Prisoners at La Mesa State Penitentiary in Tijuana, Mexico, staged a full-scale rebellion on Sept. 14. They set fire to 60 percent of the prison and held prison guards hostage.
The prisoners were protesting abuse and killings by prison guards and police. The most recent murder happened the day before the rebellion, when an inmate was beaten to death by a guard.
During the rebellion prisoners displayed banners on the roof of the prison that read, “No more dead” and “The guards are the assassins.” Family members surrounded the prison to protest the treatment of the prisoners. Many of them stayed over night, holding signs that read, “We want to see our inmates.”
Prisoners are also demanding longer visiting hours and the ability to see visitors other than family. There are an estimated 8,000 men and women locked up in the notoriously brutal La Mesa prison.
