Mike Marvin, executive director of the Nebraska Association of Public Employees, said that the union has asked several times in recent months to open up negotiations to address high turnover and other problems with the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, but those requests had been met with “deaf ears” until Thursday. The Nebraska State Patrol is reviewing video footage of the incident, which took place Wednesday evening in a small courtyard. Two calls came in just before 6:40 p.m. LCC officials said inmates were refusing to return to their housing units, eventually assaulting nine staff members.
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Governor Ricketts says when a staff member is assaulted a prosecutor decides whether additional charges are filed against the inmate.
Late Thursday, Gov. Pete Ricketts told lawmakers he would consider raising salaries for corrections workers and making other changes to address retention if union leaders agreed to renegotiate their contract.
The guards were all treated at hospitals and released with the prison remaining on lockdown. In total, nine staff members were injured. Governor Ricketts says he first took time to meet with the staff that was assaulted.
Lincoln Correctional Center is created to hold 308 adult male inmates, but on Wednesday night it had 506 in custody. Six staff members were transported via ambulance to the hospital and three other staff members were taken via state vehicle. Pepper spray was used to disperse the inmates at one point, and some staff might have been exposed, she said.
The Legislature’s special investigative committee will quiz Corrections Director Scott Frakes about prison staffing issues during a public hearing August 31.
Such incidents have a physical impact on those involved, but the mental toll can affect every corrections staffer, he said.
LCC was fully staffed at the time of the incident and is now in a lockdown status.
Marvin, after looking at a letter from the governor on Friday morning, said that state statutes require labor negotiations for state workers to begin on September 1 anyway.
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The inmates then began to brutally punch and kick that employee. “I am proud of the way staff responded to contain and resolve the situation”.
