In 1976, what was then called the Nebraska Penal Complex received 236 demerits from the Health Department for violations of health standards in four kitchens.
According to the Omaha World-Herald, the Health Department said that if Nebraska’s prison was a restaurant it would be shut down for being covered with mouse droppings and dead insects.
Part of the problem, according to prison officials, was that they put off improving the conditions because they were waiting for the Nebraska Legislature to build a new prison.
That excuse didn’t satisfy the ACLU in 1976 – and we’ve warned prisons officials in Nebraska in recent months that a new prison won’t solve all of the problems Nebraska is currently facing.
The conditions in Nebraska’s prisons today involve overuse of solitary confinement, dangerous noise levels, lack of health care access and other potential violations. We should always remember – most of the people behind bars will return to our neighborhoods. Conditions like these in Nebraska’s prisons put everyone’s safety at risk.
Thankfully, lawmakers from across the political spectrum in Nebraska have seen the need for investing in a smarter justice system. And thankfully, for 50 years, there have been ACLU supporters in Nebraska looking out for everyone in our state, even those behind bars.
2016 is the 50th anniversary of the ACLU of Nebraska. We will feature several memories from our five decades of defending freedom in the Cornhusker state here. Do you have a favorite memory? Share it with us!
