According to a press release, two staff members and two inmates of Tecumseh State Prison in Nebraska were injured in what was described as “a series of inmate on inmate altercations.”
A statement was posted on the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services’ website which said without detailing who was involved, “Staff immediately intervened and appropriate medical care was provided to the inmates involved. Two staff were treated at a local hospital for minor injuries and released back to work.”
The incident led to the postponements of all the events and the lockdown of the entire facility for the remaining weekend.
The State Department of Correctional Services in a statement said that the inmates took control of a portion of the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution Sunday. The staff members are trying to break the large gathering of the inmates of the correctional facility in front of a housing unit when the disturbances started.
Two staff members and two inmates were injured.
The spokesman further added that officers were able to regain control of the premises which houses 11 death row inmates. The Nebraska State Patrol is investigating the inmate deaths.
NDCS Director Scott Frakes is set to make a public comment on the incident at 11:30 AM Central time.
Mike Marvin, executive director of the Nebraska Association of Public Employees said, “My understanding is it started as a confrontation in front of one of the housing units and it escalated from there. We’re deeply concerned.”
Marvin said that Nebraska prison was beset with problems like understaffing and overcrowding. Prisoners were complaining for a long time about the lack of space and not getting enough tgime in the yard.
The disturbance is the first crisis since the appointment of Nebraska’s new corrections director, Scott Frakes in January. Mr. Frakes carries a reputation with him and was the administrator in Washington State’s prison system and was expected to smooth things after a series of high-profile problems, including hundreds of miscalculated sentences.