LAKE CITY, Fla. — The lockdown at Columbia Correctional Institution has been lifted after the Department of Corrections said an inmate attacked a corrections officer sending him to the hospital.
He’s recovering from superficial stab wounds.
The state prison has been plagued with problems in the past, including the stabbing death of corrections officer Sgt. Ruben Thomas in 2012, then two years later, at least three inmates were accused of scheming to sneak in contraband then trying to sue the Florida Department of Corrections after self-inflicting gun shots.
“Staffing is a huge issue,” said a now retired state prison guard who spoke exclusively to Action News Jax on the condition of anonymity. “The average new hire is about 19, maybe, 20-years-old years old, they've had absolutely no experience whatsoever.”
Back in February, Action News Jax spoke one-on-one with DOC secretary Julie Jones who admitted problems.
“I believe we have failed our employees in the last few years in the training department,” said Jones.
The DOC is looking to hire more than 4,000 corrections officers.
“Anything can happen in a prison, any kind of violence,” said the retired corrections officer.
The DOC has also come under criticism for several inmate deaths. There’s currently an investigation underway Columbia Correctional Institution after an inmate was found unresponsive in his cell and declared dead Tuesday.
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