Riot puts Kansas prison on lockdown after inmate is hospitalized, employees hurt
The Kansas prison in Lansing was placed on lockdown on Friday evening after a fight between inmates led to one being hospitalized and three Kansas Department of Corrections employees being injured.
The incident, which started around 7 p.m., led to tactical resources being dispatched from other parts of the state to quell a disturbance within one section of the facility where violent offenders are housed, said Sarah LaFrenz, president of the Kansas Organization of State Employees, which represents correctional employees.
She said at least three KDOC employees were hurt during the initial incident. She added that the event led to the loss of control over one part of the prison.
Reached by phone late Friday, Randy Bowman, a spokesman for KDOC, confirmed there had been an incident involving Lansing prisoners and that one had been removed from the facility for transportation to the hospital. He said there would be an investigation over at least the next several days to determine everything that transpired and who was responsible.
Bowman added that the situation Friday night was contained to one part of the prison. He said the rest of the facility had been placed on lockdown as a precautionary measure.
Bowman said he did not have any facts to share about the condition of KDOC staff as of Friday night.
The incident Friday comes as corrections officers have sounded the alarm over working conditions within the Lansing facility as well as broader concerns about KDOC. In November 2021, for example, a correctional employee suffered facial fractures and other injuries after an incident at Lansing.
The Star has also found the prison has struggled to fill positions there. One analysis last year showed Lansing had 73 vacancies in November 2021.
LaFrenz on Friday night highlighted the staffing issue, saying that has been problematic across KDOC facilities for years.
“Here we are in July of 2022,” LaFrenz said. “What’s it going to take for the (Kansas) Department of Corrections to take staffing seriously?”
This story was originally published July 15, 2022 at 10:47 PM.
