Kentucky Prison Goes Up in Flames

Rioting at a central Kentucky prison left four inmates hospitalized and a correction facility burning into the night. Seven hundred prisoners were forced to leave and taken to secure buildings across the state, where many are double-bunking or sleeping in gyms. The melee injured eight staff members and eight prisoners. Officials would not say what caused the riot but did say the prisoners set trash cans and other items on fire Friday afternoon. Officers in riot gear were called and Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear said of the chaos: “Their work last night in the face of the most trying circumstances was truly remarkable.” The prison, which opened in 1983 and has a staff of 285, has a general population of 1,100 inmates.