Two attacks in two days at Central Prison attributed to same group of inmates

The latest attack came Wednesday morning when correctional officers were assaulted in a dining area.

Officials said several inmates refused orders from staff, and two of the correctional officers who responded were punched by an inmate. The situation, which began around 8 a.m., was brought under control by other staff.

The injured correctional officers were taken outside the prison for medical treatment and were released.

On Tuesday, in a separate attack, inmates Jaquan Lane and Andrew Ellis assaulted Unit Manager Brent Soucier with a homemade weapon in a housing area of the maximum-security prison, authorities said.

Soucier, 44, a 19-year veteran at the prison, was taken to a local hospital for treatment of a serious injury, and both inmates were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said.

Both incidents are under investigation and the Prison Emergency Response Team has been brought in to assist.

Officials said 2017 was the deadliest year in the history of the state’s prison system.

It was later discovered by the National Institute of Corrections that the prison had a staffing vacancy of about 25 percent and was deemed unsafe to fully operate on the day of the attack. The team also found that most officers were minimally trained.

In the 2016-17 fiscal year, 790 assaults by inmates were reported in state prisons, according to the Department of Public Safety. That was down from 845 the previous year and 850 in 2014-15.

Prosecutors say they want the death penalty for an inmate accused of beating to death an officer at Bertie Correctional Institution last year.

A second attack occurred about two hours later when an inmate walked up behind a case manager and hit them on the head with his fist. A supervisor trying to break up the scuffle was also hurt.