State correction officials are considering filing charges against inmates who attack prison guards following a rash of violence at a maximum-security prison already on lockdown near Syracuse.
“We’re not going to put up with inmates attacking guards,” said Jim Flateau, spokesman for the state Department of Correctional Services.
The latest incident at the Auburn Correctional Facility, 25 miles southwest of Syracuse, occurred yesterday when an inmate shoved a guard after becoming enraged by the way other guards searched his cell. No one was injured in the incident.
On Friday, a guard was punched in the eye during a routine frisk. The guard was taken to a hospital, treated for a swollen eye, and released.
The assaults at the 1,800-inmate prison followed a series of attacks on guards that began last week and prompted state Correction Commissioner Glenn Goord to order the lockdown of the facility.
Flateau said correction officials will meet with the district attorney’s office next week to consider criminal charges.
The first assault happened last week as an officer broke up a fight during Islamic services. On Wednesday, five guards were attacked as they opened cells to conduct searches for weapons and contraband.
The lockdown is expected to remain in effect through the weekend, Flateau said.