USA : hurricane Harvey, forgotten prisoners

— CG¶

Natural disasters don’t stop at prison doors. Since August 27 , Hurricane Harvey has affected the Houston region (Texas, USA). Torrential rain has struck within a radius of 320 kilometers. Nearly 6,000 prisoners from five penal institutions have been evacuated due to the threatening flood of Brazos River. The correctional administration aims to be reassuring and guarantee the safety of transferred prisoners. “Things are going smoothly,” explains Robert Hurst, a spokesperson for the Texan correctional administration.

According to social networks and self-help groups of families of prisoners, the reality is quite different.
Rachel V., whose husband is a prisoner in Beaumont prison, explained on September 2, “They receive 250 ml of water and two sandwiches a day. It’s been like that since last Sunday (August 27, editor’s note). They relieve themselves in bags because they drink water from toilets. People faint from dehydration. There is no air conditioner, and the heat is smothering”. Loved ones worry about getting no news and for good reason. Beaumont prison remained in lockdown for five days. That long, with all communication cut off. Rachel was able to hear her husband again last Saturday. News wasn’t good. Prisoners felt really weak¹. One of them drank water from a toilet. The administration decided on a new lockdown after finding out that prisoners were telling their families about their situation and asking for help.

Beaumont’s low-security federal prison houses more than 1,800 prisoners. Officials decided last Thursday not to evacuate despite the critical level of water and food supplies. Hundreds of animals in shelters have been evacuated since Monday.

Updated on 7 sept. 2017.
The correctional administration denied the death of two prisoners. Information remain hard to obtain. More details here (in English)

— Translated on 27 September 2017.¶