Jason Robb was sentenced to death by the State of Ohio for two prison murders
According to court documents Jason Robb was involved in the riot at SOCF (Lucasville prison riot in 1993), where he was accused of the murders of a correctional guard and an inmate
Jason Robb would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
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Number
A308919
DOB
06/15/1967
Gender
Male
Race
White
Admission Date
04/12/1995
Institution
Ohio State Penitentiary
Status
INCARCERATED
Jason Robb Case
Beginning on January 27, 1995, defendant was tried before a jury on the seven consolidated counts. The state presented its evidence and argued its case against defendant upon a complicity theory pursuant to R.C. 2923.03. In summary, the evidence produced by the state at defendant’s trial reveals the following: SOCF is a maximum security prison located in Lucasville, Scioto County, Ohio. The prison is divided into three distinct cell blocks, designated J-block, K-block and L-block. J-block is a disciplinary block which is operated as a total lock-down facility. Blocks K and L are general housing blocks and are essentially identical.
Blocks K and L consist of a large central hallway with crash gates at one end and a large gymnasium at the other end. Two doors at the gymnasium end of the central hallway provide access to a large outdoor recreation yard. The cells in the blocks K and L are located in eight two-story “ranges” which extend laterally off the central hallway; four on each side. The ranges are designated by number and cell block; thus, the ranges in L-block are designated L-1 through L-8. Each range contains eighty cells, forty on the first floor and forty on the second floor. The second floor cells open onto a catwalk which overlooks the first floor cells.
At the front of each range, there is a door which provides access into the central hallway. These doors can only be opened from the outside. Even corrections officers within a range must be let out by another corrections officer outside of the range. Just inside the front doorway of each range, there is a console containing electric controls for opening and closing all of the cells in the range. At the back end of each range, there is an enclosed stairwell connecting the first and second floors. A key is required to open the doors into these stairwells, as they are intended to provide a safe haven for corrections officers during a disturbance.
At the time of the riot, each range within a cellblock was staffed by two corrections officers, one who operated the console, and one who patrolled the range. In addition, there were two corrections officers, known as upper and lower corridor officers, who patrolled the central hallway of each block and who had keys to the individual ranges within their block.
In the weeks prior to the riot at SOCF, a dispute arose between prison officials and Muslim inmates over the administration of tuberculosis tests. The Muslim inmates objected to the tests on religious grounds, while prison officials insisted that all inmates had to be tested. In the days immediately preceding the riot, this dispute had reached an impasse, and word reached the inmates that prison officials were planning to lock-down the prison on Monday, April 12, 1993, and forcibly administer the test to the Muslim population. In an attempt to prevent the forced administration of the tuberculosis tests, a group of Muslim inmates, lead by Carlos Sanders, decided to stage an uprising and take over a block of the prison.
On Sunday, April 11, 1993, at approximately 3:00 p.m., as inmates were re-entering L-block’s central hallway from the outdoor recreation area, Sanders and several other Muslim inmates attacked and overpowered the lower corridor officer and obtained his keys, thereby gaining access to all of the ranges within L-block. The riot rapidly spread through L-block, as the inmates used the keys to enter the ranges and release the prisoners celled therein. As the rioting inmates entered range L-1, Officer Vallandingham, who was on duty therein, locked himself in the employee rest room. However, after freeing the L-1 inmates from their cells, the rioters broke the rest room door down and took Officer Vallandingham hostage. Several corrections officers working in other L-block ranges sought shelter in the enclosed stairwells. Unfortunately, these stairwells proved to be less than secure, as the rioters were able to batter through the concrete block walls of the stairwells with weight lifting equipment and take the corrections officers hostage. Within about an hour from the start of the riot, the inmates had total control of L-block and held twelve corrections officers hostage.
The corrections officer hostages were initially held in the L-6 showers; however, they were soon dispersed throughout L-block and were frequently moved. The hostages were forced to dress in inmate clothing, were blindfolded and bound, and were kept under constant guard. The inmates guarding the hostages were under standing orders to kill the hostages if the prison was stormed by law enforcement authorities.
At the time of the riot, there were three principal inmate gangs operating inside SOCF: the Muslims, the Aryan Brotherhood and the Black Gangster Disciples. The Muslims, the largest of the principal gangs in SOCF, were led by Carlos Sanders, also known as Hassan, and had as many as fifty members in L-block during the riot. The Aryan Brotherhood, the next largest gang in SOCF, were led by defendant and George Skatzes during the riot. The Aryan Brotherhood had as many as thirty members in L-block during the riot. The Black Gangster Disciples, the smallest of the principal gangs, were led by Anthony Lavelle and had no more than twelve members in L-block during the riot.
During the riot, the leadership of the Muslims, the Aryan Brotherhood and the Black Gangster Disciples operated as a de facto governing council within L-block; collectively making all important decisions regarding inmate discipline, security, the care and treatment of the hostages, and the conduct of the negotiations with law enforcement authorities. Under the joint direction of this leadership group, the rank and file of the three gangs worked in close cooperation during the riot to maintain order, enforce discipline, and provide security within L-block.
Around 6:00 p.m. on the evening of the takeover, the inmates used the prison telephone system to contact the negotiation team which the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (“ODRC”) had assembled at the prison. During the first several days of the riot, Aryan Brotherhood leader George Skatzes served as the inmates’ chief negotiator.
https://case-law.vlex.com/vid/state-v-jason-robb-890576216
