Oklahoma inmates riot over food

• Tweet

SAYRE, Okla., Oct. 11 (UPI) -- A privately run Oklahoma prison was locked down Tuesday after about 100 inmates rioted over food complaints, leaving 22 injured, officials said.

Greg Williams of the state Corrections Department said seven of the prisoners at North Fork Correctional Facility in Sayre were taken to a hospital and 15 were treated for minor injuries in the prison infirmary, KFOR-TV, Oklahoma City, reported. No prison workers were injured.

Williams said the inmates had asked to speak with Warden Fred Figueroa about the quality of the food served in the medium-security men's prison.

Prison officials said at the facility was still locked down at 8 p.m. and all the inmates were confined to their quarters, KOCO-TV, Oklahoma City, reported.

"At approximately 11:45 a.m. today, correctional officers and staff at North Fork Correctional Facility responded to multiple inmate fights in various areas of the facility," prison administrators said in a statement. "At this time, fighting has ceased. Facility management and staff are in the process of systematically going through every area of the facility to secure inmates in those areas and to identify inmates requiring medical treatment for injuries.

"At no time was public safety threatened as staff contained the incident within the secure perimeter of the facility. There have been no escapes, no hostage situations and no fatalities."

The prison's Web site states the facility has 250 employees and can hold up to 2,500 prisoners but was not at full capacity. The prison is owned by Corrections Corp. of America in Nashville.