Be among the first to get breaking news, weather, and general news updates from News on 6 delivered right to your inbox! The CCF is a medium and maximum security facility. CoreCivic, formerly known as Corrections Corp. of America, owns and operates the Cimarron prison, which houses state inmates under a contract with the Corrections Department. Copyright 2023 Department of Corrections spokesman Mark Myers said the department is investigating what happened, but unless criminal charges are filed its unlikely the investigation will be made public. Men wait outside the Cimarron Correctional Facility, in Cushing, Oklahoma, were a prison riot occurred Tuesday, March 22, 2005, leaving one inmate dead, another inmate is listed in critical . sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. There are multiple defendants charged in the riot. Copyright 2023 Drug-running guards for the Corrections Corporation of America allegedly let gangs build weapons and line up before Oklahomas deadliest prison riot. The state claims guilt by association. In November 2015, Hood was pulled aside after she repeatedly triggered a metal detector at Cimarron. You can opt-out at any time. Wednesday, June 10th 2015, 6:33 pm. Video Surfaces In Deadly 2015 Cushing Prison Riot. Courtesy. There has not been any official word on the total number of injuries or the severity. In the lawsuit, Bryan claims the pairs actions represent a culture of lawlessness that provides an atmosphere ripe for violent conflict. In ruling that the case against Jordan was insufficient to proceed to a trial, the judge said, The evidence presented at the preliminary hearing was minimal. News9.com is proud to provide Oklahomans with timely and relevant news and information, Last chance for up to $40 off TurboTax, Wayfair promo code: 10% off any single purchase, Sign up to Stock Advisor for $79 for 1 year, Kohl's promo code: 30% off for Kohl's Rewards Members, Why Lori Lightfoot Is the First Chicago Mayor to Lose in 40 Years, More Younger People Are Getting Colorectal Cancers, and Doctors Dont Know Why, The Airline Experiment to Make Boarding Less Awful, Long-Robust U.S. Labor Market Shows Signs of Cooling, The 20-Somethings Fueling a Stick-Shift Renaissance, Opinion: Ron DeSantis: Why I Stood Up to Disney, Opinion: Major Questions in the Student-Loan Forgiveness Case, Opinion: The Chips Act Becomes Industrial Social Policy, Opinion: It Doesnt Make Sense to Blame Crime on Poverty, Opinion: Republicans Ought to Be All for ESG, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Loses Re-Election Bid, An Inside Look at Ukrainian Troops Training to Use Western Tanks. The cell phone video, obtained by KWTV, shows a prisoner being picked up by other inmates and thrown from the second floor of the facility. Legal Statement. All seven were identified as being with the Irish Mob, a whites-only prison gang. I really didnt see anything. The Preston Youth Correctional Facility in Ione closed in June. All rights reserved. The flocking was a sure sign that a fight was imminent, yet a guard stood by as nothing more than a spectator, to the fight. All injuries were non-life threatening, and two inmates have already been taken back to the correctional facility. With the Irish Mob were victims Kyle Tiffee, 23, and Christopher Tignor, 29, the prosecutor said. Witnesses reluctance to testify, contamination of DNA evidence on the murder weapons after the fight, and the subsequent arrest and conviction on unrelated drug charges of the only correctional officer who witnessed the incident, made getting first-degree murder convictions unlikely, Thomas said. Final Early Bird Pricing! The key evidence in all the cases was a low-quality video surveillance recording. Then, only two months later, the deadliest prison riot in Oklahoma Department of Corrections history occurred at the facility a gang fight between the Irish Mob and the United Aryan Brotherhood at the facilitys Charlie North unit. Cimarron Correctional Facility. The rioting began sometime after 5 p.m. News 9 is told that everything was under control by 6 p.m. What caused the riot is not known at this time. In previous years, media reports have indicated the company has. The evidence is terrible. No prisoners were injured. 