Inmates say bright lights have to go Prisoners stage protest at Warren’s new lockup

WARREN – Some 500 inmates at the new Maine State Prison have seen the light and aren’t happy about it.

Until recently, prisoners who got the top bunk in the medium-security cells had to endure 7-watt night lights just two feet from their faces. The idea behind the night nights is to allow security to keep an eye out for each sleeping inmate.

But that and some other conditions at the just-opened prison prompted many of the inmates to dump their uneaten food into the garbage in protest as they walked through the serving line Friday night.

“It’s just like kids when they move into a new school,” Warden Jeffrey Merrill said Tuesday, noting that the inmates were unhappy about a variety of issues.

“They don’t have to eat,” he said, adding: “They’ve got some issues. It was done very nonthreatening.”

The inmates know that if they cause damage or destruction, the way in which the state Corrections Department deals with their protests could change, Merrill said.

Any serious threats to do more can lead to punishment. “If we were to hear that from inmates, [they could be] written up for trying to incite a riot,” he said.

The biggest issue seems to be the brightness of the night lights. The contractor’s specifications called for 5-watt bulbs in the sockets, but workers installed 7-watt bulbs.

Other complaints center on food and construction-related problems, the warden said. “We don’t disagree,” Merrill said.

Inside the medium-security cells, inmates are double-bunked.

Although the night-light bulbs have been replaced with 5-watt bulbs, prison officials are looking at alternatives that would still allow the inmates to be seen during cell checks.

Some prisoners say the 5-watt bulbs are still too bright, Merrill said.

A construction-related problem in the kitchen also has inmates all stirred up.

When the prisoners enter the dining area, they are served through a “blind feed,” so the person serving the food cannot see who is on the receiving end.

But when the kitchen door to the dining rooms is opened, a “wind tunnel” effect occurs from the powerful exhaust fan in the kitchen. The brisk, cool air comes flowing in and quickly cools the inmates’ food, Merrill said.

“It’s a legitimate issue,” he said. “This is all new to us.”

Last month, the inmates were moved from a prison in Thomaston to the new facility about five miles away, off Route 97 in Warren. Prisoners from some other Maine facilities also were relocated to Warren.

Now, instead of feeding some 400 inmates, the staff is learning to feed 650 prisoners, and that has caused some growing pains.

The staff is adjusting to the increased number of inmates. Staffers now must stock food supplies for five dining rooms and must set that many more tables, which takes more time, Merrill said.

Another design issue is the method of getting into the top bunk in cells.

A padlike step on the wall assists in climbing into the top rack, Merrill explained.

If you have a size 6 foot, you’re OK, he said. But if you have a size 12 or 14, you can’t get your feet in.