From The Marshall Project:
As the virus spread, the prisoners grew desperate. They couldn’t see their families, many couldn’t leave their cells, thousands couldn’t get anything to eat but bad rations. Some tried contacting advocacy groups. Some tried filing grievances.
Some tried starting fires.
Dozens of videos taken inside Texas prisons over the course of the pandemic show crackling blazes outside of cells, in stairwells, and in housing areas. Prisoners set these fires, often saying that they hope to attract the attention of officials who might address whatever problems the overextended guards aren’t tending to, including poor food, dirty clothes, or no access to showers.
The conflagrations don’t always have the intended effect; in fact, prison officials find them easy to ignore. That’s because more than 200 Texas prison buildings do not have working fire alarm systems. Continue reading >>>
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