Two staff members at the Nebraska Department of Correctional Service's newest prison were treated for injuries at a Lincoln hospital after they were assaulted by inmates, the department alleged Thursday.
The pair of assaults occurred sometime Thursday, when an inmate who was in an "unapproved area" at the Reception and Treatment Center in south Lincoln punched a staff member in the head after refusing directives to leave the area, the department said in a news release.
Additional staff members who were nearby restrained the inmate and removed him from the area, according to the release.
But as prison staff secured the area, a second inmate struck another staff member in the head, causing the staffer to fall and hit his head on the concrete, resulting in a concussion and facial injuries, according to the release.
Both staff members were treated at and released from a local hospital. The corrections department did not identify either of the inmates or staff members involved in the alleged assaults.
In the news release, the corrections department did not say when the incident occurred, but dispatch records indicate Lincoln Fire and Rescue crews were called to the prison at around 10:30 a.m. Rescue crews returned to service at 11:37 a.m.
The department will criminally investigate the incident and provide findings to the Lancaster County Attorney for prosecution.
Such investigations typically take several months and result in second-degree assault charges for the involved inmates — a class 2 felony that could add up to 20 years onto an inmate's prison sentence.
The corrections department will also utilize its internal disciplinary process, which can include sanctions such as loss of good time for the inmates.
Photos: Nebraska's new Reception and Treatment Center