918-225-3336. Some defendants have had preliminary hearings at which the ability of employee/witnesses to identify individuals became questionable at best. Share, The Cimarron Correctional Facility in Cushing. In fact, CCAs stock just went up thanks to the renewal of a contract with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. "I miss him horribly.". Eventually Lockett and a nurse entered the fray to attend to a badly wounded inmate. Lockett was fired in February 2016 for bringing marijuana into the prison for inmates. But it took prison staff another 38 minutes to secure the single housing area where the killings took place, officials said. Posted on April 25, 2018. Wednesday, October 11th 2017, 11:09 pm. (if applicable) for The Wall Street Journal. The company has settled at least one lawsuit related to the fight and faces at least one other, court records show. Seven individuals allegedly involved in the fight were. That incident left four prisoners dead, according to court records filed in both criminal and civil cases after the incident. Cushing, OK 74023. Five staff members were treated for injuries and released after a brief assault on a correctional officer at the Cimarron Correctional Facility on Tuesday night in Cushing. It can hold approximately 1,650 inmates, 180 of whom in its maximum security wing. A "disturbance" at an Oklahoma prison yesterday afternoon left four inmates dead and several more hospitalized, officials said. The Department of Corrections claims the video is exempt from the Oklahoma Open Records Act, as a law enforcement record, attorney Spencer Bryan told The Daily Beast. You can opt-out at any time. Look for a box or option labeled Home Page (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari) or On Startup (Chrome). My questions were, Why wasnt this riot reported to me? And their answer was they didnt consider it a riot. You may cancel your subscription at anytime by calling As a nonprofit news organization,The Frontieris funded by tax-deductible donations made by people who support quality journalism. Theyve named me in that lawsuit so Im not going to say anything that hurts me., Lockett, when he did decide to warn his superiors that the gangs were gathering in a menacing manner, was told to call back when (the fight) happens.. A "disturbance" at an Oklahoma prison Saturday afternoon left four inmates dead and several more hospitalized, officials said Sunday. We are delighted that you'd like to resume your subscription. However, the current DOCspokesperson Mark Myers said the DOC made recommendations for improvements and they were implemented by theCoreCivic. About 46 percent of all prison homicides from 2012 and 2016 occurred in the states three private prisons, the data shows. The team also noted that the fight appeared to be "spontaneous." Thomas said prison officials have told her that a new, better camera system has since been installed, but the number of incidents that go on there has been some cause for concern. Five correctional officers were taken to a nearby hospital where they were treated and released, the media release stated. Thomas said the only surveillance video of the fight came from an automatically panning camera in the unit. Charges Dismissed in Fatal Cushing Prison Riot, Driver In Fatal Crash West Of Stillwater Due In Court, Former Cushing Man Accused Of Possessing Meth With Intent To Distribute, Payne County Health Department (Cushing) to Provide Curbside COVID-19 Testing, Cushing Ex-convict Charged With Possessing Stolen Vehicle. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. The Cimarron Correctional Facility is a private facility and not a part of the state department of corrections. By: News 9. Keep checking with News 9 and News9.com for more information. She told police an inmate had promised her $2,000 in exchange for the phones, which she planned to use to get away from her abusive husband, according to the police report. (, David McDaniel / THE OKLAHOMAN via AP File. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The company will continue to run an ICE detention facility in Texas, it announced this week. A brawl broke out at Jess Dunn Correctional Center the same day as the Cimarron Correctional Facility riot occurred in Cushing, said Oklahoma Department of Corrections officials. The Frontier published the video along with its investigation into the handling of the incident, Amber Assistant Police Chief Recounts His Life-Or-Death Struggle At Del City Walmart, Key Witness Gives Emotional Testimony In Norman Murder Case, A Pattern Of Killing By Suspected Serial Killer William Reece, 5th Suspect Arrested In Connection To Murder Of Broken Arrow Teen, Mayor Of Osage And Her Father-In-Law Killed In House Fire, Driver In Deadly Hit-And-Run Identified By Tulsa Police, Tulsa Police Shoot, Kill Man Accused Of Breaking Into Home, Firing At Officers. CUSHING, Okla. The estate of a state inmate who was killed during a prison melee has filed a lawsuit against the privately-run prison's management company and an unidentified inmate. They include one in which a prisoner had to have a testicle removed after staff at the prison allegedly ignored his complaints of pain for months. A critical witness, a guard in an unrelated matter, was charged with bringing contraband into the prison. Lexipol. sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. The prison was on lock down Sunday while officials investigated, a release said, and three inmates remained in local hospitals in stable condition. All injuries were non-life threatening, and two inmates have already been taken back to the correctional facility. On September 12, 2015, the prisonersat Cimarron Correctional Facility in Cushingbegan to band together for what would be called one of thedeadliestprison fights in state history. The Southern Youth Correctional Reception Center and Clinic in Norwalk (Los Angeles County) closed in December. