Prison Six
Encyclopedia
Prison Six officially Confinement Base 396 ( Bsis Kli'a 396) is an Israeli military prison
located near Atlit, Israel
, on Oren Junction.
It is the second military prison for IDF soldiers, after Prison Four
in Tzrifin
(Camp Yadin
). Prison Six can contain about 350 prisoners.
Prison Six generally contains prisoners from the Northern Command, as well as officers and senior NCOs. During an emergency, the 393rd Battalion takes over Prison Six and converts it into a national POW camp ( mahane shvu'im artzi) for enemy officers and other quality POWs. Israeli prisoners are either released or transferred to Prison Four.
.
None of the prisoners used the flood as a means to escape, and instead helped in the effort to minimize the damage and prevent injury. As a result, the Aluf
of the Manpower Directorate, which is responsible for the Military Police Corps including its prisons, decided to release dozens of prisoners and cancel their sentences. Six soldiers were decorated for their actions during their flood, three of them MPs.
The rebellion completely changed the military police's approach to its prison service sector and changes were made in the physical structures of the military prisons, as well as in conditions for both jail instructors and prisoners. Intelligence gatherers also gained prestige and more were recruited.
Following the rebellion, the Ashhal Commission was formed to investigate the incident, and the Dekel Commission was appointed by the General Staff to recommend a policy for the prison section in the IDF.
The commander on duty verifies the reports, calls the prison's immediate response squad and arms them with the necessary equipment. Cells in the entire prison are closed and the commander declares an emergency. All other free jailors in Prison Six reinforce the response team. Reinforcements are also called from the military police headquarters, and all soldiers belonging to Prison Six are rousted and summonned to base.
The commander on duty finds out through negotiation that one of the hostages is severely wounded and Gideon Martin, the leader of the rebellion, agrees to release him. The hostage is taken out through the infirmary gate and sheds light on the current situation in the company after questioning.
The rebellion was then dispersed through negotiations. Aluf
Gabi Ashkenazi
commanded the forces that were to disperse the revolt by force, if necessary.
Military police reinforcements:
Others military reinforcements:
Civilian reinforcements:
Israeli military prison
The Israeli Military Prison is a prison for guarding soldiers who committed crimes during their service. It is estimated that 15,000-18,000 Israeli soldiers go through an Israeli military prison or detention center every year.-Prison sector history:The need to create prisons in the IDF arose as...
located near Atlit, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, on Oren Junction.
It is the second military prison for IDF soldiers, after Prison Four
Prison Four
Prison Four , officially Confinement Base 394 is an Israeli military prison for Israeli soldiers, located in the military police compound in Tzrifin , Israel....
in Tzrifin
Tzrifin
Tzrifin is an area in Gush Dan in central Israel, located on the eastern side of Rishon LeZion and including parts of Be'er Ya'akov. The area proper is defined as an 'area without jurisdiction' between the two cities....
(Camp Yadin
Yigael Yadin
Yigael Yadin on 21 March 1917, died 28 June 1984) was an Israeli archeologist, politician, and the second Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces.-Early life and military career:...
). Prison Six can contain about 350 prisoners.
Prison Six generally contains prisoners from the Northern Command, as well as officers and senior NCOs. During an emergency, the 393rd Battalion takes over Prison Six and converts it into a national POW camp ( mahane shvu'im artzi) for enemy officers and other quality POWs. Israeli prisoners are either released or transferred to Prison Four.
History
Prison Six was conceptualized by an officer named Yaakov Markovich, after an analysis of Prison Four's deteriorating conditions (which would improve if the overcapacity was alleviated). Chief Military Police Officer Yosef Pressman pushed for its construction and it was finally built following the 1956 Sinai WarSuez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
.
1969 flood
On November 22, 1969 at about 21:00, Prison Six was flooded due to a powerful rainstorm, and the water level rose to a level of 2 m. The prison's security was compromised when the powerful water current destroyed the front gate and created holes in the outer walls. An attempt was made to open the cells, although due to the flow, this was impossible in many cases. Instead, some of the freed prisoners were given tools to scale the cellblocks and destroy their roofs, so that trapped prisoners could be rescued from above. The prisoners of the three last cells, which were impossible to reach, were able to also receive tools, and destroyed the cell walls from within. The electricity was disconnected in fear of electrocution, and the rest of the work was done in the darkness.None of the prisoners used the flood as a means to escape, and instead helped in the effort to minimize the damage and prevent injury. As a result, the Aluf
Aluf
Aluf is the term used for General and Admiral in the Israel Defense Forces . In addition to the Aluf rank itself, there are four other ranks which are derivatives of the word...
of the Manpower Directorate, which is responsible for the Military Police Corps including its prisons, decided to release dozens of prisoners and cancel their sentences. Six soldiers were decorated for their actions during their flood, three of them MPs.
Rebellion
On Saturday, August 9, 1997, Prison Six suffered a rebellion in Company Gimel, where several prisoners, led by Gideon Martin, an immigrant from Russia (born in Sierra Leone) convicted for rape and use of narcotics, took control of the company's dining room and captured several jail instructors and sergeants. After negotiations, an agreement was reached between the prisoners and the chief military police officer (kamtzar) to release the hostages in exchange for better conditions for the prisoners. The agreement was immediately revoked and the prisoners received greater sentences and were transferred to a civilian prison. The rebellion was predicted by the intelligence gatherers of the prison, but the command did not heed the warning.The rebellion completely changed the military police's approach to its prison service sector and changes were made in the physical structures of the military prisons, as well as in conditions for both jail instructors and prisoners. Intelligence gatherers also gained prestige and more were recruited.
Following the rebellion, the Ashhal Commission was formed to investigate the incident, and the Dekel Commission was appointed by the General Staff to recommend a policy for the prison section in the IDF.
Progress and timeline
- 09:30 - Most prisoners come out of the company's dining room, except a small group, who wish to stay to eat more.
- 10:00 - The religious prisoners return from the company's synagogue in order to eat. They are told to keep quiet by the rebels. As one of the jailors in the dining room comes out, three prisoners bypass him and enter the room despite calls to stop. They subdue and tie the lone jailor inside and do the same to the second one who comes back in to find out why the prisoners didn't heed his calls. The prisoners gradually take control of the other three jailors currently on duty in the company.
- 10:10 - The company sergeant on duty comes out of the company clubhouse after a prisoner tells him that someone lost consciousness in the dining room. He is subdued and tied as he enters.
- 10:15 - Another sergeant not on duty at the time enters the dining room and struggles against the rebels. He is subdued and injured. Meanwhile, the hostages attempt to reach the communication devices they carried in order to sound an alarm. They are discovered and beaten. Gideon Martin exchanges some of the hostages' binds (they were mostly bound using bandages) with handcuffs. The final jailor in the company's main area, watching the showers at the time, is subdued with teargas and dragged into the dining room.
- 10:20 - The jailor on duty in the solitary confinement area, oblivious to the situation, opens the door for a 'medic' to pass through. He is tied and subdued. The prisoners block all entrances to the company with beds and arm themselves with nightsticks, knives, and other equipment taken from the hostages.
- 11:45 - The commander on duty at the time tries to contact the company's jailors without success.
- 12:00 - He sends the officer on duty to examine the situation and prepare for noon counting. He receives a call from military police headquarters that the prison has been taken over by rebels. The officer on duty reports that company Gimel's jailors aren't opening the door and from a look from the roof, it seems that the prisoners are running free.
The commander on duty verifies the reports, calls the prison's immediate response squad and arms them with the necessary equipment. Cells in the entire prison are closed and the commander declares an emergency. All other free jailors in Prison Six reinforce the response team. Reinforcements are also called from the military police headquarters, and all soldiers belonging to Prison Six are rousted and summonned to base.
The commander on duty finds out through negotiation that one of the hostages is severely wounded and Gideon Martin, the leader of the rebellion, agrees to release him. The hostage is taken out through the infirmary gate and sheds light on the current situation in the company after questioning.
The rebellion was then dispersed through negotiations. Aluf
Aluf
Aluf is the term used for General and Admiral in the Israel Defense Forces . In addition to the Aluf rank itself, there are four other ranks which are derivatives of the word...
Gabi Ashkenazi
Gabi Ashkenazi
Gavriel "Gabi" Ashkenazi , was the Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defence Forces from 2007 to 2011.- Background and early life :...
commanded the forces that were to disperse the revolt by force, if necessary.
