Concerned citizens across Chattooga County are raising questions regarding Saturday’s riot at Hays State Prison in Pennville. According to sources the riot at the prison started shortly after noon and was put down by SWAT teams around 2:30 p.m. after inmates took over a dormitory area for a short period of time. Reports about other incidents at the prison since Saturday have not been confirmed. In fact, the Department of Corrections has not issued any public statement about the incident that happened on Saturday. There were also reports of a situation recently where two guards were injured while trying to subdue an unruly inmate. Representative Barbara Massey Reece told AM 1180 Chattooga County radio that she was promised by Department of Corrections officials in Atlanta that there would be a press release regarding the incident on Saturday. Reece and Chattooga County Sheriff John Everett have done their best to keep citizens of the county informed about the incident, but still no official word from the Department of Corrections despite repeated attempts by local media to reach them. Sheriff Everett and Representative Reece both confirmed that the prisoners who instigated the riot were shipped out of Hays on Saturday. Reece stated that while there was minimal damage to the area of the prison that was in question during the riot, there was graffiti drawn on the walls with magic markers. Sheriff Everett said that there was no bodily injury to any Hays guards during the incident. Representative Reece and Sheriff Everett visited Hays Prison on Saturday before the inmates who caused the riot were shipped out. Representative Reece has been working closely with the Department of Corrections since the escape of Johnny Mac Brown and Michael Tweedel last fall from the prison, urging Corrections officials to be more forthcoming in their dealings with the community.
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