Police used tear gas to force 46 inmates barricading themselves out

Police used tear gas to force 46 inmates out of a prison area where they had barricaded themselves and set fire to mattresses and books.

Photo: Police used tear gas to force 46 inmates barricading themselves out

The Pulaski County state's attorney is considering charges against the inmates involved in the hour-long disturbance Friday at the Tri-County Justice and Detention Center in southern Illinois.

No one was injured during the disturbance at the medium-security facility. The inmates were held in separate areas after they were removed from the barricaded area, said Pulaski County Sheriff Randy Kern.

The 226-bed facility houses male and female inmates and is owned by the GEO Group, based in Boca Raton, Florida.

Messages left with a company spokesman and the Pulaski County state's attorney's office were not immediately returned Sunday morning.