated with prison officials through bars at the cellblock, but officials did not discuss their demands. However, in a telephone call to reporters at the reformatory, inmates said they were presenting 22 demands, including amnesty.

The six inmates returned to their companions around 7 p.m. Friday to relay the state’s proposal, said Hanks. He would not discuss the proposals, but said it is against state policy to grant amnesty.

Prison officials remained in radio contact with the two hostages, Hanks said.

Arrangements were also made to prepare a videotape including an inmate and Commissioner Gordon Faulkner, to be shown to reporters and to the inmates in the cellblock.