2 inmates killed in Nebraska prison revolt identified

Corrections Department spokeswoman Dawn-Renee Smith said the incident began around 1 p.m., when staff members reported a fire in a mini-yard connected to one of the housing units. Smith said the inmates refused to return to their cells. When staff members realized the situation had become unsafe, they left and isolated the inmates in one half of the housing unit.

Smith said the unit was “secured” around 4:30 p.m. and wasn’t extensively damaged despite fires that were set inside it. The Nebraska State Patrol and state fire marshal are investigating.

Some lawmakers accused prison officials of trying to downplay the incident at the prison, where two inmates were killed in a May 2015 revolt that caused millions of dollars in damage and prompted demands for upgrades and better staffing. Prison officials have insisted that it wasn’t a “riot” and they stressed that the public outside the prison was never in danger.

“These deaths continue to be unacceptable, and we (the Legislature) will have to continue to monitor them,” said state Sen. Matt Hansen, of Lincoln.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska said the incident illustrates the lingering problems in the state prison system.

“The horrific conditions of confinement rampant in Nebraska prisons threaten public safety now and into the future,” said Danielle Conrad, the group’s executive director.

State Sen. Dan Watermeier of Syracuse, whose district includes the prison, commended the prison staff’s response.

“We are making progress, but this progress takes time,” Watermeier said.

No prison workers were injured. An unspecified number of inmates suffered injuries that weren’t life-threatening, Frakes said. Fitzgerald and Galindo were found inside the housing unit.

Doug Koebernick, an inspector general who oversees the Corrections Department, said he plans to conduct a full investigation into the circumstances and catalysts of the riot.

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Follow Grant Schulte on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GrantSchulte

Grant Schulte, The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

2 inmates killed in Nebraska prison revolt identified

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