ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) – Three officers were injured during an inmate attack and multiple inmates were involved in fights at Elmira Correctional within one weekend, according to NYSCOPBA. This follows several reports of fights, attacks and injuries at the prison since late August.

The NYS Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association said that on October 1, an officer saw an inmate put an unknown object in his mouth and swallow it before charging the officer and punching his eye. The officer used OC spray and put the inmate in a body hold while another officer put handcuffs on the inmate.

After being taken to an observation cell, the handcuffs were removed and the inmate hit an officer, NYSCOPBA said. He then kicked another as he was forced to the ground.

Two of the officers were treated at the prison and one was taken to an outside hospital. The inmate was convicted in 2007 in New York City for 2nd-degree Murder.

Also on Oct. 1, NYSCOPBA said 17 inmates were involved in a fight in the mess hall, ignoring orders to stop until OC spray was used. The press release said officers later found a ceramic scalpel in one of the inmate’s cells.

On Oct. 2, NYSCOPBA said two inmates were attacking another in the mess hall and again ignored orders until OC spray was used.

With multiple attacks and injuries within the last month, NYSCOPBA Western Region VP Kenny Gold once again pointed to state lawmakers and the HALT Act as the primary reason for the violence.

“Since April 1,  assaults on staff have increased by 40 percent and the number of injuries to staff that are considered ‘moderate to severe’ has increased by 98 percent,” Gold said. “How much violence at Elmira alone within such a short period will it take before any legislator that supported this ridiculous legislation will acknowledge this Act was a failure?”