10 Hurt, 7 Buildings Lost in Banning Jail Riot, Fire

A riot that injured 10 people and engulfed a rural Riverside County jail compound in flames erupted after Latino inmates taunted and hurled rocks at a group of black prisoners assembled outside a dormitory, a sheriff’s spokesman said today.

Guards attempting to quell the fracas at the Banning Rehabilitation and Counseling Center were overwhelmed as the fighting quickly spread throughout the facility and were forced to retreat until reinforcements arrived.

The rioting, which involved hundreds of screaming inmates who broke windows, set fires and threw rocks and other debris at guards and each other, lasted several hours. It was declared under control shortly after midnight.

Because of the violence, county firefighters were prevented for 30 minutes from tackling several blazes at the 40-acre facility. There were no reported escapes.

“It appears the inmates just seized an opportunity,” sheriff’s Lt. Kim Garthwaite said. “After the initial confrontation, things just escalated.”

Eight inmates suffered minor injuries and smoke inhalation during the melee, but none required hospitalization. Two correctional officers also were injured and treated at the scene.

Flames destroyed seven buildings, including the facility’s kitchen, commissary and an administration unit where some inmate records were kept. Several vehicles also were burned or damaged by rocks and other debris.

Garthwaite called the riot, which erupted shortly after 9 p.m. and drew large crowds of onlookers, the worst in the county’s history.

Nearby residents agreed. “It was bad,” said Beverly Feyer, whose home is about 100 yards from the jail entrance. “We heard screaming, cheering, windows breaking. Then we saw the flames. You start to get a little nervous with them right in your backyard.”

The low-security center, located just south of Interstate 10 off the road to Idyllwild, houses minimum- and medium-security inmates. It has 784 beds and had a population of 766 monitored by 12 guards Sunday.

Garthwaite said racial conflicts have occurred previously at the facility, but there were no confrontations earlier Sunday.

To defuse tensions while clean-up efforts continue, officials today transferred about half of the jail’s inmates to other facilities in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.