Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey promises thorough inquiry into prison riots
Jul 6, 2015, 10:07 AM | Updated: 12:46 pm
PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey assured the mayor of Kingman that a series of melees at a nearby prison would be thoroughly investigated.
A day after touring the site, parts of of wrecked from the fighting, Ducey Gov. Doug Ducey on Monday ordered the state’s corrections department to offer
recommendations on how to prevent future problems.
Kingman Mayor Richard Anderson said the three riots at a privately run Arizona state prison about 15 miles away have worried him and residents about their safety.
Ducey went to the Hualapai Unit on Sunday, hours after a third disturbance had broken out.
In a statement, Ducey said, “Our Number 1 priority remains ensuring the safety of Arizona citizens and our law enforcement officers.
“The state is taking this situation seriously and deploying the necessary resources to protect Arizona citizens.”
The fights began July 1, when prison guards were attacked at a minimum security facility at the complex. They reportedly suffered minor injuries.
The next day, at a medium-security wing, another fracas, which lasted for hours, broke out.
After that, Corrections Department Director Charles Ryan ordered at least 1,000 prisoners transferred to other facilities.
Saturday’s upheaval “was clearly a significant disturbance, but it was not on a scale with what occurred (at the prison) Thursday evening to Friday morning,” Andrew Wilder, a spokesman for Corrections, said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.