On February 1, 2017, inmates took control of The C Building of The James T Vaughn Correctional Center, located in Smyrna Delaware. Four Corrections Staff were taken hostage; Prison Counselor, Patricia May, Guards, Joshua Wilkinson, Winslow Smith, and Sgt. Steven Floyd. After a 20-hour standoff, Patricia May was released unharmed, having been protected by inmates. CO's Wilkinson and Smith were severely beaten, and Sgt. Floyd was dead. What followed were the swift indictments of 18 Men housed in Building C. All men were charged with the riot, assault, kidnapping, and the murder of Sgt. Floyd. Although, Building C is a Maximum Security Prison, the facility did not have any cameras. So, investigators had to rely on the testimony of inmates. The States Star witness was Royal Downs, a former gang leader serving a prison sentence for murder and conspiracy in Baltimore. Downs had been transferred to Vaughn after inciting a riot and testifying against his gang to receive a reduced sentence, which he received. Based on the testimony of Downs, the state moved ahead with trials. On November 26, 2018, thirty- year old, Kelly Gibb, accepted a plea bargain for all but the murder of Sgt. Floyd. Two days later, Gibb wrote a full confession admitting to killing Sgt. Floyd and exonerating the remaining men. Sadly, he committed suicide after his confession. His body was found in his cell on November 28, 2018. He was pronounced dead at 2: 45am that morning. Despite the contents of the letter being purposely suppressed from the public, the trials ended in acquittals, and charges dismissed for the remaining men. Each man, although exonerated, were shipped off to various prisons and immediately locked in solitary confinement. Under the direction of PA DOC, Governor Tom Wolf, and Superintendents, Michael Zaken, Lee Estock, and George Little, were continually tortured, harassed, and deprived of basic human rights. These men are still locked away and made to suffer for the murder of Sgt. Floyd. Each man is told that regardless of the exoneration, they are guilty in the eyes of the PA DOC. This is the true and tragic story of The Vaughn 17.