Lee Correctional Prison Riot
A prison riot at Lee Correctional Institution in Bishopville, South Carolina, United States occurred on April 15, 2018. Starting as a prison cell robbery, violence between prison gangs intensified into a full-blown riot leading to the death of seven prisoners. It was the most violent prison riot in the United States within the last 25 years. On December 3, 2020, 29 Lee Correctional Institution inmates were indicted on murder and mayhem charges by the State of South Carolina.
Lee Correctional Institution | |
| Date | April 15, 2018 |
|---|---|
| Location | Bishopville, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 34°11′51″N 80°13′34″W |
| Deaths | Seven prisoners stabbed to death |
| Non-fatal injuries | 22 prisoners taken to the hospital |
Investigators found that the riot was caused by gang activity, shortage of staff, overcrowding, and poor living conditions. In 2021, the South Carolina General Assembly approved a $92 million investment into improving South Carolina's prisons, largely as a result of the Lee Correctional Prison Riot. It will be the largest single-year investment in South Carolina's prisons in history.