Several inmates from one cell house at the Lansing Correctional Facility rampaged through offices, destroying windows and setting small fires for several hours Thursday, prison officials said.
The disturbance began about 3 p.m. in medium-security cell house C, said Randy Bowman, spokesman for the Kansas Department of Corrections. By 9 p.m., some inmates had given up or gone back to their cells but others continued the rampage.
Bowman said the uproar began when some inmates refused to return to their cells as ordered. He said it appeared about 50 inmates were involved at first with between 20 or 30 participating through the evening.
Staff members were able to leave the cell house and there were no reports of injuries.
It’s unclear what started the riot, Bowman said.
Staff and law enforcement officers who were monitoring the events through video and on-site had not witnessed any physical violence as of 9 p.m., Bowman said. Extra corrections department staff from Topeka and other law enforcement agencies were on standby.
Prison officials planned to continue monitoring the situation unless the inmates escalated the violence, he said.
The corrections department has reported 14 staff and 12 inmates have confirmed cases of COVID-19 at the Lansing prison. Posted by Abdul