Prison riot report turned over to prosecutor - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

New Castle - Investigators on Wednesday turned over to a prosecutor their report on a prison riot a month ago, saying inmates could be charged with rioting, battery and other crimes.

Henry County Prosecutor Kit Crane will determine whether to file charges. Crane also could ask the investigators to look further into the disturbance at the New Castle Correctional Facility.

About 500 rioting prisoners burned mattresses and broke windows at the privately run state prison on April 24. Those in the melee included prisoners from Arizona under a contract with that state.

Potential charges also include theft, criminal mischief and possession of a dangerous device, state police said in a news release.

"The breadth of the investigation was wide and lengthy due to the number of interviews conducted with the alleged suspects and witnesses," the news release said.

The Associated Press left messages seeking comment Wednesday with Crane. The Department of Correction had no comment on the report, spokesman Evan Hawkins said. He said he did not know when a DOC report on the riot would be made public.

DOC officials have said the riot apparently began when about 40 inmates from Arizona refused to return to their housing units after lunch. The conflict spread to Indiana inmates and led prisoners to set mattresses and paper on fire in a courtyard, break windows and damage sinks and toilets. By the time the prison was secured hours later, nine people - including two staff members - had minor injuries.

The medium-security prison is located near New Castle about 45 miles east of Indianapolis. Since January 2006, it's been managed by Boca Raton, Fla.-based GEO Group. The company also has a state contract to house up to 1,200 inmates from Arizona's overcrowded prison system.

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