SOLEDAD – Officials are investigating a brief large-scale riot that occurred at 11:03 a.m. today on the Facility C recreation yard at Correctional Training Facility (CTF) in Soledad. The incident began when approximately 200 inmates began fighting on the yard. Responding staff immediately gave participants of the riot multiple orders to stop fighting. When they did not comply, staff deployed chemical agents, non-lethal weapons and discharged nine rounds from the state-issued Ruger Mini-14 rifle as warning shots to end the incident.
Once the warning shots were fired, one group of inmates immediately complied with the orders of responding staff, lying face down on the yard. Another group backed away from the complying inmates, but continued to ignore the orders of staff to lie down on the ground.
In approximately 12 minutes, after responding staff from two other facilities at CTF and correctional staff from nearby Salinas Valley State Prison responded to the yard, the second group of inmates also complied with the orders of staff and took prone positions on the yard.
Eight inmates sustained injuries that required transportation to outside hospitals for treatment. Those injuries included puncture wounds, cuts and bruises to head, neck and torso areas. All eight inmates are in stable condition. Approximately 50 more inmates are being treated by medical staff at CTF for minor injuries.
No staff members were injured in the riot.
Four inmate-manufactured weapons were recovered and the cause of the riot is being investigated by CTF’s Investigative Services Unit. The Office of the Inspector General and a CDCR Deadly Force Investigations Team (DFIT) was notified. A deadly force review board will conduct a full and complete review of the incident as well.
Movement on Facility C, a medium-custody general population facility, has been limited to facilitate an investigation into the cause of the riot. Officials from the Monterey County District Attorney’s office are assisting in that investigation.
The primary mission of CTF is to provide housing, programs and services for approximately 5,400 minimum- and medium-custody inmates. CTF opened in 1946; covers 680 acres, and is a three-facility complex with each facility functioning independently. The institution employs approximately 1,380 people.
