The prison riot in New Castle, IN was a direct result of Arizona prisoners that were shipped to Indiana because of overcrowding. The prisoners were upset over this situation and decided to show their disapproval with violence. Now, I do not feel sorry for prisoners, but I think shipping prisoners to other states is bad for everyone. It is bad for the prisoners, the families of the prisoners, and most importantly to me; it is bad for the people who work at the prison.
I think that it is in everyone’s best interest for a prisoner to have contact with someone who cares about them outside of the prison. A prisoner who is getting regular visits is more likely to be accepting of their current situation. This is just not possible when a prisoner has been shipped hundreds of miles away from anyone that might want to visit them. No one wants to be there when a prisoner thinks he/she has nothing left to live for. If this type of depression and anger sets in, it can be dangerous for everyone. The danger is then magnified exponentially if a group of prisoners feel this way at the same time.
The truth is, prisoners can riot like this anytime they want to. They greatly outnumber the guards and like in this riot, at a medium security prison, most likely none of them will be killed for the uprising. One thing that keeps prisoners in line is the privileges that are given and taken away. There is no greater privilege for many prisoners than being able to visit with family and friends. By shipping these prisoners to other states we have essentially taken away one of the best methods of control. This is why it is the best interest of everyone that prisoners not be shipped to other states.