FLORENCE, AZ — Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry (ADCRR) officials say several inmates were injured during a group fight at a state prison in Florence over the weekend.
The incident reportedly occurred on Sunday at the Arizona State Prison Complex - Eyman facility.
Officials say the altercation appears to be a result of a gang-related dispute and violence.
Several inmates were evaluated and treated by health care staff while several others were taken to off-site hospitals for non-life-threatening injuries, according to ADCRR. One inmate received serious injuries and remains in critical condition.
No prison staff were injured.
Officials say "ADCRR is confident that this targeted, gang-related incident does not represent a threat to the wider inmate population or ADCRR staff, nor is it reflective of the broader safety conditions inside Arizona’s prisons. ADCRR continues to prioritize the safety and well-being of its staff with onsite employee support resources available 24/7 at every prison complex."
Visitation at this prison location has been cancelled until further notice.
No additional details have been provided.
Arizona Correctional Peace Officers Association Executive Director Carlos Garcia called the incident a “full-blown riot,” saying inmates were prepared with weapons.
"You have Native American gang members. We have Mexican Mafia members. We have border brothers who are Mexican nationals that don't get along with anybody. How are they on the same yard?” Garcia said. "We've had disturbances. You know, that's normal in prisons, but this was the full-blown riot. The last time we knew about it was probably in the 1960s."
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ABC15 Investigators have reported extensively on the Arizona State Prison system and local jails, including incidents of violence, conditions within the prisons, and access to medical care.
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