Security Forces Thwart Riot in Jeb Jennine Prison

Security forces thwarted on Saturday a riot in Jeb Jennine prison.

LBCI television reported that a number of prisoners rioted demanding improved conditions and easing overcrowding.

Al-Jadeed television later added that the prisoners had also set a number of their mattresses on fire to protest the state of the jail.

Several of Lebanon's prisons suffer from overcrowding and poor living conditions.

Roumieh prison has witnessed numerous riots in the past over the bad conditions and slow judicial process.

The prison was originally built to house 1,500 inmates, but is today crammed with nearly 4,000 men -- 65 percent of the country's prison population.