Reinforcements brought in
During the revolt, an emergency was declared throughout the entire army and nearby units sent reinforcements to aid in the event.Military police reinforcements:
- Megiddo Prison (Unit 384) - 4 military policemen
- BahadBahadBahad is a military training base in the Israel Defense Forces. Each Bahad deals with a certain field, such as law enforcement or logistics. Generally, each Bahad belongs to a certain corps and conducts all courses required by the corps in question...
13 - 2 military policemen and one military police officer - Yamlat - 22 military policemen
- Central command (military police) (Unit 391) - 18 military policemen and one military police officer
- Northern command (military police) (Unit 390) - 11 military policemen
- Criminal Investigations Division (Metzah) northern command - 3 military policemen and one military police officer
Others military reinforcements:
- YamamYamamThe Yamam ) is an elite Border police, not civilian Police counter-terrorism unit in Israel. The Yamam is capable of both hostage-rescue operations and offensive take-over raids against targets in civilian areas...
- 40 soldiers and 6 officers - Duvdevan - 17 soldiers and 3 officers
- Shayetet 13Shayetet 13Shayetet 13 is the elite naval commando unit of the Israeli Navy. The unit is considered one of the primary Special Forces units of the Israel Defense Forces . S'13 specializes in sea-to-land incursions, counter-terrorism, sabotage, maritime intelligence gathering, maritime hostage rescue, and...
- 15 soldiers and 2 officers - Camp Naftali - one bulldozer
- Medical Corps headquarters - five medical squads
- Ba'ah Adam - stretcher squads
- Ramat David AirbaseRamat David AirbaseRamat David Israeli Air Force Base is one of three principal airbases of the Israeli Air Force, located southeast of Haifa, close to kibbutz Ramat David and Megiddo in the Jezreel Valley...
- fire engine - Hospital 10 (HaifaHaifaHaifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
) - battalion aid station
Civilian reinforcements:
- Israel PoliceIsrael PoliceThe Israel Police is the civilian police force of Israel. As with most other police forces in the world, its duties include crime fighting, traffic control, maintaining public safety, and counter-terrorism...
- 2 policemen from the negotiations department - Atlit Fire Department - fire engine
Structure
Prison Six comprises three main companies, and two assisting companies:- Company Alef (א) - for prisoners serving sentences of 28 days or less, or those who have less than 28 days till their release. This is an open company, i.e. prisoners sleep in an open (but guarded) area, and not in jail cells.
- Company Bet (ב) - for new prisoners and those serving medium sentences (1-6 months).
- Officers' prison ( ktziniya) - a designated area for officers, civilians working for the army, and most military policemen, who committed crimes during their service.
- Company Gimel (ג) - for havushim between 28 and 70 days and other prisoners with sentences higher than 6 months. It also contains detainees awaiting trial and the isolation wing (agaf habodedim).
- Conveyance company - assists the Yamlats conveyance company in moving prisoners to and from Prison Six.
- Headquarters company - provides adjutant and similar services to the prison's staff and prisoners.
In popular culture
- HaGashash HaHiverHaGashash HaHiverHaGashash HaHiver |Tracker]]) were an Israeli comedy group. Often called HaGashashim , they are considered a classic of Israeli entertainment and the most influential comedy act in the history of Israel.The three members of the Gashash were:...
released a skitSketch comedyA sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
about Prison Six, where they sang the popular song Uzi Uzi. - An Israeli rap band active since 1998 was named Kele Shesh (Hebrew for Prison Six).
- Several Israeli songs mention Prison Six, notably the Mizrahi musicMizrahi musicMizrahi music refers to the music integration that combines elements from Europe, the West, and Middle Eastern/North African countries transported to Israel by migrating Jews. It is usually sung in Hebrew, literary Hebrew and Arabic slang...
single BaKele HaTzva'i (In the Military Prison) by Nuriel, where the protagonist of the song serves a 28-day sentence in Prison Six. - The 2009 Israeli film HaBodedim by director Renen SchorrRenen SchorrRenen Schorr is a film director, screenwriter, film producer. In 1989, he became head of Israel’s first independent, national school for film and television. He then founded the Sam Spiegel Film & TV School – Jerusalem, and has served as its director since that time.-Background:Son of a physician,...
is based on the Prison Six rebellion.