Help with trunked system

[millam]

I live is SW Alabama and I hear, when the conditions are right, a prison using a MU2 system. The control freqs are 410.4, 406.2125 and 406.8125 I think. I also hear Tyndal AFB using MU2 when skip is good and I have figured them out, plus they are listed in RR. I would like to know where this prison is just to satisfy my curisoity.

Mil

[Steve]

Where in SW Alabama do you live? I maybe wrong but I think this is a federal prison or prison camp in Pensacola. I will check and see.

[millam]

I live In Dothan. It could be skip coming from Pensacola.

Mil

[Steve]

Mil,

Unsure about 406.2125 and 410.4000 but 406.8125 is listed as control channel for the Maxwell Federal Prison Camp in Montgomery. This is the link (if it works) http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=2947.

[millam]

Thats not it, I recalled the Sys Id of the system now its: A81Ah, I can't find it in anywhere.

Mil

[SAR2401]

I suspect it's the Marianna Federal Correctional Institution in Marianna, FL, just across the border from you in Jackson County. I don't have any frequencies but it would seem to be the most logical choice to hear in Dothan.

[Steve]

In searching I found nothing listed in Pensacola related to a federal prison. I did find a listing for a federal prison in Tallahassee but none of the information you gave matched that listing ( that i could tell). If you gather anymore information please pass along, I am interesting in learning more.

[Steve]

Jim,

I totally forgot about Marianna FCI. I can never remember that there is a federal lock up in Marianna.
I agree that is a good bet for what Mil is hearing. I will have to remember that tidbit when (if) ever I get back down there.

[millam]

I see I goofed up, I live in SE Alabama not SW. I live in SW Dothan so I just had a senior moment.

Mil

[oldranger]

Originally Posted by millam

I see I goofed up, I live in SE Alabama not SW. I live in SW Dothan so I just had a senior moment.

Mil

Wellcome to the club my friend!

[trace1]

Anyone have the freqs for FCI in Talladega?

Way back in 1995, when they were using the 170.xxx MHz, and there was a riot there involving Cuban inmates and I was able to monitor a lot of the action.

My Dad worked at a local radio station at the time and it was during this time when there was a Primary Election taking place also. So while the radio station was covering election returns, I with my trusty scanner was receiving news updates from the prison officials and passing them along also. It was as if this small radio station had a reporter on-scene with all of the big networks, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, etc., etc.

[oldranger]

Tracy:
Here are the frequencies I have in my records for the Federal Prisons.
170.650
170.875
170.925

I haven't tried to monitor them lately to see if they are still using them.

I covered the Prison riot first hand . We were called up to help.Those Cuban inmates were
a fearsom looking lot.
I hope this helps you.

[SAR2401]

I'm pretty sure that the majority of federal correctional facilities have completed their transition to 400 MHz trunking systems by now. With all the post 9/11 hysteria, it seems to harder and harder get the correct frequencies unless you live in the area and search for them.

[oldranger]

Originally Posted by SAR2401

I'm pretty sure that the majority of federal correctional facilities have completed their transition to 400 MHz trunking systems by now. With all the post 9/11 hysteria, it seems to harder and harder get the correct frequencies unless you live in the area and search for them.

SAR2401 Jim :
You are probably correct.I haven't tried to monitor them in years.I only live 25 miles from that facility and I could even hear their handhelds.
I got to see the inside first hand as a Natonal Guardsman.The prison inmates(Cuban) staged a riot and tried to overthrow the place in 1995(?) and we were called out to help protect the surrounding community.

[trace1]

Mike, I'm betting that the FCI Talladega has moved to the 4xx.xxx MHz area too.

Sorry, the riot I was thinking about was August 1991, had to do some quick research to confirm that, but...

http://www.iachr.org/annualrep/2000e...ts/USA9903.htm

Also in connection with the conditions of detention of the Mariel Cubans in the United States, information provided by the parties, as well as reports in the public media, indicate that several major disturbances have occurred at various institutions in which Mariel Cubans have been incarcerated since their arrival in the United States. In particular, between November 21 and December 4, 1987, two major disturbances occurred at the Oakdale, Louisiana and Atlanta, Georgia facilities of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. In these disturbances, rioting inmates, largely Mariel Cubans, took substantial control of the facilities, held hostages, and destroyed property. Other disturbances included an incident in May 1986 in which 125 Mariel Cubans rioted at the Krome Detention center in Florida, which is said to have been the fourth major disturbance in one year at that facility, and an incident in August 1991 at FCI Talladega, in which hostages were held for 10 days. In addition to these disturbances, there have been several "hunger strikes" convened by Mariel Cubans at various facilities, including a hunger strike in December 1999 and January 2000 by Mariel Cubans held at the detention facility at New Roads, Louisiana.

There appears to be another riot in 1995.

http://www.cnn.com/US/9510/prison_riots/index.html

Thursday's riot in Talladega, Alabama, began when a group of inmates argued in the prison yard. As the fighting escalated, prisoners, armed with baseball bats, fought with guards, broke windows and set fires.

The disturbance lasted for several hours as police evacuated nearby neighborhoods and businesses. There were no major injuries to staff or prisoners.

Carlos Baralt, spokesman for the D.C.-based Bureau of Prisons, said it was "too early to tell" if the problems were the result of congressional drug sentencing vote earlier this week.

The Associated Press quoted two witnesses to the riot at Talladega prison as saying that inmates were upset over a vote in Congress to reject a recommendation from the U.S. Sentencing Commission to lower penalties for crack possession and trafficking.

Ed Baggett, a choir director at the Alabama prison, said the men were letting their anger be known over the recent vote. A law enforcement officer at the prison said the prisoners seemed "agitated" since the Million Man March held in Washington October 16.

Radio and television reports out of Allenwood said the disturbance there may also have been connected to the congressional vote.

It was really very interesting with the one back in '91, as my parents lived within the city limits of Talladega at the time and I had my scanner on almost continuously. I would hear the prison officials talking about the "offical news release" before it was actually released. So when I was at the radio station, WNUZ by the way, the night of election coverage, and I was monitoring the situation, it was like getting an inside scoop.

Truly an amazing several days in Talladega!!!

[oldranger]

Thanks for jogging my memory.
I've covered 2 prison riots,1 at Odenville and1 at Talladega.We were there to keep it contained,if the inmates escaped we were to take them down.
I had my hand held scanner and I kept our NG leaders informed to the traffic I was hearing.

[trace1]

What I find amusing, or amazing, is that at least one prison official stated that they, the prison, never lost control of the whole situation during the riot. (Maybe not in those exact words but something similar.)

Never lost control? Then there would have never been a riot and/or hostages during this whole ordeal, right?

[oldranger]

Originally Posted by trace1

What I find amusing, or amazing, is that at least one prison official stated that they, the prison, never lost control of the whole situation during the riot. (Maybe not in those exact words but something similar.)

Never lost control? Then there would have never been a riot and/or hostages during this whole ordeal, right?

I don't know about they(prison officials) kept it under control or not.I know they kept it contained.
We only went in after it was over to help them search, segregate and secure the prisoners.They were hard to handle because they spoke no English and they were bull headed and mean.
These people were the worst of the lot from Cuban society.That's why Castro released them on us.
WE were to open fire on them if they had gotten out.They didn't know what was waiting for them outsde.
About 20 M-60 machine guns and roughly 80 M-16's.