By C1 Staff
CRANSTON, R.I. — An internal investigation into the source of letters threatening Rhode Island correctional officers is underway as a state prison is under lockdown for the second time within a week after a third letter surfaced.
All three letters came from the Adult Correctional Institution, were anonymous and were dropped into a mailbox accessible to more than 1,000 medium security inmates, according to the Providence Journal.
The first letter was received August 24 and contained death threats against three correctional officers. The letter did not specify addresses or vehicles of the officers it threatened, but did say the writer knew where they lived and the cars they drove. The letter was signed ‘ISIS.’
The second letter came later that day and threatened the life of a fourth officer.
A lockdown and cell shakedown was implemented the next day, looking for weapons, contraband and “any additional evidence to support where this letter came from,” Correctional Officer Richard Ferrucio said.
CERT was called in after the third letter was received, indicating an elevated threat level, according to Ferrucio.
All three letters allege that inmates were mistreated. Ferrucio disputed this, saying that he is a 31-year veteran of the department and did not know of any incident where inmates were being abused. He said that there were also many other avenues that inmates could pursue in order to lodge complaints against officers, “other than a foolish anonymous letter.”
Two detectives have been assigned to ACI to assist in the investigation.
Lockdowns in Rhode Island are relatively rare, according to Ferrucio, with none this year until last week and only two in 2014.