Four correctional officers were injured in an incident this week at the state’s prison for women in Mitchellville.
A spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Corrections says Tuesday’s incident at the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women (ICIW) started with one prisoner who was being “disruptive” in the dining hall.
In a prepared statement, Fred Scaletta said the incident was “de-escalated quickly,” but one correctional officer was assaulted by the offender and three others who responded were injured.
The president of the union that represents a majority of state government workers is criticizing ICIW Warden Patti Wachtendorf for “refusing to give staff the tools they need to do their job in the safest manner possible.”
Danny Homan says staff at the prison, unlike workers at similar facilities in the state, are not issued pepper spray to protect themselves if an inmate becomes violent.