Four New Jersey prison inmates will go to trial in Cumberland County after pleading not guilty Monday to various charges connected with prison violence at Bayside State Prison in January 2005. Omar McCray, Terrance Meggett, Lawrence Brown and Tyrese Wallace were arraigned and sent back to their respective state prisons. The four face charges ranging from aggravated assault and rioting to weapons charges for their role in what's become known as the “Bayside riot” on New Year's Day last year.

Each inmate was offered a plea deal, but none has accepted one yet.

The violence at the prison in the Leesburg section of Maurice River Township sent 29 corrections officers to hospitals, some with minor injuries, but others with serious ones that required surgery and other treatment. One officer had half his face shattered when one of the inmates hit him with an iron. Another broke bones in his neck and leg, while others suffered an assortment of ligament and tendon damage, muscle strains and other injuries.

State Department of Corrections leaders questioned whether the incident was as severe as officers claimed, saying only the four gang members eventually charged were involved in the brawl. However, at least six inmates reported injuries, according to state documents, and state officials later acknowledged more could've been involved.

Officers' unions claimed a cover-up. A pair of state senate hearings produced no substantive changes or findings. Cumberland County Prosecutor Ron Casella's investigation found more than just the four inmates were involved, but he had sufficient evidence to criminally charge only four.

Although only four inmates were charged, eyewitnesses, internal reports and documents indicate more than five were involved in the brawl. State law says five or more people per side comprise a riot.