Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Department of Correction says two prison officers have been hospitalized since Saturday following attacks by inmates.
The attacks come amid a debate about safety in prisons across the state.
An inmate assaulted an officer at Morgan County Correctional Complex on Tuesday. Spokesman Robert Reburn said no weapons were involved, but the officer determined the injuries were severe enough to warrant an ambulance. A news release said the injuries didn’t appear to be life-threatening.
Local8News spoke to a woman who identified herself as a family member of David Garrett. She says he is the man who was attacked today the Morgan County Correctional Facility. She says Garrett had served thirty years at the institution.
The woman says he could have been killed had a female guard not stepped in to help.
Spokeswoman Neysa Taylor said an officer was assaulted by an inmate Saturday at West Tennessee State Penitentiary. That officer’s injuries were also not believed to be life-threatening.
Correction Commissioner Derrick Schofield has said violence is down at prisons, but critics say a change in scheduling has caused staffers to leave, impacting prison safety.