Updated 18.45pm
A NUMBER OF PRISONER officers have been injured in two separate incidents at the Midlands Prison.
Officers intervened after a fight broke out between two prisoners this afternoon.
One officer suffered serious injuries after being slashed in the buttocks area.
It is believed the officer needs 14 stitches.
The Irish Prison Service has commenced an investigation into the incident and the Gardai have also been notified. A bladed instrument was seized following the incident.
Another prison officer was also injured in a separate, unrelated incident today.
During the moving of a prisoner, an assistant chief officer suffered a broken ankle, suspected broken ribs and was taken to hospital for treatment.
Another colleague was also taken to hospital with suspected broken ribs.
The Director General of the Irish Prison Service has said that his thoughts are with the injured staff and their families.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Gabriel Keaveny, Assistant General Secretary of the Prisoner Officers Association (POA) said that today’s attacks were “very serious”.
He called on management to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure prison officer safety while at work.
Jim Mitchell, Deputy General Secretary of the POA said this evening that he is deeply concerned about these two incidents.
These incidents, coming so soon after our two colleagues suffered a most serious assault at Tallaght Hospital recently, raises many issues for the Prison Officers Association and our individual members in regard to a reasonable expectation of ‘safety at work’.
Mitchell said it is particularly concerning that both these assaults today occurred in the ‘Enhanced Section’ of the Midlands Prison which he said is supposedly occupied by low risk prisoners.
Just as was the case in Tallaght Hospital two weeks ago – we are clearly looking again at flawed categorisation of prisoners in regard to the risk posed.
The Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald is due to meet with the association next week after prison officers said they were on the verge of going on strike due to fears over safety concerns.
First published 14.30pm
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