became the warden in 2002, violence decreased. This was covered in the documentary Lockup: Holman Correctional Facility (2006), which MSNBC produced. Hillary Heath, the inside producer of Lockup, said that it is difficult for reputations to die down, so Holman still has a reputation for violence. The city of Atmore annexed the land in the prison in 2008. The Alabama DOC asked for the city to annex the land. By 2016 violence had increased again. 2016 U.S. prison strike started here at Holman correctional facility and spread to more than 10 states. The prison strike wanted to increase wages for prison labor and improve conditions across prisons in the United States. Riots broke out in protest against conditions in March 2016. In the first riot fires were set in a prison dorm; both the warden and a prison guard sustained stab wounds. An individual recorded portions of the riot on a cell phone and posted the recordings to social media sites. On September 1, 2016, Correctional Officer Kenneth Bettis died from a stab wound while performing his duties overseeing prisoners in the dining hall of the prison. Later that month, a group of corrections officers went on strike over safety concerns and overcrowding. Prisoners refer to the facility as a "slaughterhouse," as stabbings are a routine occurrence. In late January 2020, the state announced most of the site would be closed due to severe deterioration of underground utilities that served the prison. Most inmates were moved from Holman to other facilities. However, death row and the execution chamber were to remain at Holman. In July, 2020, Department of Corrections Commissioner Jefferson Dunn provided an update to state legislators on the status of the state prison system. He stated that the current number of inmates being housed at Holman was 314 following the closure of much of the facility and relocation of many inmates. Operations The Gulf Coast area, where Holman is located, often has temperatures of and high humidity during summer. The prison administration has not installed air conditioning, so the prison has hundreds of industrial fans used for moving the air in an attempt to provide cooling. The hottest areas in the prison are the kitchen facilities. Staff shortages are made worse by absenteeism. On some days, as few as nine guards are on duty. Only two of the six towers on the perimeter are manned. Annual staff turnover