500 prisoners moved out after ‘disturbance’ at NC facility

About 500 prisoners were moved early Monday from the state’s Neuse Correctional Institution because of damage caused during an inmate disturbance Sunday afternoon and evening, state public safety officials said.

The prisoners were taken to other state prisons, Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Pamela Walker said.

Fires set during the incident damaged a supply building and a building used to process new prisoners coming into the state system through the minimum-security facility, officials said.

Four dormitory buildings at the 800-inmate facility were damaged, officials said.

The state’s Prison Emergency Response Team, which pulls correction officers from other facilities to one where there is a problem, went into the prison. Officials also had help from Goldsboro police, the State Highway Patrol, Wayne County and Johnston County sheriff’s deputies and area firefighters, Walker said.

Walker said a “small group” of prisoners started what officials described as a “disturbance” about 4:30 p.m. She said officials declared the situation under control about 8:15 p.m.

The state did not disclose whether it knew why the incident began and whether any prisoners face charges for it.

The evacuation left 288 prisoners at the facility, the state said.

This story was originally published October 25, 2016 at 10:04 AM with the headline "500 prisoners moved out after ‘disturbance’ at NC facility."