. 25, 2003. 05:43 PM
131 prisoners riot at Montreal jail
MONTREAL (CP) - Three final prisoners were returned to their cells this afternoon following a late-night riot at Montreal Detention Centre.
More than 100 corrections officers and provincial police were called in to control the situation after 131 prisoners refused to return to their cells and lit mattresses on fire.
The trouble began after a few prisoners started a fight at around 9:30 p.m. Friday night, and escalated from there, Quebec Public Security Minister Serge Menard said.
"A little bit after this incident, at around 9:40, some prisoners began throwing things, such as billiard balls and other things," he said.
Menard said the prisoners refused to enter their cells at their normal time of 10:30 p.m., and then went on to light fires. Prisoners blocked access to the wing with various objects, he said.
He said it took "a long, long time" to control the fires because the prisoners had to be detained before the firefighters could go inside.
One prisoner involved in the original skirmish was sent to hospital with a head wound, but he was released at 1 a.m. Saturday morning, Menard said.
One corrections officer had a minor injury to his hand, Menard said.
"It could have been a serious situation," Menard said.
The riot caused "tens of thousands of dollars" worth of damage in the wing, Menard said. He said the cause of the riot would only be determined after an investigation.
The prisoners held in the A-wing where the riot occurred are in custody awaiting sentencing. They were to be transferred from the damaged facility Sunday to two prisons in Montreal and another in Hull, Que.
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