By Sarah Roebuck
Corrections1
HUNTINGDON, Pa. — Inmates at SCI Huntingdon took an unusual opportunity to answer questions about prison conditions by shouting out their cell windows during a live television broadcast.
The impromptu exchange occurred during a live shot by NewsNation, covering a story related to Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
NewsNation reporter Alex Caprariello stated that earlier on Dec. 11, he was reporting live outside the prison when inmates began shouting his name. Following the initial broadcast, the inmates continued yelling about Mangione’s conditions.
“Luigi’s conditions suck!” some inmates shouted during the broadcast.
Later that day, Caprariello returned to the same spot outside the prison for a live segment on the show “Banfield.” As the broadcast aired, inmates watched from their windows and participated in real-time by yelling responses and flickering their cell lights.
During the segment, host Ashley Banfield asked the inmates questions about Mangione’s situation inside the prison. The inmates responded with shouts of “yes” or “no.”
Inside SCI Huntingdon
“Does Luigi have television in his single cell?” Banfield asks.
“No!” many inmates shouted.
Banfield then read the prison’s menu aloud and asked about the quality of the food, prompting a chorus of inmates to shout, “Terrible!”
Mangione is charged with the murder of Thompson, who was shot on a Manhattan sidewalk on Dec. 4. He has been held at SCI Huntingdon since late Monday following his arrest, which was triggered by a 911 call from an Altoona McDonald’s employee who recognized him from surveillance photos shared nationwide by the New York City Police Department.
While Mangione is not in solitary confinement, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections stated that his interactions with other inmates have been limited and he is separated from other prisoners.