A state representative from Kansas City said Tuesday he planned to ask the Justice Department to investigate reports of "inhumane treatment and disturbing conditions" at a Cameron prison that he said also may show "a window into problems throughout the (Missouri) Department of Corrections."
State Rep. Brandon Ellington, D-Kansas City, said his office has received numerous reports about the conditions at the Crossroads Correctional Center at Cameron since a riot occurred May 12.
The riot at the prison, which houses about 1,500 medium and maximum security inmates, began when more than 200 inmates staged a sit-in in the dining hall over issues with reductions in recreation time and several programs. About 80 inmates refused to return to their cells and began destroying the central services building. The Missouri Highway Patrol attempted to negotiate an end to the situation, but the rioting lasted about six hours.
Corrections officials said the riot damaged the kitchen, dining areas, factories, food storage, offices, tools, machinery and security doors.
On Tuesday, Corrections Department spokeswoman Karen Pojmann said the department had no comment about Ellington's call for a federal investigation.
In a House hearing room Tuesday, Ellington held a meeting in which family members and friends of inmates at Crossroads, as well as former inmates, former employees and current employees of the facility testified and shared their experiences.
Those testifying spoke of inmates' meals consisting of as little as bologna, raisins and fruit drink. They noted inmates had no access to mail or the prison's law library, as well as restrictions that allowed little if any time out of the cells for exercise.
Denial of such rights, Ellington said, is against federal law and may warrant bringing in federal authorities.
Pojmann said the prison is working to rebuild staff, ease its lockdown, restore suspended programs and reassure concerned lawmakers. Some meals will soon be held outside of cells, recreation time will be increased and normal visiting schedules will be restored by Friday.
"Mail service has not stopped even when we were in full lockdown," Pojmann said. "Offenders have been able to request material from the law library and staff can bring it to them."
Ellington said he still believes there is a cover-up of constitutional violations, lack of health care access for inmates and retaliation against inmates who attempt to file grievances at Crossroads.
"I refuse to let up until we have transparency," he said.