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The '''Jay Prison Camp''' was a former [[World War II]] barrack building in [[Berrydale]] near [[Jay]] that was converted to house prison inmates serving in [[Wikipedia:Chain gang|chain gangs]].
On [[July 16]], [[1967]], a fire broke out inside the 40-by-90-foot building, believed to have been caused ignited during a riot between recently [[integrated]] black and white prisoners. The inferno quickly grew "tree-top high," and only 14 of the 51 inmates escaped the fiery building — one of whom died of burns later in the hospital. Nineteen bodies were discovered in the shower room huddled four feet high, and another sixteen were stacked under a barred window.
[[Arnie O. Lovett]], one of the guards on duty during the fire, was later commended for his part in rescuing five inmates at great risk to himself.
