What family members are saying

BOISE -- On Saturday, we told you about a prison riot at the Idaho State Correctional Institution in south Boise.

Since that time, we have reported that the inmates are under modified lockdown, according to prison officials.

The details about the riot are still vague at this point.

In the meantime, family members of prison inmates have called saying what prison officials are reporting is not completely accurate.

Prison officials claim they are releasing little information because of their pending investigation with Ada County, and family members say they have to right to know the truth.

Around 11 p.m. Friday, Director of the Idaho Department of Correction Brent Reinke says a situation occurred in one of their units that housed 195 inmates.

"Please understand we have many units within that prison. This event occurred in one of those many units," said Reinke.

On Sunday, Reinke described the situation in which four inmates were injured, furniture was broken and a small fire broke out - as a disturbance.

The wife of one of the inmates who witnessed the incident called NewsChannel 7 on Tuesday to report what she's been told by her husband and some of the prison guards, that the incident sounds more like a riot instead of a disturbance.

"So it was 195 guys in a big warehouse. They only had a couple phones. No showers. They said they barely got enough food to eat. Then people got upset because they couldn't call their families to tell them what was happening and so a few people started the riot, which they broke furniture and beat up some people and broke glass, and when the officers came in they made them lay on the floor," said the unidentified wife of prison inmate.

According to the unidentified spouse, the inmates were angry over a number of issues including being temporarily moved to allow room for Idaho inmates being transported from Texas.

“They were really angry they didn't get their New Year's visit and they didn't get to see their families for the New Year and so they were not very happy with that,” said the unidentified wife.

The inmate's wife also said the prison reports of modified lockdown are false.

“They're in total lockdown.  They are locked to their room,” she said.

On Sunday, Reinke said the inmates are under modified lockdown - which allows inmates access to the cafeteria and day rooms.

Reinke was not available for comment Tuesday when we tried to contact him, but prison spokesperson Jeff Ray e-mailed the following statement:

"Right now IDOC's priority is to return the institution to normal operations. The department is also fully supportive of the investigation by the Ada County Sheriff's Office and does not wish to say anything that might make the detectives’ jobs harder."

Ray says visitation could be allowed by this Thursday, but in the meantime, family members tell us they want more information.

"But we want to know what's really going on out there," said the unidentified wife.

When asked about the lockdown situation, Ray said that some of the offenders involved are under what's called administrative segregation - meaning they are not allowed to leave their cell or allowed any contact.

Ada County Sheriff Gary Raney declined to comment on their investigation at this time.

Reinke says he's been told by Ada County that they will interview both prison employees and inmates to determine what happened, and that riot will not affect the transport of those Idaho inmates incarcerated in Texas.