Final prison riot organizer sentenced

Published 12:11 am Wednesday, January 11, 2017

JACKSON (AP) — The remaining organizer of a 2012 prison riot that killed a guard has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.

Senior U.S. District Judge David Bramlette sentenced Juan Geraldo Arredondo on Tuesday to the maximum prison term after Arredondo pleaded guilty in 2015 to one count of rioting.

Like other defendants, Arredondo was ordered to pay $1.3 million in restitution. That’s the total amount of damage caused to the private prison.

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It’s owned by CoreCivic, formerly Corrections Corp. of America.

Inmates rioted in protest of what they said were poor conditions. Most inmates were Mexicans convicted of illegally entering the country.

Guard Catlin Carithers was killed and 20 people were injured in the riot on May 20, 2012.

At least 23 people have been convicted in the case.