Thursday 13 September 2018

SC officials refuse to evacuate prisoners from hurricane Florence

I remember the event with Katrina well

South Carolina officials will not evacuate prisoners in wake of Florence

SC officials won’t evacuate medium-security prison despite mandatory order

As nearly a million people hit the road before Hurricane Florence nears the coast, 934 inmates and as many as 119 prison staff were ordered to stay behind despite a mandatory evacuation.

Despite an evacuation order encompassing the prison’s location in Jasper County issued Monday, S.C. Department of Corrections officials decided not to remove inmates at the Ridgeland Correctional Institution as of that afternoon, SCDC spokesman Dexter Lee said in an interview with The State.

“Right now, we’re not in the process of moving inmates,” Lee said. “In the past, it’s been safer to leave them there.”

During a press conference Monday afternoon, S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster revealed maps of the evacuation zones. McMaster commented that the darker the color, the more important it was for residents to evacuate.

Ridgeland falls within a red area on the evacuation map.

“We know the evacuation order I’m issuing will be inconvenient,” McMaster said during the evacuation press conference. “But we’re not going to gamble with the lives of the people of South Carolina. Not a one.”

S.C. Emergency Management Division’s evacuation map.

Along with the nearly 1,000 prisoners ordered to stay behind during the evacuation, essential personnel would have been required to stay behind and work at the prison, Lee said. Guards would not have the choice to opt in or out if they are scheduled to work during Hurricane Florence, he added.

It's more of a habit than a 'one-off'.