Livestreamed prison riots in Georgia leave guards and inmates injured

Riots that broke out at the Ware State Prison in Georgia resulted in injuries for two prison guards and three inmates. The violence is reported to have been livestreamed by inmates.

According to Newsweek, The unrest at the Waycross, Georgia prison began late Saturday night, around 10:45 p.m. Corrections officers attempted to contain the inmates and quell the disturbance through use of non-lethal munitions.

A spokesperson for the prison said that "The incident is under control and the facility is on lockdown as of 1 a.m." on Sunday.

The Georgia Department of Corrections noted in a press release that "the cause of disturbance is unknown at this time," but that "two staff members received minor non life-threatening injuries, and three inmates received non life-threatening injuries during the incident."

The affected guards and inmates suffered from stab wounds, as seen in livestreamed footage.

The release went on to say "A golf cart was set on fire and several windows were broken, but no major damage to the facility has been reported. Officers deployed non-lethal ammunition, and the incident was brought under control."

The GDC added: "At no time was public safety at risk."

Reports of the livestreamed videos that circulated said that a clip showed an inmate who appeared to have been shot, and was covered in blood. In another, inmates could be seen walking around freely.

It is not known how prisoners had access to smartphones capable of livestreaming the violence.

The Department of Corrections reported that there was a golf care in flames and broken windows.

Ware State Prison saw the death of inmate Robert Wilson on July 17, allegedly as the result of a fight with another inmate.