Members of the media were given a glimpse Thursday into life at the Fort Leavenworth military prison where a private accused of providing classified materials to the WikiLeaks website is now being held.
Pfc. Bradley Manning arrived at the fort’s Joint Regional Correctional Facility last week where he was transferred from a Marine Corps base at Quantico, Va.
“We think that it’s important the public understand the conditions of confinement here,” said Col. Thomas Collins, an Army spokesman from the Pentagon who was on hand for the tour.
He said the military typically doesn’t allow the media to tour such facilities.
There had been criticism from Manning’s attorney and others about the private’s treatment while he was in custody at Quantico, Va., according to the Associated Press.
Manning had been going through an assessment process after arriving at the JRCF that included an evaluation of his physcial and mental health. But he was scheduled to be placed on the prison’s medium custody status Friday, according Lt. Col. Dawn Hilton, commander of the JRCF.
Hilton said there are three levels of correctional facilities for the Department of Defense.
Level II facilities are minimum and medium security prisons that house pre-trial inmates as well as people with sentences of up to five years. The JRCF falls into this category.
“We are the newest level II facility in the Department of Defense,” Hilton said.
She said the facility opened in October.
There are said to be about 10 pre-trial inmates at JRCF. Pre-trial inmates are housed in special areas, each of which has four cells. And each pre-trial inmate is assigned to his own cell.
Hilton said pre-trial inmates are kept separated from post-trial inmates because of the presumption of innocence for those who have not yet had a trial.
She reviewed a typical day’s schedule for pre-trial inmates. The schedule includes an each for indoor and outdoor recreation as well as time for going to the library and visitation.
“All visitors are vetted,” she said.
She said people such as victims and witnesses may not be allowed to visit inmates.
