The Great "Sandwich" Riot...!

Riots are one of those things I'll never understand. Nothing but destruction and physical harm seem to come from them.

The human animal needs very little reason to start a riot or to participate in one. Sometimes they start from something very trivial, ending up in a real mess!

The Lincoln Prison Riot Of 2002

Prison is a dangerous place, and prison riots are a sad inevitability when a group of dangerous individuals are locked up with very little to do with their abundance of time. What is surprising is what set off one of the worst prison riots in England in the past 20 years.

On October 23, 2002, the prisoners found out that instead of being served a hot lunch, they would be served sandwiches instead. Upset at the change in the menu, a group of inmates overpowered a guard and stole his keys. With the keys, they opened the cells and released more prisoners, overrunning the prison. It took 550 prison and police officers eight hours to control the riot that was sparked by sandwiches. The riot cost £3 million, 35 people were injured, and one prisoner died from a drug overdose. Six inmates received nine-year sentences for their roles in the riot.

Amazingly, this was not the only time a prison riot stemmed from an incident over a sandwich. A riot that led to 11 inmates and one correctional officer being injured happened in August 2013 at Riker’s Island. One gang member wanted to make a grilled cheese, but needed a hot plate to do so. Another gang had the hot plate and refused to share, and the riot broke out.

I reckon what's trivial for one person can be a big thing for someone else. Still, the whole riot thing seems off the wall to me!

Coffee out on the sunny patio this morning!