Violence Continues to Plague Correctional Facilities
News release
DANNEMORA, NY – As the State imminently readies to install HALT legislation to state correctional facilities, inmate violence continues to occur daily, injuring staff along the way.
Multiple officers were injured and exposed to blood and one inmate sustained multiple puncture wounds after being stabbed by another inmate in three incidents that occurred in late February and last week at the maximum security prison.
On Friday, February 25, a sergeant and officer were injured after an inmate attacked them twice at the facility. The inmate was let out of his cell to go to medical. He approached three officers assigned to the cell block and began yelling at them. He was given several orders to stop yelling and to go to medical but refused. He took an aggressive and combative stance against the officers. OC Spray was administered with no effect. The inmate ran out of the cell block with the officers in pursuit. In the corridor, the officers got the inmate in a body hold while he continued to struggle. OC Spray was administered a second time with no effect. The officers forced the inmate to the ground where he continued to struggle. The officers were able to get his hands behind his back and apply handcuffs.
Once in handcuffs, the inmate became compliant.
The inmate was escorted to the infirmary to be evaluated. When staff removed the handcuffs, the inmate turned and punched a sergeant in the side of the face and neck. Staff placed him in body holds and forced him to the floor. He continued to kick at staff until handcuffs were applied again.
He was removed from the infirmary and placed in a Special Housing Unit pending disciplinary charges.
One officer sustained a laceration to his finger and remained on duty. The sergeant who was struck in the face and neck, sustained neck and hand pain and was transported to Champlain Valley Hospital for treatment.
The second incident involved one inmate attacking another inmate with a make-shift weapon. On Saturday, March 5, an officer who was observing the inmate mess hall run, heard a commotion in the line. He observed one inmate standing over another inmate, who was on the ground, and striking him repeatedly in the face.
Staff administered OC Spray and grabbed the inmate in body holds to stop the attack. Once on the ground, the inmate became compliant and was placed in handcuffs and removed from area.
The injured inmate, who was covered in blood, was taken to the infirmary, where it was determined he sustained a laceration to his nose and multiple puncture wounds to his head and neck. He was transported to Champlain Valley Hospital for further treatment.
Staff recovered a sharpened toothbrush that is believed to have been used in the attack.
The inmate who initiated the attack, was placed in a Special Housing Unit pending disciplinary charges and possible criminal charges.
The last incident occurred the following day. A sergeant and two officers were injured and exposed to blood when a combative inmate attacked them and spit blood in their face.
The inmate, who is serving a 20 year sentence after being convicted for Burglary 1st in New York County in 2018, refused to lock into his cell after returning from the mess hall. He ignored all orders. OC Spray was administered with no effect. Officers grabbed him in a body hold and forced him to the ground. On the ground, the inmate was able to get his arm free and punched an officer in the throat. It took multiple officers to get the combative inmate under control and into handcuffs.
He was escorted to the infirmary for evaluation. Staff removed his handcuffs, and he turned and spit blood into the face and mouth of a sergeant and officer. He was grabbed in body holds again, forced to the ground, where he remained violent and elbowed an officer in the side of the head and attempted to bite staff.
Staff were able to force his arms behind his back and apply handcuffs, Once in handcuffs, he became compliant. During his evaluation in the infirmary, the inmate vomited blood on another officer, striking him in the face.
The inmate was removed from the infirmary and placed in a Special Housing Unit pending disciplinary charges.
All injured staff were treated by medical staff at the facility. The sergeant and one officer who had blood spit in their face, were transported to Champlain Valley Hospital for treatment.
Two officers sustained minor injuries containing the inmate and remained on duty.
“As we approach the implementation of the HALT legislation, my fear is these type of attacks will only increase with the inability to properly discipline violent inmates who attack staff and other inmates. By the time HALT goes into effect, these three violent inmates involved in the three incidents at Clinton, will be back in general population with the ability to attack again, with little or no deterrence. All HALT will do, and the elected officials who supported this ill-conceived legislation have done, is create a more dangerous environment for everyone.” – stated, NYSCOPBA Northern Region Vice President John Roberts.