New Mexico prison bosses lift statewide lockdown as activists claim protests by inmates
The New Mexico Corrections Department announced this afternoon that a statewide lockdown at its 11 prisons had been lifted, a week after it was initially announced via Facebook on August 20.
Corrections spokesperson SU Mahesh refused to tell SFR why the statewide lockdown was enacted. In response to SFR's emailed question, Mahesh said it was a "standard security measure" and was not prompted by anything in particular.
Mahesh again stated it was a standard security measure when SFR asked for clarification. After a third inquiry, Mahesh did not respond. But the department's Facebook page was updated to say the lockdown had ended.
The state declared the lockdown right before August 21, the day inmates choosing to participate in a nationwide prison strike were set to begin protesting low-to-zero wages for their labor while incarcerated, as well as inhumane conditions, systemic racism and institutional barriers to redress.
Read more: https://www.sfreporter.com/news/2018/08/27/nm-prison-bosses-lift-statewide-lockdown-as-activists-claim-protests-by-inmates/