On 27 December, 2005, a Department of Corrections spokeswoman knowingly lied to the news media claiming the reason there were "more forceful removals of inmates from cells in 2005 than in previous years" was that prisoners "are more violent and want to hurt officers."
The fact is the officers are instigating most of the incidents. At the Tucker Max Unit, for example, many guards are kids under 25, just out of school and without proper training in how to deal with prisoners. Most of the problems occur in lockdown cellblocks where officers are required by policy to take telephones, food trays, mail, legal supplies, etc. to inmates. But when prisoners request these things, officers will ignore their duty, especially if the requester is on the third tier. The officers' reply is "I'm not climbing those stairs." If the inmate continues to make the request, officers will readily reply: "lay your bitch-ass down!" Then when the inmate raises his voice to get the attention of the control-booth officer, he's told "pack your shit!" meaning he's about to be placed in punitive isolation. Should the inmate insist on seeing the supervising officer regarding the attitude and actions of the officer who has denied his requests, he's sprayed with mace, handcuffed and beaten. All because a juvenile officer refuses to perform the duties of a guard.
The surveillance cameras in every cell block will attest to how the officers play around on duty and use force when it is not required. Yet rather than train these kids in their jobs, the department misleads the public by claiming inmates are instigating violence.
-- an Arkansas prisoner, January 2006