NCRCF prison break

The NCR Correctional Facility prison break, or NCR Correctional Facility uprising, was a revolt made by the convicts of the NCR Correctional Facility against the troops of the New California Republic who were stationed in the facility itself. All the troopers there were killed; and after the uprising the group of insurgents, renamed Powder Gangers, fled to Primm, Vault 19 or remained at the Correctional Facility.

Background
When the NCR expanded eastward into Nevada they took over the old Southern Nevada Correctional Facility in Jean, and created the NCR Correctional Facility. The facility is located near train tracks that run parallel to highway I-15 and the convicts were used to maintain and expand them. According to the Powder Gangers, no correcting was done - only manual labor. So when the majority of NCR troops guarding the facility were called away to patrol the Colorado River, the convicts decided to take matters into their own hands. Samuel Cooke, an experienced anti-NCR revolutionary, along with some trusted inmates, secreted small amounts of blasting powder used for railroad work and other makeshift weapons.

Prison break
When General Lee Oliver requisitioned another group of guards for garrisoning along the Colorado, Cooke saw an opening to break out and took it. Cooke and his men blasted their way out of their cell block, overwhelmed the warden and guards and earned their freedom. The rest of the convicts joined in when they realized what was happening. Guards who didn't manage to escape the prison in time, were killed, while the inmates organized themselves and began ransacking the area.

Outcome
After all was said and done, the convicts had taken control of the NCRCF and killed the warden and guards. However, the group was split on what to do next, some under the leadership of Eddie wanted to stay and control the prison themselves, others under Samuel Cooke's leadership wanted to leave NCRCF and some just wanted to leave. The groups eventually all split, with Cooke and his group travelling into the Mojave (eventually ending up at Vault 19) to wage a small war on the NCR, those under the leadership of Eddie started to raid the local areas around NCRCF and dubbed themselves the Powder Gangers and a smaller group of disorganized convicts left to terrorize the surrounding areas and recently took up residency in the town of Primm.

The speed at which Eddie was able to establish control over the gangers in the wake of Cooke's departure surprised the NCR, rendering it unable to organize an effective response. By the time the Courier comes to at Doc Mitchell's house, the Gangers rapidly became the largest organized group of highwaymen west of the McCullough mountains, effectively shutting down the I-15 to Vegas.