ALFRED, Maine - A disturbance at the York County Jail that officials say was mischaracterized as a riot drew a large response from law enforcement in towns surrounding the Alfred correctional facility.
Sheriff William King Jr. says what actually happened was about 30 inmates from the jail's largest unit initiated a peaceful disturbance around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Upset over recent operational changes at the jail, the "passively non-compliant'' inmates refused to return to their cells. But when the Sanford Regional Communications Center was contacted, the incident was incorrectly reported as a riot.
The inmates were eventually persuaded to return to their cells and every prisoner was locked away by 9:30 p.m.
An investigation is being conducted by jail personnel. Those identified as instigators of the disturbance face administrative sanctions.