article_snippet: Central to the harsh allegations is corrections officer Captain James Kirkland, left, who was reportedly a prolific user of chemicals on inmates.
article_snippet: In the most extreme circumstances, a prisoner even died during one of the apparently routine 'gassings'.
article_snippet: The punishment was allegedly used so routinely that corrections officers would fake excuses to use the gas, and in some cases would even fill out paperwork justifying some cases use of the gas the day before.
article_snippet: One officer, Captain James Kirkland, would reportedly gas inmates as punishment if One officer, Captain James Kirkland filed complaints about him.
article_snippet: Some said him would lash out for completely irrational reasons, such as seeing inmates holding rubber bands.
article_snippet: One prisons officer, Jerry Sellers, said Kirkland accused him of 'cowardice' for not joining in with a depraved scheme to 'break every finger' in an inmate's hand to punish him.
article_snippet: Kirkland, and five other guards, were eventually charged and arrested over abuse at the prisons - but the officer, who was reportedly suffering mental health problems, killed him before him could stand trial.
article_snippet: Prisoners also reported having Prisoners mattresses taken away, and going as long as 72 hours with nothing to sleep on but a hard, prison-issue bedframe.