Brazilian Prisons Under Control; at Least 15 Die

Authorities regained control of prisons across Sao Paulo state Monday after the biggest riot in Brazil’s history left at least 15 inmates dead and revealed the growing power of the group that officials said led the rebellion.

The uprising began Sunday afternoon at Sao Paulo’s notorious Carandiru prison complex, the nation’s largest, where some of its 8,000 inmates took guards hostage and held thousands of visitors inside.

That touched off revolts in 28 other prisons in the state, in what officials said was a well-orchestrated plan set in motion by an organized-crime group called the First Command of the Capital, known by the Portuguese initials PCC.

“It was a carefully planned operation by an organization that exerts its influence over inmates in other prisons,” said Marco Vinicio Petreluzzi, Sao Paulo’s public security secretary.

He said inmates demanded the return of 10 PCC leaders who were transferred from Carandiru to other facilities Friday after stockpiles of ammunition, knives and cellular phones were found in their cells.

“The uprising was clearly the organization’s way of getting back at us for the transfer,” Petreluzzi said.

After nearly 24 hours of tense negotiations, authorities persuaded the rebellious inmates at all 29 facilities to release the hostages and visitors--many of them family members who stayed voluntarily.

Officials had made it clear that they would not return the PCC leaders to Carandiru.