Fluvanna POWs Attacked by State Inmates: August 2, 2001

Alluding to "bad blood" between federal women prisoners transported to the maximum security state prison in Troy, Virginia, and state women prisoners confined in the same institution, the Richmond Times-Dispatch on July 11 reported an outbreak of violence between the two factions. According to the Times-Dispatch, state women prisoners heard they would be targeted with razors in the cafeteria, armed themselves with combination locks concealed in socks, and "proceeded basically to get the best of the feds." The paper noted the $7.8 million dollars accruing to the state treasury annually for housing federal inmates, and the complaints of federal prisoners at their loss of recreational and other privileges customary in the federal prison system.

This much was disclosed by Maria Pineres, daughter of a federal Drug War prisoner in the Fluvanna compound, who learned of the outbreak of violence from her mother by telephone, adding that there was more to the story than the Richmond newspaper allowed.

CNN National News, in the words of Frankie Delise, a drugwarprisoners.org source inside Fluvanna, reported that "federal inmate gangs attacked state inmate gangs at Virginia's largest female prison with nuts and bolts in socks."

She continues (letter dated July 22):

"Not exactly true. What started out as a fight at walking rec between a fed and a state inmate over another female turned into a riot. The fed girl was beating the state girl, so three more state girls jumped in. It was broken up and all went to seg [segregation]. Later that evening friends of the state girls that had gone to seg waited until the first wing of the building which housed 99 per cent of the feds was let out to dinner. When they walked into the dining room they were attacked by state inmates swinging combination locks. Three fed girls were badly hurt and all hell broke out in the chow hall. Finally that was contained. Then it started outside the chow hall and it took a bit, because by now everyone was fighting. Eventually it was contained and everyone got back into their units.

"As you probably already know, there were a few fed girls being housed in the state buildings and some state inmates in this one. Later that same night, the 3 girls in the building that attacked the fed girls at dinner were also attacked, and before the night was over all state inmates were removed from this building and all the feds were brought back in.

"We have been until yesterday locked in our rooms, all meals brought in, showers one room at a time every other day, one room for going to the bathroom at a time taking about 3 hours to get let out, no commissary, etc. The entire prison locked down.

"The only difference now is we've been allowed out of our rooms into the day room. So most are content again. They can visit with their girlfriends, play cards and gossip.

"I don't know what they plan on ever doing about school and VT programs because we went mixed with state inmates. We were told we'd never have walking rec again and when they finally stop bringing meals in they will never feed us with the state girls again.

"We are basically in protective custody. I spend my time writing to the Attorney-General, every senator, governor, and congressman I had an address for, asking how they plan on ever insuring the safety of federal inmates here again.

"The fact that the news said we attacked the state women really pissed me off. I wrote to the newspaper and asked that they do a retraction, because whoever gave them the info they reported was incorrect. There's 200 of us and over 900 state prisoners here, and only 20 federal prisoners were out on the compound the night we were attacked. We might be in prison but we are not stupid. It would have been a losing battle no matter now you look at it."

An e-mail update from Maria Pineres on July 31 states:

"They seem to be taking extreme security measures to make sure nothing happens again. My mother says they are now allowed in the common space within their sections, but all jobs and classes are cancelled. I believe after a week they resumed the academic classes but the vocational classes are still suspended. They are also allowed into the cafeteria for meals, but they are escorted by guards and now dogs are present. They are also conducting body searches more often than they did before. They've also stopped allowing them hot water for tea and coffee. I guess that's a security threat too.

"Sorry for all the dismal news and thank you for letting me share it with you."

Click here for more information on the Fluvanna scandal and Frankie Delise.