FSP Inmates protest pepper spray use

About 20 inmates at Florida State Prison in Bradford County entered their second day of a hunger strike Friday, claiming excessive use of pepper spray by correctional officers.

Twenty inmates started the strike Thursday, the prison reported. Seven inmates joined Friday, with five dropping out by lunch. As of Friday evening, 22 inmates were refusing meals.

Prison staff are monitoring the strike and continue to offer those inmates meals, said C.J. Drake, a spokesman for the Department of Corrections in Tallahassee.

"I'm sure they're looking for publicity," said James Crosby, the prison's warden. All who have refused to eat are on disciplinary confinement, he said.

Officers regularly use pepper spray to subdue inmates causing problems, Drake said.

"It works because the number of physical altercations at FSP have been steadily declining for the past year, but the use of pepper spray has increased," Drake said. "There's a correlation there."

But Drake said DOC "categorically denies" that use of pepper spray is excessive.

"It's only used when absolutely necessary and to subdue an inmate who is getting out of hand and to prevent the escalation of an incident into a full-blown physical confrontation," Drake said.

The day before the hunger strike began, an FSP sergeant used pepper spray on an inmate after the inmate bit an officer on the shoulder, DOC reported.

Sgt. Conrad Wallace tried to pull Eric D. Green off Officer Jamie Whitaker, then sprayed Green with the chemical. Green continued to hold onto the officer with his teeth, even after he was sprayed.

The incident occurred while officers were taking Green, 25, from the prison law library to his cell. Whitaker was treated and released from an area hospital after the attack.

In April, Death Row inmates at nearby Union Correctional Institution in Raiford staged a hunger strike, refusing meals in an apparent protest over proposed changes to the visitation policy. As many as 200 inmates refused to eat at one point early in the strike.

Lise Fisher can be reached at 374-5092 or fisherl@gvillesun.com.

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