The Oklahoma state penitentiary has come under fire for allegedly holding incarcerated individuals in subterranean cells described as a "dungeon," lacking natural light and infested with vermin. This follows the release of prisoners' letters to The Guardian detailing the horrific conditions.
Conditions in H Unit
The prison, located near McAlester, Oklahoma, contains a section known as H Unit, which features windowless cells built into the earth. Inmates refer to these cells as the "tombs." The letters describe rampant vermin, unsanitary conditions, and physical and sexual violence. Edward Sparks III, 24, wrote, "They [prisoners] may be getting beat or raped and the staff just walk on by. I've heard men scream and yell and seen them pulled out of cells with blood and waste running down their leg from sexual assault."
Another anonymous prisoner stated, "The [food] trays are kicked in by the guards through human waste. I went 50 days without a shower, and it was dark 75% of the time as the power was blown off." Tremane Wood, 47, who was on death row in H Unit until his sentence was commuted, noted, "You end up losing track of days and nights and what day it is ... It's a real form of psychological torture that some people never come back from."
Health Experts Weigh In
Dr. Sondra Crosby, an expert in torture survivors and a professor at Boston University, explained that lack of sunlight is "a form of cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment and torture." She added, "Deprivation of sunlight has both physical and psychological negative effects, including mood disorders, depression, disruption of spatial orientation, and has been associated with chronic disease and increased mortality." Randy Bauman of the ACLU of Oklahoma commented, "The lack of access to sunlight and the outdoors exacerbates the mental health harms of solitary confinement."
Previous Legal Action
The ACLU had threatened to sue the Oklahoma state penitentiary in 2019 over cruel and inhumane conditions in H Unit. Subsequently, many death row prisoners were moved out of H Unit. However, there is no national database tracking prisons that use buried or partially buried facilities, though the practice is rare.
Official Response
The Oklahoma Department of Corrections dismissed the allegations as inaccurate, stating, "The Oklahoma Department of Corrections follows all state and federal laws when housing and caring for inmates. ODOC takes all conditions within its facilities very seriously, as we do the safety and security of both inmates and staff. Maintenance-related issues are addressed as soon as they are identified to ensure facilities remain safe and operational. Our dedicated staff works hard every day to maintain facilities and provide care and supervision consistent with established policies and procedures. Staff are expected to follow these standards at all times. Any unapproved deviations from policy are promptly addressed when identified to ensure accountability and compliance."
