The Indypendent e-news
September 13, 2008
As Hurricane Ike moved toward Galveston, authorities went to great lengths to evacuate the city's 57,000 residents, reiterating National Weather Service warnings that to stay in the face of a 20-25 foot storm surge expected to sweep over the island would be to court “certain death”. On Friday, stragglers were rescued by everything from helicopter to dump truck to fire truck to surfboard.
However, this concern for human life may not extend to one group of people who can't leave the low-lying barrier island if they want—the 1,000 inmates at the Galveston County Jail. As of 10 a.m. Friday, the prisoners still had not been evacuated to the mainland. Sheriff's department spokesman Ray Tuttoilmondo told the Houston Chronicle that "the prisoners and their safety and well-being are paramount and it will be handled” and any decision to move the prisoners would be kept secret for security reasons.
This may be. However, it's worth keeping in mind that one of the many horrors of Hurricane Katrina was the abandonment of the prisoners at Orleans Parish Prison (OPP) who were locked in and left to their fate when floodwaters rose and their guards fled for high ground. Many inmates survived (just barely) standing in chest deep water for a day-and-a-half with no food or water before they were hauled away in some cases to maximum security state prisons. It is believed that some of the inmates at OPP drowned in their cells.
Keep in mind that those held in local jails are often petty criminals at worst, people tagged for public drunkenness, bounced checks, unpaid traffic tickets or just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's likely that a substantial number of the inmates at the Galveston County Jail have been convicted of nothing at all and languish in jail because they cannot make bail and be released in advance of their trial date. And most of these people have families who are likely freaking out about what's going to become of them. So hopefully the sheriff's department was just being coy about its plans and has done the right thing in regards to the prisoners. If so, at least one needless tragedy will be avoided in what is likely to be an enormous catastrophe.
Comments
From: http://blog.disasteraccountability.com/2008/09/13/galveston-jail-not-eva...
Galveston Jail Not Evacuated Despite Evacuation Order and White House Recommendation
Galveston, TX, one of the nation’s most vulnerable cities, disregarded a key White House recommendation — despite a city-wide mandatory evacuation order and news media and forecaster predictions of “certain death” for those remaining in Galveston for Hurricane Ike.
According to the Houston Chronicle, Galveston officials are mum on the reason for not evacuating the county prison with about 1,000 prisoners. The online jail roster was unavailable Saturday night as Ike hit the TX coast. For an idea of the proximity of the jail to the water follow this link.
"The reason for not evacuating the prisoners is a security issue and cannot be discussed, sheriff’s spokesman Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo said."
Maj. Tuttoilmondo reveals that the jail “was specially designed to withstand hurricanes,” but he would not “discuss measures the Sheriff’s Office would take to make sure the prisoners and jail staff remained safe if a storm surge floods the jail.”
Blatant disregard of White House post-Katrina recommendations without explanation underscores the need for the Disaster Accountability Project to make sure post-Katrina recommendations are at least considered.
From the Disaster Accountability Project’s website and post-Katrina White House Lessons Learned Report (2/23/06):
Rec #127
Public Safety and Security: Criminal Justice
Lessons Learned
Recommendation #55, Page 104
DOJ, in coordination with DHS, should establish a program to provide oversight and technical assistance for States’ emergency plans for evacuating prisoners in the event of a disaster.
Target Agencies/Organizations: ( DHS DOJ )
"This may be. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that one of the many horrors of Hurricane Katrina was the abandonment of the prisoners at Orleans Parish Prison (OPP) who were locked in and left to their fate when floodwaters rose and their guards fled for high ground. Many inmates survived (just barely) standing in chest deep water for a day-and-a-half with no food or water before they were hauled away in some cases to maximum security state prisons. It is believed that some of the inmates at OPP drowned in their cells."
Anyone heard more about these prisoners? This is just sick and evil, if you ask me. This is definitely a human rights issue and basically mass killings, if they died.
YES IT IS SICK, WHAT GIVES Maj. Tuttoilmondo ANY RIGHT TO DECIDE WHO LIVES OR DIES!Blatant disregard of White House post-Katrina recommendations WHY ARE THEY EVEN IN THAT POSITION IF THEY CAN'T FOLLOW ORDERS??I TELL YOU WHAT IM STILL GETTING THE RUN AROUND FROM SO CALLED CITY OFFICIALS AND I WAS ON THE PHONE FRIDAY AT 3;00 IN THE AFTERNOON TO MY DAUGHTER SCARED OUT OF HER MIND, GUARDS TELLING THEM TO MAKE IT RIGHT WITH GOD NOW OR THEY WOULD'NT BE ABLE TO SOON . WE WERE DISCONNECTED ,BUT SHE WAS CRYING ,TELLING ME TO LET HER 4 KIDS KNOW HOW MUCH SHE LOVED THEM.TELLING ME SHE WAS WRITING GOOD-BYES TO THEM IF THIS IS'NT INHUMANE TELL ME WHAT IS.I SURE HOPE THESE OFFICIALS MADE THE RIGHT DECISION BECAUSE THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY IF ANYTHING HAPPENED TO MY DAUGHTER.EVEN IF SHE MADE IT AND IS STILL SITTING IN THAT GOD FORSAKEN JAIL, AND IS NOT BEING TAKEN CARE OF. SHES BEEN SICK A FEW TIMES PRIOR TO THIS DEVASTATION AND IT WAS WEEKS BEFORE SHE SAW A DOCTOR. SO I SURE HOPE SHE IS BEING TAKEN CARE OF NOW. THESE PEOPLE NEED TO BE LOCKED UP DOWN THERE JUST SO THEY CAN THINK OF THE TERRIBLE THINGS THEY DID TO THESE INMATES,AND SEE HOW LONG THEY LIKE GOING WITHOUT POWER, WATER, FOOD, I SURE HOPE I HEAR FROM SOMEONE SOON ,ITS DRIVING ME CRAZY, NOT KNOWING WERE SHES AT!!!
Prisoners Safe
http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=2ca524510905e85a
Add new comment