The Indiana Department of Correction has literally pulled the plug on part of its oldest prison, cutting power and stripping electrical outlets from the D‑cellhouse at Indiana State Prison in Michigan City after a run of cell fires that left several incarcerated people badly burned. Officials say they have confiscated personal charging devices, and that people inside will now have to use a centralized charging station instead of powering up gadgets in their cells, a step landing on top of long‑running concerns about safety at the 165‑year‑old facility.
Immediate countermeasures
The crackdown followed a Tuesday blaze so serious that one incarcerated man had to be airlifted to a hospital in Indianapolis, the department told reporters. IDOC staff said they found metal jammed into an electrical outlet, and as crews removed outlets from the walls, power to the entire D‑cellhouse was shut off. Confiscated chargers were moved into department storage, and tablets will now be charged outside the cellhouse, according to WNDU.
Investigation finds pattern of fires
A 13News investigation titled "Burned Alive" documented hundreds of fires at the Michigan City prison since 2017, many traced to outlets or electronic devices, and found that roughly two‑thirds of those fires broke out in the D‑cellhouse. The series also details repeated, severe injuries, including one incarcerated man who suffered third‑ and fourth‑degree burns over more than 65% of his body and later underwent multiple amputations, and it highlights two men who died after burning inside their cells, as reported by WTHR.
Aging facility and new prison plans
State corrections officials once planned to close the Michigan City prison when a new Northwest Indiana correctional facility opens in 2027, but the Department of Correction now says it intends to keep the historic lockup operating "for some time" after the new complex is ready, according to Indiana Capital Chronicle. The state public works schedule for the Westville project shows renovation and construction targeted for completion in late 2026 or early 2027, per the IDOA.
Legal fallout and lawmakers' response
Families and advocates have turned to the courts over the prison's fire record. Reporting shows the state in 2024 agreed to settle a wrongful‑death lawsuit tied to a 2017 cell fire for roughly $3.9 million, according to the South Bend Tribune. Lawmakers and advocacy groups have renewed calls to close the facility, and the governor has pledged a review and an investigation into the recent spate of fires, as reported by Yahoo.
What’s next
IDOC Commissioner Lloyd Arnold traveled to Michigan City to watch the first wave of countermeasures roll out, and agency officials told 13News that "the first order of business is stopping the fires," according to WTHR. The department says the immediate steps, outlets removed, centralized charging and confiscation of altered devices, are temporary while officials probe the causes and weigh longer‑term repairs and policy changes. How long a full electrical retrofit or a complete replacement of the aging prison might take is still an open question.
