Hawaii Inmates In Lockdown At Arizona Prison
Prisoners Fight Over Xbox, Prison Employee Seriously Injured
POSTED: 8:49 pm HST July 30, 2010
UPDATED: 9:20 pm HST July 30, 2010
HONOLULU -- An Arizona prison that is housing about 1,884 Hawaii inmates, remains in lockdown -- five days after a big brawl.The Saguaro Correctional Center in Eloy, Arizona, houses Hawaii inmates only. The state hired Corrections Corporation of America to house the inmates at the Arizona facility because of prison over crowding in Hawaii.Public Safety director Clayton Frank said 30 inmates from the high security unit were involved in the scuffle over an Xbox owned by one inmate.When prison staff members intervened to stop the brawl, Clayton said 13 inmates turned on the facility's gang intelligence officer and severely beat him. Public Safety’s mainland branch administrator, Shari Kimoto, said the prison employee suffered a broken nose, broken cheekbones and eye socket damage. He has since been released from the hospital.Prisons officials tell KITV4 the ongoing investigation found gang members were taxing or charging prisoners a fee to use the Xbox.Investigators are also working to positively identify the 13 prisoners who beat the employee. If identified, the inmates could be charged with assault of a prison staff member.Saguaro Correctional Facility has seen its share of violence this year. There have been two murders involving Hawaii prisoners.In June, 23 year old Clifford Medina was found dead in his cell. Arizona police said Medina's cellmate admitted he strangled Medina.In February, another Hawaii inmate died after he was assaulted, just 8 months before his release.It is unclear how long the prison will be in lockdown. Frank said gang involvement and the injury of a staff member have led to fears the violence could bleed into the general prison population.
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