‘Nothing unusual’ at first monthly lockdown at Monroe Correctional Complex

Published 3:38 pm Wednesday, November 17, 2010

MONROE — Department of Corrections officials are meeting in Monroe this afternoon to debrief after the first of the monthly lockdowns planned for state prisons took place Tuesday.

There were no reports of any problems or anything unusual during the lockdown, said Chad Lewis, a spokesman for the department.

The lockdowns are planned to help the department cut 6 percent of its spending, or about $53 million, by the end of June 2011.

The Teamsters Local Union 117, which represents state correctional workers, protested the lockdowns outside the prison Wednesday morning. The union is opposed to the lockdowns and other budget cuts to the department, including blows to staffing and programming, spokesman Paul Zilly said. Several hundred workers participated in the protests.