Union: Iowa prison attack could have been avoided

Union: Iowa prison attack could have been avoided
July 14, 2012 20:54 GMT

%reldate(2012-07-14T20:49:50

ANAMOSA, Iowa (AP) -- A top Iowa union official says better prison staffing could have prevented an assault by an inmate that sent a corrections officer to the hospital.

The Des Moines Register reports (http://dmreg.co/PY5IjB ) that the officer was attacked Friday at the Anamosa State Penitentiary in eastern Iowa.

Danny Homan, a representative for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, says the number of staff working in Iowa prisons has reached a dangerous low.

A state prison official called the attack an isolated incident. Iowa Department of Corrections spokeswoman Lettie Prell says no weapon was used in the assault. The officer was treated at a local hospital and released.

Prell says nearly 1,100 inmates were at the facility on Saturday. The space is designed for 911.

Information from: The Des Moines Register, http://www.desmoinesregister.com

Source: http://www.kgan.com/template/inews_wire/wires.regional.ia/3b470097-www.kgan.com.shtml

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