The South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) said Larry White, 30, faces three counts of first-degree assault and battery by mob.
He is accused of killing three people during the riot. Seven people died in total.
It was recognized as the most violent prison riot in the country in the past 25 years. SCDC said White's charges of assault and battery by mob carry the same weight as a murder charge.
He is also charged with criminal conspiracy.
The trial is happening at the Lee County courthouse in Bishopville.
