Pubdate: Thu, 21 Aug 1997 Source: Houston Chronicle, page 30A (http://www.chron.com/cgibin/auth/story/content/chronicle/page1/ 97/08/21/spurprison.20.html) Contact: Justice Department plans probe of private prison in West Texas By MARK BABINECK, Associated Press SPUR Federal investigators have notified Dickens County officials of a pending investigation into unspecified allegations related to their private prison, officials said Wednesday. The U.S. Justice Department's civil rights division sent County Judge Woody McArthur a letter last week revealing its plans, though it did not elaborate on the focus of the investigation. "We have a copy of the letter they sent to Judge McArthur, and it did not deal in specifics," said Ben Flusche, spokesman for the Austinbased Bobby Ross Group, which operates the Dickens County Correctional Center. McArthur was hopeful that the investigation notice was a routine matter. "If my information is correct, this is something not highly unusual," he said. "If they get a complaint from an inmate, they're obligated to investigate it." There was no answer Wednesday evening at Justice Department headquarters in Washington. The private prison, located about 60 miles east of Lubbock, incarcerates inmates from Montana and Hawaii. Colorado moved out about 140 inmates last month, and officials were looking to fill those beds with Missouri convicts. Missouri this week removed 200 inmates from a Brazoria County unit after a videotape showing guards abusing prisoners surfaced and was shown on television nationwide. Among the problems the Dickens County prison had over the past 12 months: * Aug. 26, 1996 Less than a week after the last of the Montana inmates arrived, guards used warning shots to control a protest over conditions at the prison that involved 120 inmates from Montana and Hawaii. The prisoners had refused to go to their jobs or return to their cells. * Aug. 28, 1996 Hawaii prisoners complained about strip searches. * Aug. 30, 1996 Warden George Fry was fired for violating prison policies in dealing with the protest. * Feb. 7, 1997 An audit by the Montana Corrections Department found the prison had inadequate medical care, food and counseling programs. * May 9, 1997 A fight between Hawaii and Montana inmates erupted, leaving Montana prisoner Neal Hage dead. Additionally, three Montana prisoners have escaped since last August. One was captured the next day, but the others remain fugitives. Montana is currently reviewing its contract with Bobby Ross after a semiannual audit this summer. Corrections Department spokesman Mike Cronin said Wednesday that the report will be released within the next three weeks. Hawaii officials have said this week that they are satisfied with conditions at the prison.