Oklahoma Inmates Free Hostages, End Uprising

About 80 convicts who joined a rebellion at the Oklahoma State Prison released seven guards Wednesday and ended the 18-hour uprising in exchange for a meeting on living conditions with prison officials and reporters.

As the meeting began, the inmates slowly released the seven unharmed hostages and began returning to their cells in the A and C wings of the maximum security facility.

Three guards who were stabbed and beaten Tuesday night during the early minutes of the incident were hospitalized in stable condition after surgery. A female guard struck by flying glass was treated for minor cuts.

Officials promised no retribution against the inmates for the uprising, although that did not include prosecution for the attacks on the guards.

Criminal Activity

“It would certainly appear that some criminal activity occurred and will be investigated,” said Dan Lawrence, head of the 10-member prison negotiating team.

As the two cellblocks were being secured, the promised meeting began between Warden Gary Maynard, inmates James Clayton, Jerry Kinney, Timothy Weinmeister and Joe Jenner and three reporters requested by the inmates.

Clayton, in a videotape of the meeting, said the main grievance was the lack of money-making jobs at the prison. He said jobs existed for only 151 of the prison’s 612 inmates, and jobs were the way to generate good-time credit, early release and spending money.

Maynard said he would give serious consideration to the grievances of the inmates and try to correct any problems.