Three key factors led to riot at Cambria Co. Prison

CAMBRIA CO, Pa (WJAC) — According to Warden Christian Smith, preliminary investigation has determined that last Friday's riot at the Cambria County Prison was due to a combination of three factors.

(1) The prison had been under a lockdown status for approximately one week due to COVID-19, which led tensions in that unit to be high.

(2) The inmates were not satisfied with the meals they were receiving. While still meeting all nutritional requirements, the regular menu had been changed to a more simplified menu for the breakfast and lunch meals. This change was required due to the COVID-19 outbreak forcing the prison to eliminate the use of inmate work crews to prepare the meals.

(3) The unit that rioted was a 'dormitory' style housing unit that contained no cells. Successfully mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in a dormitory style unit is not possible. Earlier that day, a group of inmates was temporarily transferred to SCI Huntingdon in order to free up cell space in other units. Once the transfer was completed, the dormitory unit was to be closed and those inmates were to be moved into a unit containing cells. The inmates housed in the dormitory unit did not want to move into the cell-style unit.

Prison officials note that "at no time" did the situation pose a threat to the general public or local community, and that the investigation is ongoing.

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