News Sentinel
BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. — A special operations response team was called to quell a disturbance Monday night in an upper East Tennessee Jail.
Sullivan County Sher-iff’ s Office spokeswoman Leslie Earhart told the Kingsport Times-News that the disturbance began at approximately 9:30 p.m., consisting of 75 inmates in three adjacent cells.
They were reportedly cursing officers, shaking their cell bars and kicking walls.
Earhart says the inmates were upset over new policies at the correctional facility, including a recent ban on parcels. In an effort to stop contraband being smuggled into the jail, inmates are now allowed to receive only postcards, she said.
The jail staff reportedly attempted to calm the inmates. When the riotous actions continued, the Specials Operations Response Team was activated.
Earhart said that within minutes of the SORT response inmates began to comply with orders.
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