Lansing unit on lockdown after prison fight

A fight at the state’s largest prison Friday led to a unit being placed on lockdown in the latest disruption in the Kansas corrections system.

Two groups fought about noon in the maximum-security dining room at the Lansing Correctional Facility, according to a prison statement. No injuries to inmates or guards were immediately reported, according to a corrections spokesman.

The fight follows a summer of unrest in the state’s corrections system, including violence at the El Dorado Correctional Facility and a riot earlier this month at the state’s prison in Norton.

“All offenders in the (Lansing) Central Unit have been secured in their living units,” the Friday statement said.

The Lansing facility has more than 2,100 inmates, according to the Department of Corrections website. More than 1,500 of those inmates are listed as being in the central unit.

“Only the max folks are under lockdown,” department spokesman Samir Arif said.

Arif was unable to say how many inmates were involved in the fight.

“We’re investigating the cause of the fight,” he said. “Still too early to speculate on who was involved.”

The Lansing prison has faced a staffing shortage in recent months as some lawmakers began to voice concerns about the state’s prison system in light of the unrest.

Gov. Sam Brownback responded by announcing a pay raise for correctional officers.

Lansing had the second highest uniformed staff turnover rate among the state’s correctional facilities during the last fiscal year, according to the department.

This story was originally published September 15, 2017 at 3:38 PM with the headline "Lansing unit on lockdown after prison fight."