A three-month grand-jury investigation into the Arizona Department of Corrections’ handling of the nation’s longest prison hostage standoff is not likely to bring any criminal indictments, reports the Arizona Republic. Special County Prosecutor Mel McDonald asked a judge to make his report public so that “lessons can be learned” that could improve prison safety in the future. “The Grand Jury learned the harrowing truth, and it has seen just how easily the crisis could have ended in tragic bloodshed,” McDonald said.
Republican legislators have been awaiting the report. The state Senate has delayed the confirmation of Corrections Director Dora Schriro until senators have read it. The hostage standoff unfolded Jan. 18 when two inmates took control of a prison guard tower and held two corrections officers hostage. The aftermath has evolved into a political drama, with opposing sides pointing fingers.
Link: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0520prison20.html