Nick, an inmate at Mountain View Correctional Institution in North Carolina, endured a nightmare after Hurricane Helene caused severe flooding, leaving the prison without running water or electricity for nearly a week. His wife, Bridget Gentry, shared his experience, saying, "My husband told me this morning he's going to have to go see a therapist because of the things that happened in there." Inmates were forced to live in unsanitary conditions, defecating in plastic bags and storing them in their cells as the storm knocked out water utilities.
More than 550 inmates suffered in similar conditions until the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (NCDAC) evacuated them on October 2. However, their response left families frustrated. "We thought we were going to die there. We didn't think anybody was going to come back for us," Gentry recalled her husband telling her.
NCDAC spokesperson Keith Acree confirmed that inmates used plastic bags for defecation, explaining that prisoners had devised this solution themselves. Although the NCDAC claimed that bottled water and food were consistently provided, inmates and their families refuted this, with Gentry stating, "Food rations were scarce, and potable water didn't arrive for several days."
As neighboring towns dealt with devastation, Mountain View's prisoners were trapped, lacking communication with the outside world. "It is an emergency when I don't know where my son is for a week," said Melanie Walters, whose son was incarcerated at Mountain View. Families desperately searched for information, with some even considering hiring drones to check on the prison.
In the aftermath, stories of guard retaliation surfaced, including reports of pepper spraying and violence. "Mom, it was so bad," Walters' son told her. The harrowing conditions highlight the prison system's vulnerabilities during natural disasters, leaving families fearful for their loved ones' safety and mental health.
Link: The Intercept
Comments