Prison Six (Hebrew: כלא שש Kele Shesh), officially Confinement Base 396 (Hebrew: בסיס כליאה 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 (Hebrew: מחנה שבויים ארצי mahane shvu'im artzi) for enemy officers and other quality POWs. Israeli prisoners are either released or transferred to Prison Four.
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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 War.
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.[1]
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.[1]
On Saturday, August 9, 1997, Prison Six suffered a rebellion in Company Gimel, where several prisoners, led by Gideon Martin, a Russian immigrant (born in Sierra Leone) convicted of rape and illegal drug use, 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.[2]
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.
During the revolt, an emergency was declared throughout the entire army and nearby units sent reinforcements to aid in the event.
Military police reinforcements:
Others military reinforcements:
Civilian reinforcements:
Prison Six comprises three main companies, and two assisting companies: