An Illinois prison spokeswoman says an assault on six workers by five inmates at the maximum-security Pontiac Correctional Center appears to have resulted from a failure to follow workplace safety procedures. Illinois Department of Corrections spokeswoman Nicole Wilson says that the agency's investigation of the incident will include looking into why procedures weren't followed and how future incidents can be prevented.
Wilson says the assault doesn't appear to have resulted from a lack of policy or a breakdown in existing policies. She was responding to a union statement that policies and procedures designed to keep staff safe have been ignored or superseded by new practices.
The union representing Illinois prison workers says an inmate punched a correctional lieutenant, sparking an assault that involved six prison employees and five inmates. Joe Lewis is a correctional officer at the facility and president of the AFSCME local that represents the prison workers. He says an inmate started punching the lieutenant and knocked her to ground, then other inmates joined the fray, injuring other employees who tried to help the lieutenant.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees said that four correctional officers and two lieutenants at Pontiac Correctional Center were treated for abrasions, contusions and possible concussions suffered in the incident Sunday. They have all been released from the hospital.
