South Carolina Corrections Department spokesman Clark Newsom says officers rescued the guard and regained control of the building at the Lee Correctional Institution in Bishopville shortly after 3 a.m. Wednesday.
He says about 100 officers blew open a door and rescued the guard after discussions with the inmates failed to resolve the situation.
The officer has been taken to a hospital for an evaluation.
Newsome says a nurse escorted by a guard was passing out medicine around 9 p.m. Tuesday when some inmates overpowered the guard. Newsome did not know how many inmates were involved, but the unit houses as many as 130 inmates in the high security prison.
