Minn. Dept. of Corrections investigates prison officer attacks

The Minnesota Department of Corrections is investigating after 11 officers were attacked by prisoners in the last week.

According to the DOC, the latest incident happened Thursday when a lieutenant at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater was assaulted by an offender. The lieutenant walked out of the facility on his own and received medical attention for non-life threating injuries. A department spokesperson said he was not admitted to the hospital. The details of the incident are under investigation, so the spokesperson said she could not release any more details.

Stillwater Prison is a level 4 close custody facility with about 1,590 offenders.

Last weekend, a total of ten officers were assaulted in two separate incidents at the MCF-Oak Park Heights, according to the corrections department. On Friday, five corrections officers were checked out medically and released after an incident involving several offenders. On Sunday, five officers were checked out and released after an incident with one offender. Oak Park Heights is a maximum security prison with a population of 393 offenders.

"The Minnesota Department of Corrections' top priority is ensuring the safety of our dedicated staff, corrections officers and those in the Department's care. Offender violence inside a prison is simply not acceptable," said Department of Corrections commissioner Tom Roy in a statement. "Any time a corrections officer is injured we aggressively investigate and seek prosecution. Many offenders have serious mental health and chemical dependency issues that stay with them once they are inside the facility. Our efforts in treating these conditions makes for a safer work environment for staff and helps more offenders return to the community healthier and less likely to reengage in criminal conduct."