Corrections officer stabbed at St. Clair Correctional Facility

SPRINGVILLE, AL (WBRC) - The Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) said a male corrections officer was stabbed during an assault by three inmates at St. Clair Correctional Facility on Thursday.

It happened at 5:45 p.m. after the evening meal as inmates were returning to their cells.

An ADOC news release said one inmate became physically aggressive and assaulted the officer in retaliation for being ordered to return to his cell block. Two other inmates attacked the officer from behind as he was attempting to control the first inmate.

The officer stabbed was transported to a hospital, treated for his injuries and released. No other details were given regarding his injuries.

Officers recovered a makeshift knife that was used in the assault.

Last month investigators found rounds of hidden ammunition inside the prison while searching the facility after handguns and drugs were thrown over the prison fence. Three people were arrested in that incident.

St. Clair Correctional Facility houses 1,300 inmates and was the site of an April brawl involving 30 inmates in which one correctional officer was injured.

That fight came after a series of violent incidents inside the prison, including six homicides in 36 months, according to Montgomery-based Equal Justice Initiative.

The prison has been under intense scrutiny by advocacy groups, including EJI, which filed a 2014 lawsuit alleging inadequate security and unsafe conditions for inmates and staff.

ADOC Commissioner Jeff Dunn hosted a media tour of St. Clair Correctional in September in which he said staffing had been beefed up to 67 percent after the April incident and that violent incidents were trending down.

When asked about how the prison is working to secure the perimeter and prevent contraband from entering the prison, Dunn said that is a challenge at every prison in Alabama.

"When we are understaffed, it makes it very difficult for our correctional officers to cover all of the areas that they're supposed to cover," Dunn said.

The release in this latest stabbing also said officers used their radios to call for assistance and prison officials were able to detain the three inmates. No other inmates were involved in the incident.

Another officer was injured while responding but did not require medical treatment.

ADOC is not releasing any of the names involved in the incident, citing an ongoing investigation.

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