Smoking Ban Sparks Melee by Inmates : Prisoners: 500 go on rampage at Honor Rancho. It’s the second disturbance in less than 18 hours.

About 500 inmates, apparently angered by a no-smoking policy, threw rocks at deputies and vandalized a barracks at a Los Angeles County jail in Castaic Sunday evening, less than 18 hours after a race-related brawl at the facility injured 35 inmates, authorities said.

Two inmates were hurt fighting with other inmates in the evening melee at the Peter J. Pitchess Honor Rancho, Sheriff’s Deputy Rich Erickson said.

The evening outbreak may have escalated because of inmate displeasure with a no-smoking policy that takes effect today in all county jail facilities, Deputy Britta Rodela said. Authorities said the earlier disturbance, which erupted after an argument over use of a telephone, was racially motivated, bringing to four the number of racial melees at the prison this summer.

The evening disturbance started at about 5:55 p.m. as deputies attempted to break up a fight between a black inmate and a Latino inmate, Erickson said. Other inmates, carrying broom handles and trash cans, approached and the deputies retreated to an area separated from the inmate quarters by a wire-mesh fence, he said.

No deputies were injured, but one inmate suffered a broken nose and another received cuts, Erickson said. Both were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

In the earlier incident, which began at 12:30 a.m. Sunday, no deputies were hurt and all of the injured inmates were listed in good condition. Thirty-two inmates were treated for stab wounds and cuts at the County-USC Medical Center jail ward and later transferred to the Men’s Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles, Erickson said. Two inmates were taken to San Fernando Community Hospital and one was treated at Henry Mayo Newhall Medical Center in Valencia, all for concussions, he said.

The brawl in a dormitory was sparked by an incident Saturday in which a Latino inmate and black inmate argued over telephone use, Erickson said. The six phones in the dormitory are used by inmates on a first-come, first-served basis.