Officers who work in the Willacy County Correctional Center wrested back control of the prison from rioting inmates — although damage to the facility was significant.
inmates took over a portion of the South Texas facility and lit fires, The Associated Press reported. Issa Arnita, a spokesman for the private contractor who operates the prison, said hundreds of the 2,800 inmates were moved and the remainder will be transferred in the coming days.
Mr. Arnita, who works for Management & Training Corp., based in Utah, refused to say where the inmates were being sent.
The Valley Morning Star reported that fires consumed three of the facility’s 10 housing units and that damage to plumbing and heating systems were substantial. Two corrections officers and three inmates had been hurt in the riots, the newspaper reported.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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