Clallam Bay Corrections Center in lockdown after four fights in two days

[Greg]

Clallam Bay Corrections Center in lockdown after four fights in two days | Peninsula Daily News


By Paige Dickerson, Peninsula Daily News


CLALLAM BAY — Four unrelated fights among inmates at the Clallam Bay Corrections Center on Sunday and Monday led to a lockdown which remained in effect Tuesday night.

One corrections officer and one inmate suffered minor injuries before the lockdown began at 4 p.m. Monday, Chad Lewis, public information officer for the state Department of Corrections, said on Tuesday.

"Even though these were isolated incidents, when there are four fights in a short period of time, that is when they decide to go into a lockdown," Lewis said.

During a lockdown, all of the prison's 850 offenders must remain in their cells while officers investigate and search for contraband.

"There were several incidents involving different offenders," Lewis said.

"We have heard different accounts about who was involved in each incident, so it is under investigation how it all played out."

The Clallam County Sheriff's Department was called to the fight in which the two were injured and will handle an investigation on that particular fight.

"They'll call us if there are injuries or something, but going into lockdown for the prison is pretty routine," Undersheriff Ron Peregrin said.

"They go into lockdown whenever there is a confrontation, just until they can get [the inmates] calmed down."

The other fights will be investigated internally at the corrections center.

"Right now we are not involving any additional staff," Lewis said.

"We might or might not require extra people to help with the investigation."

The officer who was injured was referred to his private physician, and the inmate was checked at the prison, Lewis said.

Neither of their names were released.

No other injuries were reported.

Lewis was unsure when the lockdown would end.

"It can typically gradually go back to normal operations," Lewis said.

"It depends on how long it takes the officers to interview those involved."

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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.



Last modified: January 08. 2008 9:00PM

[Greg]

The "minor injuries" suffered by the C/O and inmate were from a shank. They were both very fortunate that they were not injured more seriously.

The four fights all happen to have been between Hispanic inmates, but I guess that doesn't count as being related.

Interesting how the public affairs people spin these things.

[Crosstimbers Okie]

They wouldn't want to admit that the thugs may actually be a threat to the power of the administration. Come on now. Much better to label them as isolated incidents of poor-impulse-control inmates lashing out at someone rather that as the power struggles they are.

[robeans]

Holy ****! Didn't hear much about it down here. Friggin N's and S's man.

[Greg]

The fights all occurred outside of the housing units, but most of the inmates involved were from the unit that I work in.

We were on total lockdown from Monday until Friday. We are still on "restricted movement" status. We are feeding in the units until Monday morning. The inmates have dayrooms/phones/showers, but there are no out of pod activities with the exception of visits.

I am actually pretty impressed that we have stayed locked down for as long as we have. We had a staff assault sometime in the past couple years in which one of our officers was very seriously injured by an inmate that put the boots to him. There was NO lockdown after that incident. There was very nearly a staff revolt over that incident.

Management seems to have learned a valuable lesson; the stated purpose of the current lockdown is to ensure the safety of staff and inmates. Management got it right on the response to this incident.

[Scowly]

Unrelated:
All the aggressors were Sureno's. All the intended victims were Hispanic sex offenders.

You'd think at least they can refrain from drawing conclusions in the initial report, but such is the life of P.R.

[robeans]

Ah, I forget what it's like to have sex offenders on mainline.

[MCC8858]

Originally Posted by robeans

Ah, I forget what it's like to have sex offenders on mainline.

Ha....come work in Monroe man. Working at Twin Rivers....all we got are sex offenders. Had a 504 on the unit last week. Good sh*t...

[GUNNER]

Management never wants to admit when there is a problem.

[MCC8858]

Originally Posted by GUNNER

Management never wants to admit when there is a problem.

Agree with you there man. Never a problem, just a goal were are working at.