By Bryan Denson
The Oregonian
PORTLAND, Ore. — Fights among dozens of prisoners broke out in the dining hall of the Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution Monday and continued past the evening meal, causing a lockdown of the prison, officials reported Tuesday.
Forty-six inmates were placed in disciplinary housing for their roles in the fights, and one was taken to an outside hospital for medical treatment, according to the Oregon Department of Corrections.
The cause of the Memorial Day melee is still under investigation, said corrections spokeswoman Betty Bernt.
The Pendleton prison was locked down last month after a fight between three inmates on the yard. Corrections officers fired a warning shot and shot pepper spray to break up that brawl.
Prison officials have restricted movement of the roughly 1,700 prisoners inside the medium-security facility known as EOCI, and inmate visitation has been canceled until further notice, Bernt said.
The first of the fights broke out at about 5:30 p.m. in the dining room of the century-old prison, causing corrections officials to lock down the west side of the institution.
An hour later, as more fights broke out, administrators placed the rest of the prison on lockdown.
Prison investigators are looking into the cause of the fights to determine if any crimes were committed and whether future such outbreaks can be prevented, Bernt said.