SHIRLEY, Mass., Jan. 10 (UPI) -- A fight at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Mass., led to a riot in which inmates destroyed prison property such as computers, windows and surveillance cameras, corrections officials said.
The Massachusetts Department of Correction said the incident started Monday afternoon in the prison's P-1 housing unit when two inmates who were considered "high-ranking members of a security threat group" began to fight.
Once the fight ended, corrections officers attempted to escort about four dozen inmates back to their cells before a second altercation occurred between two other prisoners. Further difficulties in establishing order led to officials evacuating officers out of that section.
"One of the inmates was able to be restrained and escorted from the unit and the remaining inmates were actively resisting being secured in their cells," the statement said. "The decision was made to pull the staff from the housing unit for their safety."
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Inmates started creating weapons and destroying prison property after officers left. A team from the prison's special operations unit regained control of the section at about 8 p.m. by using tear gas after negotiations to calm the situation failed.
"Sprinkler heads were broken off, camera systems were destroyed, the computer system in the unit was destroyed along with extensive damage to other parts of the unit," Department of Corrections Commissioner Thomas Turco said, calling it a "total loss."
Department of Corrections spokesman Christopher Fallon said the housing unit was completely damaged.
Daniel Bennett from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security said inmates "ripped a computer apart, created knives and shivs out of different parts of normal items around the tier, and they were getting ready to have the corrections officers come in."
"Sprinkler heads were broken off, camera systems were destroyed, the computer system in the unit was destroyed, along with extensive damage to much of the remaining parts of the unit," the Department of Corrections said. "Inmates utilized fire extinguishers and other makeshift weapons in order to destroy furnishings, windows, etc."
The Department of Corrections said there were no serious injuries to inmates or staff members. The prison remained on lockdown as of Tuesday morning.
