Cold chicken inflames jail uprising, officials say

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - An uprising inside the D.C. Jail started after inmates complained that their chicken patty dinner was cold, officials said Monday.

The disturbance followed a fight that broke out between two inmates in the jail’s dining area in the southeast wing, according to the D.C. Department of Corrections. The altercation delayed the service of the dinner to 154 inmates for several hours, jail spokesman Anthony D. Diallo said.

When the inmates got their dinner, they complained that the chicken patties were no longer hot. About 35 inmates refused to return to their cells.

At around 3 a.m., corrections officers used pepper spray to put down the protest. Dozens of D.C. police officers were called to stand by outside the jail, but did not take part in putting down the uprising.

No major injuries were suffered by the staff or inmates.

The incident is under investigation, and the 35 inmates will face disciplinary action, Diallo said.

Union officials said the event was dangerous but not unusual.

“It was a rough night for citizens, but it’s par for the course for corrections officers,” said John Rosser, of the union that represents corrections officers.

Some neighbors complained that the jail’s sirens failed to alert them of the disturbance, but Diallo said that the sirens are only used in the event of a prison escape.

“But that was never the case because the incident all happened in this one self-contained unit,” he said. For a disturbance such as the one Monday, the jail flashes strobe lights, which were used during the ordeal, he said.

smccabe@dcexaminer.com

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