Guards Made Inmates Fight 'Gladiator-Style' in St. Louis Jail

Suit says Guards Made Inmates Fight 'Gladiator-Style' in St. Louis Jail
(St. Louis Post-Dispatch, stltoday.com)

ST. LOUIS • Guards in the St. Louis jail known as the City Workhouse forced inmates to engage in “gladiator-style combat,” bet on the fights and used inmates to punish other inmates, a federal civil suit filed today claims.

The suit, filed on behalf of seven inmates who were attackers, victims or both, says that at least one attack was caught on camera.

Some inmates named in the suit were both victim and attacker, the suit claims. Lawyers for those inmates say guards sometimes used promises of special privileges, extra food and snacks to enlist an attacker. Other times, they say, an inmate was himself threatened with attack unless he agreed to fight.

Pax Americana lives. For-profit prison industries create a "school to prison pipeline" and now jailers entertain themselves with inmate gladiator matches.

The class-action suit claims guards took away inmates’ food and privileges and attacked them if they refused to fight. The “Workhouse Gladiators” say they were also denied medical care for the serious injuries resulting from the fights, which included a broken jaw. They are seeking injunctive relief along with $100 million in punitive damages, and their attorneys are also requesting to get the inmates transferred out of the jail immediately for their safety.

The gladiator-fights were exposed when one jailer caught the fights (and the guards who orchestrated them) on a security camera;

The lawsuit was filed after security cameras caught officers Dexter Brinson and Elvis Howard forcing two of the plaintiffs to fight. Brinson and Howard were arrested in June.

(source)

Still, gotta be better than "BumFights", worst $20 I ever spent...

Thats the first thing that went through my head when I saw the thread title...


Yea, this reminds me once again of the Stanford prison experiments.

If you create an us vs them attitude, violence is sure to follow.

Nothing new. Here in California a few years back, Corcoran state prison (where Manson is)
Guards were doing this and betting big time money. Inmates of rival gangs were put in a yard just them two and last one standing was winner (some on the ground were dead)
Prisoners earn respect/credit amongst their race/gang & C.O's were making
A fortune. (on top of their $20-30 hr. job!)

St.louis is just local jail. When it's state prison it is truly gladiator fighting.
(biggest baddest most violent of the state)

Now that's credentials to put on your resume!

"9yrs. On the 4 yard (2 of em in solitary)
3 riots (stabbed 4 killed 1)
Won 3-4 gladiator battles

Do I qualify & have enough experience for the job?

This practice is utterly disgusting, and all prison guards who take part in this and subject inmates to these "games" need to lose their jobs.


Better yet, put them against each other in gladiator fights,and let them fight each other to the death.

Just being sarcastic, but that is what they deserve.

Power indeed corrupts.....from the bggest to the smallest t is inevitable.....
These jobs and these people need to be changed far more often....they get stale at it and anything is fair game....
the corruption goes on regardless.....its inside us.....

reply to post by Blackmarketeer


I would think, this is actually Common.

Sad, the WHOLE Prison Industrial Complex.

S&F

Humans are violent, this is no surprise.We didn't make it to the top of the food chain by being passive.

Also keep in mind this is what the lawyer is saying. This does not make it fact. I do not argue the fact that there were fights, I am just more inclined to believe that fights were happening anyway so the guards decided to profit from it. Of course this doesn't take make them any more innocent, but before we get on our high horses, remember that these are prisoners. They were there for a reason.

I am not saying that because they are prisoners it makes it okay, I am just saying that if a murder and a rapist were fighting, I'd probably look the other way too.

in prison- when you flash McDonalds in front of an inmate-
the first thing he is going to ask is...

"Who do I have to kill?...consider it done, but that McRib better be hot!"

CDC (California dept. of Corrections)
Oh wait it's CDCR now (Cal. Dept. corrections & rehabilitation)


Is the largest union in the state!
Big time money, big time power!

Nothing's gonna change soon. Just hope you don't mess up/get caught and end up
Fighting "bubba" to the death w/ your toothbrush!

Another thing: these inmates who are thrown together to fight it out are no virgins to violence.
They are cream of the crop to their organization(s) & have killed numerous times. These inmates have no problem violently attacking/killing their "enemies" at anytime (on site)

So in the CO's point of view: "they kill each other on site anyway, why not put em together and make money on the outcome in a controlled private manner?"

That's the mind set of the officers. Not right I know, but that's the truth of it.

They arnt throwing some first timer in there w/ a hardened lifer who's been killing since the 1st timer was in a diaper. The convicts thrown together are really having "mutual combat"

That's what the convicts would tell the warden anyways. "mutual combat"
Any other statement is considered snitching, and you don't want to get a snitch label on you.

Snitch's die way more violent/horrible deaths than "mutual combat" soldiers.