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Other inmates began to assault the officer as well as other officers who were assisting, and after more pepper spray was deployed the melee quickly ended, according to DOC. Each of the riot cases stand on the same evidence as the other, the DA added in asking that all the cases be dismissed due to insufficient evidence. The key evidence in all the cases was a low-quality video surveillance recording. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. About 65 prisoners in two gangs fought March 22 in a recreational area of the privately operated Cimarron Correctional Facility. Its been a year and each day is a struggle for me. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. When Payne County Associate District Judge Stephen Kistler dismissed the case against Phillip Wayne Jordan Jr., 34, last week, two women sitting in the front row of the courtroom suddenly clapped and were ordered to leave the courtroom. Kyle spoke with his father often about God, about his plans to get involved in church when he was released from Cimarron to stay out of trouble. (Stillwater, Okla.) - Payne County District Attorney Laura Austin Thomas filed charges on Monday against seven convicts accused of participating in a riot at the Cimarron Correctional Facility in Cushing on Sept. 12, 2015, in which four inmates died from stab wounds. 3200 South Kings Highway, Cushing, OK 74023 Get Directions to this Facility Phone: 918-225-3336 Fax: 918-225-3363 Download Visitation & Contact Instructions They may be really bad people, but in that scenario they found themselves in, they had a right to defend.. The Cimarron Correctional Facility has had several violent incidents over the past several years, including a unit-wide riot in 2013 and at least two riots in 2015. Do Not Sell My Personal Information, If you need further help setting your homepage, check your browsers Help menu, First Circuit: Surgery performed on inmate to locate alleged contraband a violation of the Fourth Amendment, Ala. police: Man gets ride home from jail, then kills 3 relatives and friend, Charges dropped against detainee after video showed beating by deputies inside Ga. jail, 5 COs suspended after 65-year-old detainee dies at Rikers, Open the tools menu in your browser. sharing the stories, pictures and loves of Oklahomans across our great state. CUSHING, Okla. The estate of a state inmate who was killed during a prison melee has filed a lawsuit against the privately-run prison's management company and an unidentified inmate. Video Surfaces In Deadly 2015 Cushing Prison Riot. What you can see is total surprise, Thomas said. It all happened so fast, Lockett told The Daily Beast in a brief interview before deciding otherwise about the conversation. A riot broke out at a Tennessee prison operated by CoreCivic on Sunday night. Four inmates, including Kyle Tiffee, were fatally stabbed during a riot at the Cimarron Correctional Facility. Officials have not released the names of the inmates involved. In 2016, a video surfaced of another prisoner fight at the facility. On September 12, 2015, the prisoners at Cimarron Correctional Facility in Cushing began to band together for what would be called one of the deadliest prison fights in state history. This may be called Tools or use an icon like the cog. Three months later, in February, Lockett was pulled aside after a guard performing pat-downs of employees entering Cimarron found two bulges in Locketts crotch. Each defendant is charged with participating in a riot, a felony punishable by up to life in prison. 6/10/2015 Related Story: Injuries Reported Following Riot At Cimarron Correctional Facility Cimarron Correctional Facility Crowley County Correctional Facility F Federal Correctional Institution, Talladega United States Penitentiary, Florence High H 1974 Huntsville Prison siege L Lee Correctional Prison Riot M Marana Community Correctional Treatment Facility Montana State Prison N New Castle Correctional Facility An Oklahoma prison workers group has said the deaths were the result of violence between two white gangs. Be among the first to get breaking news, weather, and general news updates from News 9 delivered right to your inbox! News9 requested the 2015 incident report from the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. "CoreCivicwas not penalized," reported Frontierseniorstaffwriter Clifton