LA Jail Brawl: What Caused Interracial Prison Fight?

A brawl broke out at a Los Angeles jail Tuesday, causing six inmates to be sent to a local hospital for injuries. The L.A. jail brawl involved more than 60 prisoners at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility inside a third floor recreation area.

The interracial brawl was allegedly between Latino and black inmates, and those who had instigated and initiated the fight had not yet been identified. Prison officers fired tear gas canisters and rubber bullets into the center of the fight, dispersing the inmates after about two minutes. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office reported that the jail system in the county is the largest in the United States, housing more than 18,000 inmates.

Following the L.A. jail brawl, officials had not yet found an established reason for the fight.

"People in our jails are under a lot of pressure," spokesman Steve Whitmore said.

California is home to a number of infamous prisons, including Pelican Bay, where some of the nation's most dangerous criminals including Charles Manson are housed. On the MSNBC program, "Lockup", it is commonly alleged by interviewed inmates that once someone instigates a brawl or riot, others join in defense.