Lee Correctional Institution, Lee County, South Carolina
June 5, 2012
Prisoners in a special management unit overpowered a guard while the guard and a nurse were handing out nighttime medication. The nurse escaped, and the guard sustained physical injuries. Prisoners dressed the guard in inmate clothing and made phone calls to Lee County dispatchers. There were no signs of attempted escape. After a six-hour standoff, approximately 100 guards and State Law Enforcement Division agents used explosives to blow a door off the hinges and regain control of the unit.
No reports from prisoners as to why this happened, but state agents admit that overcrowding, personnel shortages, and lack of rehabilitative programming could have caused this disturbance.
Citations:
“South Carolina prison guard rescued from hostage situation; Authorities regain control over facility.” CBS News, June 6, 2012.
“Locked in During Lockdown”, The Sumter Item, December 13, 2018
