Prison Riots

We all know that prisons are violent places and that at any moment inmates can attack each other or staff members. But what are the motives for such violence, besides the fact that inmates don’t want to be locked up? Although prison staff try to keep the prisons safe for both inmates and employees, riots occur unexpectedly and some with tragic results.



In August of this year there was a riot at the California Institution for Men (CIM) where hundreds of inmates resulted with injuries and several had to be transported to hospitals. What causes these riots is not always clear and concise, but TIME magazine reported that overcrowding, program cuts and understaffing all have a link to prison violence. Inmates always attempt to take over the prisons and sometimes plan these attacks while other times they are unexpected. The riot at CIM was “the state’s worst since 2006.” Parts of the facility were burnt down and many of the neighboring prisons were placed on lockdown.

According to TIME, prison violence is natural and caused by racial disparities, gang rivalries and hatred toward prison guards. But is there a way to avoid the violence before it comes? Not unless we empty out the prisons or segregate the inmates, but we can’t do that so the best thing is to be prepared for anything. It’s obvious that overcrowding is a major problem and everyone is aware of it, but releasing inmates won’t stop riots from occurring.