Adcock, "reprimanded, or sanctioned by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, despite investigators finding evidence that the facility had violated at least two policies required by DOC.". In her motions to dismiss, the DA said, At the time of the filing of the charges, the investigative report confirmed each defendant could be identified as a participant in the riot by employees of the correctional facility. Corrections1 is revolutionizing the way in which the corrections community finds relevant news, Attorney J. Spencer Bryan, who represents Tiffee's estate, said the Department of Corrections has denied his request for a video of the fight. Another inmate said he came to the prison with swollen hands only to be ignored by medical staff. "Some defendants have had preliminary hearings at which the ability of employee/witnesses to identify individuals became questionable at best," she wrote. Share At the time of the September 2015 riot, department officials told media that the incident was not considered a riot, though Oklahoma law. Jordans court-appointed attorney, Jodie Gage, successfully argued to the judge that there was absolutely no evidence (at a preliminary hearing) to tie Mr. Jordan to this crime.. Several people were being treated for injuries after a riot at the Cimarron Correctional Facility in Cushing, Wednesday evening. It can hold approximately 1,650 inmates, 180 of whom in its maximum security wing. According to a lawsuit filed by Tiffees family, every element of the chaotic fightright down to the light fixtures made into shankscan be blamed on Corrections Corporation of America. The City of Cushing and CoreCivic, the owner of Cimarron Correctional Facility, announced Tuesday that they had entered into a detention services agreement with the U.S. Also still open are several federal lawsuits going back to 2014 levied on CCA because of alleged mistreatment of prisoners at Cimarron. Seven Convicts Charged in Fatal Cushing Prison Riot. The DA said last year murder charges could not be filed because no inmates were willing to testify to anything. The witness, Terrance A. Lockett, now 54, was the only correctional officer to see the fight start. Seven individuals allegedly involved in the fight were charged last month with participating in a riot a felony that carries a penalty of up to life in prison. A riot at a private Oklahoma prison on Saturday killed four inmates, the second time in three months that violence has erupted at the facility. Customer Service. Three inmates died just before 5 p.m. at the Cimarron Correctional Facility, operated by the Corrections Corporation of America, and a fourth offender later succumbed to wounds suffered during the attack. The lawsuit filed on behalf of Tiffees family notes CCAs voluminous income, which the company says provides Oklahomans with the highest standards of quality. Taxpayers in the state paid the company nearly $2.3 million a month in 2015 to CCA to run prisons there, and they have what Bryan says is the deadliest incident in the states prison history to show for it. You may change your billing preferences at any time in the Customer Center or call Both Hood and Lockett have been charged with possession of a controlled substance and intent to bring contraband into a penal institution, and their cases remain open. It has become the most comprehensive and trusted online destination for correctional professionals nationwide. Four others were wounded, and three of them remain hospitalized. CCA is a multi-billion-dollar company and the largest operator of privately run prisons in the United States, running nearly 70 facilities including Cimarron Correctional Facility in Cushing,. Department spokesman Alex Gerszewski said the agency would not release the video "for security reasons," since the investigation is ongoing. APPLY NOW. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. The rioting began sometime after 5 p.m. News 9 is told that everything was under control by 6 p.m. What caused the riot is not known at this time. We promise to never spam you. The night before Lockett had been on his way home from Cimarron when a car in front of him abruptly stopped. Self-Care: So, How Do We Get Started With 'Connection'? Be among the first to get breaking news, weather, and general news updates from News 9 delivered right to your inbox! Tweet How to Contact Inmates at Cimarron Correctional Facility. The same judge and another judge then dismissed the rest of the riot cases against Johnathan Richard Whittington, 28; Steven Ray Thompson, 32; James Augustine Placker, 31; Jordan James Scott, 26; Gage Broom, 26; and Korey L. Kruta, 29. By: News 9. Shot by Shot: Tracking Oklahoma police shootings in 2023, Listen Frontier: Sen. James Lankford speaks with The Frontier about abortion, immigration and more, Frontier content sharing and collaboration terms.