FEDERAL PRISON LOCKDOWN ORDERED NATIONWIDE AS INMATES SET FIRES, RIOT - Vol.26 No.43

Sep 29, 2026

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Federal prisons in Tennessee, Illinois, and Pennsylvania were placed under a nationwide lockdown after inmates set fires and took control of parts of facilities on October 20. At least 13 people, mostly with minor injuries, were affected, while authorities reported staff injuries at Greenville and multiple housing-unit disturbances in Memphis. The unrest followed a prison leadership response to officers attempting to enforce the Justice Department lockdown. Earlier disturbances on October 19 in Talladega and October 20 in Allenwood were also linked in reporting to congressional action on crack-cocaine sentencing. Justice Department officials described the lockdown as a normal public-safety precaution.

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FEDERAL PRISON LOCKDOWN ORDERED NATIONWIDE AS INMATES SET FIRES, RIOT

Corrections Digest

Memphis disturbance details

Talladega riot background

Allenwood disturbance and precautions

Justice Department statement

WASHINGTON CRIME NEWS SERVICES' i Vol.26 No.43 # FEDERAL PRISON LOCKDOWNORDERED NATIONWIDE ASINMATES SET FIRES,RIOT Inmates set fires and took over parts ofFederal prisons Oct.20 in Tennessee,Ilinois andPennsylvania as the Justice Department declared alockdown at its facilities nationwide. At least 13 people suffered mostly minorinjuries. .The inmates still had control of a housingunit at the prison in Greenville,II.,on the night ofOct.20.Authorities quelled the disturbances inMemphis,Tenn.,and Allenwood,Pa.,by evening. Prisoners took over the unit at the medium-security Federal Correctional Institution whenofficers tried to impose the Justice Departmentlockdown.Some prison staffers had to be rescuedby a tactical response team after building a barri-cade to protect themselves,authorities said Ten staff members at Greenville sufferedminor injuries,but it was not immediately clearwhether other staffers or any of the prison's ap-proximately 1,200 inmates were hurt.It also wasunknown how many inmates were involved or howlong the trouble had been going on.There were noescape attempts,a prison statement said. The lockdown was ordered at the prison,about 40 miles east of St.Louis,and other Federalprisons after the disturbances in Memphis,Allen-wood and a riot in Talladega,Ala.,on the night ofOct.19. Between 700 and 800 inmates were unse-cured at one point during the five-hour disturbanceat the Federal Correctional Institution in Memphis, (See LOCKDOWN,page two) ISSN 0010-9045 October 27,1995 FEDERAL PRISONSYSTEM:Lockdown Ordered After Series Of Disturbances … …1ACA:Moves Its Headquarters… ……… …….1JOB LISTINGS…… … …… … ……4 N.Y.:Prosecuting Inmates In Criminal Courts… …4CALIFORNIA:The Cost Of A Broken Cookie… …4 N.M.:Trying To End Duran Decre… …… …….6VIRGINIA:Executes Crowbar Killer.… ……… …7ARIZONA:Corrections Director Held In Contemp.……8CHAPLAINCY PROGRAM:Is It Neutral?…… …8MARYLAND:Law Will Speed Up Execution… ……9NEVADA:Conducts Big Prison Drug Bus.………………10 N.J.:Officers Face Misconduct Charges………… …10 Closer To Washington: ACA HOSTS OPEN HOUSETO CELEBRATE OPENINGOF NEW HEADQUARTERS Prince George's County,Md.,ExecutiveWayne K.Curry cut the ribbon at an open houseOct.20 to celebrate the opening of the AmericanCorrectional Association's(ACA)new office at4380 Forbes Boulevard,in Lanham,MD 20706-4322. A life-long resident of Prince George'sCounty,Curry was elected county executive inNovember 1994.The fifth individual to assume thepost since the county adopted a charter form ofgovernment in 1971,Curry is the first AfricanAmerican to serve in the county's highest electedoffice. (See ACA,page three) CORRECTIONS DIGEST where several small fires were set.Firefighterswere ordered to evacuate for awhile because ofsecurity risks. The uprising in Memphis began shortly afternoon when a group of inmates in the manufacturingarea began breaking windows and vandalizing thebuilding,according to prison officials.Theymoved to the recreation yard and refused to leave,then were joined by other inmates.Several fireswere set in three of the prison's housing units. Prison spokeswoman Francine Branch didnot know what sparked the trouble or how manyinmates were involved. The disturbance subsided by late afternoon,but escalated again during the early evening whenmore fires were set.The inmates were unsecureduntil about 8 p.m.,when the majority of the 900inmates returned to their cells or under surveillancein a yard and the fires were burning out,Branchsaid. She did not have an estimate of the numberof injuries or the amount of damage done.TheCommercial Appeal newspaper reported that ninepeople--six inmates,a firefighter and two prisonemployees--were taken to local hospitals for smokeinhalation. Prisoners rioted on the night of Oct.19 inTalladega,Ala.,where 13 people were injured andinmates caused $1 million in damage by settingfires and smashing windows with baseball

FAQs

What triggered the nationwide lockdown of federal prisons?

The Justice Department declared a lockdown after inmates set fires and took over parts of federal prisons across Tennessee, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. Officials described the lockdown as a precaution following the unrest and to protect public safety and staff and inmates.

Where did the October 20 disturbances occur and what were the main actions by inmates?

Authorities reported disturbances in Greenville, Memphis, and Allenwood. Inmates set fires, broke windows, vandalized buildings, refused orders to leave areas, and were unsecured before order was restored.

How were injuries and damages described in the report?

At least 13 people suffered mostly minor injuries. In Talladega, reporting cited 13 injured and about $1 million in damage, while authorities at Greenville indicated staff members had minor injuries and details about the full extent were not immediately clear.

Sep 29, 2026

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