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| N.Y. Prison Locked Down After Series of Attacks |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 12/19/2002 |
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A series of attacks between inmates and officers prompted a lockdown Tuesday afternoon at a maximum-security prison, officials said. Officials locked down the Auburn Correctional Facility for the safety of the staff and inmates, said James Flateau, spokesman for the state Department of Correctional Services. During the lockdown, inmates will stay in their cells as staff scour the building for weapons and contraband, he said. Inmates can only leave their cells for medical reasons and family visits, he said. In the latest attack Tuesday, an HIV-positive inmate also infected with hepatitis bit an officer in the face, according to the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association. The officer needed six stitches near his eye, union officials said. A medical response team treated officers for exposure to the inmate's blood, Flateau said. ''It's open season on officers,'' said Richard Harcrow, president of NYSCOPBA, representing about 24,500 members. The union doesn't release names of officers involved in prison attacks to protect their safety. ''When you lock down a prison, that's a serious problem. That means you've lost control of the prison almost,'' said Tom Butler, a NYSCOPBA spokesman. The lockdown should have been called earlier, union spokesmen said. The first assault happened on Friday as an officer broke up a fight during Islamic services, he said. In assaults over the weekend, one inmate stabbed and slashed three others, one of whom needed dozens of stitches on his head, cheek and ear, Butler said. In another assault, an inmate grabbed an officer through the bars of his cells as another prisoner assaulted the officer, breaking his nose. An inmate attacked an officer Sunday, and crawled under his bed to reach for a stashed razor after the officer pushed him down, Butler said. The state is still investigating the attacks, and no charges were filed, Flateau said. The last time a lockdown occurred at the 1,800-inmate prison, 25 southwest of Syracuse, was in early February. |
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