BY: LOU COLAGIOVANNI
EXAMINER.COM
Former and current inmates of The St. Louis Medium Security Institution are suing for $150 million in damages because they say they were forced to fight “gladiator style”, while guards allowed spectators to bet money on who would win.
The federal civil suit was filed Friday August, 17, 2012. At least seven individuals who are or were in custody allege that they were forced to fight with one another. If they refused, inmates claim they were threatened to be a target of a beating from other inmates. The lawsuit alleges if inmates complied they were allowed privileges.
It has been locally reported by stltoday.comthat the director of operations of The St. Louis Medium Security Institution, Sam Dotson, stated he had not yet seen the claim, nor had any knowledge of the lawsuit being brought forward. Dotson said, “We’re going to expose it, and bring it to the proper authorities.”
Guards from the institution known otherwise affectionately as “City Work House” have previously been fired for standing by and allowing inmates to assault one another. There have also been cases where prisoners were brought to opposing cells, which were unlocked, and the occupant forced to endure a beating.
Related articles
- Suit says guards made inmates fight ‘gladiator-style’ in St. Louis jail (stltoday.com)
- Inmates Claim Officers Forced Them To Fight For Entertainment (fox2now.com)
- Inmates Forced Into Gladiator-Style Fighting By St. Louis Jail Guards (thinkprogress.org)
- Suit alleges guards made inmates fight (mysanantonio.com)
- Suit claims St. Louis ‘workhouse’ inmates forced by guards to fight (stltoday.com)
