Inmates, some with baseball bats, fought with guards, broke windows and set fire to three prison buildings in a riot that started as a quarrel in a prison yard. Authorities eventually regained control.
Six staffers at the Talladega Federal Correctional Institution were injured, along with two inmates, said Rich Phillips, a Justice Department spokesman.The riot began about 6:15 p.m. Thursday and was quelled shortly after midnight. Prison spokeswoman Corliss Morange said Friday morning the prison had been quiet overnight; efforts were under way Friday morning to assess damage.
The disturbance started with a group of inmates arguing in a yard in a maximum-security area, Phillips said. After scuffling with guards who tried to stop the fight, the inmates scattered throughout the prison, breaking windows and setting fires, he said.
Of the eight people injured, one inmate and one guard were hospitalized overnight, Morange said. She did not have their condition Friday morning; earlier, Phillips said the injuries were not life-threatening. The other six injured people were treated and released.
Talladega Fire Chief Roy Johnson said it took up to 45 minutes before firefighters could enter the prison to battle flames because inmates had controlled areas of the complex.
Ronald Jemison, a firefighter who entered the prison complex, said 50 to 60 armed guards with flack jackets helped control the riot. Three buildings had burned, but sprinkler systems had prevented any from burning to the ground, he said.