Kidnapped Prison Guard Rescued, Inmates Detained

BISHOPVILLE, S.C. (WOLO) — Officials with the South Carolina Department of Corrections are trying to figure out how a prison guard was taken hostage by inmates, as the guard recovers from injuries. South Carolina Corrections Department spokesman Clark Newsome says officers rescued the guard and regained control of the building at the Lee Correctional Institution in Bishopville shortly after 3 a.m. Wednesday. The officer was been taken to a hospital for an evaluation. Newsome says a nurse escorted by the unarmed guard was passing out medicine around 9 p.m. Tuesday when some inmates overpowered the guard. Newsome did not know how many inmates were involved, but the unit houses as many as 130 inmates in the maximum security prison. SLED (South Carolina Law Enforcement Division) agents, along with Lee County sheriff’s deputies were able to secure the perimeter and prevent inmates from escaping. Officials say changes will likely be made to operating procedures due to the incident, as they assess how it happened and try to make sure it doesn’t happen again.