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Inmates riot for second time at Texas prison

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  • NEW: Inmate unrest at Texas prison enters second day
  • NEW: Authorities: Three inmates have been hospitalized; one has severed finger
  • Prison was site of another inmate riot in December
  • Officials say they do not know what sparked latest riot

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(CNN) -- Thousands of inmates rioted at the Reeves County Detention Center in Texas on Saturday, the second disturbance at the prison facility in the last two months.

As many as 2,080 inmates from two of the center's three buildings began fighting in the prison yard about 4:30 p.m. CT, said county Sheriff's Office Dispatcher Anna Granado.

Authorities from several law enforcement agencies responded to quell the violence. However, officials had not brought the unrest under control as of 1 a.m. Sunday, according to the sheriff's office.

Officials said they do not know what prompted the riots. Three inmates were hospitalized, including one with a severed finger, the sheriff's office said.

On December 12, inmates took two workers hostage and set fire to the recreation area at the center in Pecos, located about 430 miles west of Dallas.

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The inmates, who had made several demands, surrendered later that night.

The prison is a 2,400-bed, low-security facility, operated by Geo Group Inc. It houses federal prisoners as well as inmates from other states.

CNN's Janet DiGiacomo contributed to this report.

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