A group of Nevada inmates housed in a private prison in Arizona took part in a hunger strike this week.
The Nevada Independent reports that prison officials say it’s not clear if the hunger strike was connected to a nationwide prison strike protesting laws and conditions in American prisons.
According to the Nevada Department of Corrections Director James Dzurenda, the hunger strike took place on Tuesday as 18 inmates at the Saguaro Correctional Center in Eloy, Arizona skipped a meal.
The Nevada ACLU’s Policy Director, Holly Welborn, said that her organization had received more than a dozen recent complaints from Nevada inmates at the private prison and about half of those who submitted complaints said they would be participating in the strike.
Inmates have alleged that the private prison’s operator, CoreCivic, is not following Nevada regulations related to inmate funds, is failing to follow through with medical plans established before they were transferred to Arizona, and is reducing sentence reductions for good behavior that the inmates previously earned.
Dzurenda said he’s aware of the complaints and is looking into the situation.