Arizona is severing ties with private prison operator over violent July riots

Arizona is severing ties with a private prison operator over what the state says was a string of security and training lapses that led to violent riots in July.

Gov. Doug Ducey announced the action against Management and Training Corp. on Wednesday after the state released a scathing report about numerous issues at the prison. Ducey says what happened at the prison was "frightening, disturbing and completely unacceptable."

The unrest began July 1 in a minimum-security unit when private corrections officers tried to stop an inmate-on-inmate assault. A full-blown riot broke out the next day in another unit.

The riot left some housing units so badly damaged that more than 1,100 prisoners had to be moved to other facilities. Nine corrections officers suffered minor injuries.