By Amanda Lamb, WRAL Reporter
Goldsboro, N.C.— Jail officials at the Neuse Correctional Institution in Goldsboro say they quickly controlled an inmate who punched 4 staff members Tuesday morning.
There were just minor injuries, and the inmate was restrained, authorities said.
However a woman whose 53- year-old bro is a prisoner at Neuse says pressure is building inside the prison as more and more individuals are detected with coronavirus.
The Neuse Correctional Institution has the largest coronavirus break out in the jail system, with a cumulative total of 458 infection cases reported to state health authorities in less than 3 weeks. That’s the biggest outbreak throughout the state to date.
The female, who asked to stay anonymous to safeguard her bro’s identity, said conditions behind the walls are deteriorating as personnel and authorities grapple with the fast-spreading break out.
” He said they have actually not had a tidy mask in 2 weeks. Their bed linen has not been cleaned up given that February,” she informed WRAL News. “He’s got two individuals, elderly gentlemen, 3 feet away from him that have been sick for 10 days and are getting no medical attention.”
He informed her a senior male with a fever collapsed in the lunch line today.
” It’s not. Yes, they are detainees, inmates,” she said. “However they have actually loved ones that like them and they need aid therein.”
Her bro, she says, has actually evaluated negative, however she’s not sure how longer that will last.
” They’re scared to death.
” It’s a tight spot,” agreed Department of Public Safety spokesman John Bull. “We definitely don’t have experience with a mass contamination of a contagious disease. “
Bull states most of inmates at the prison have tested favorable for the virus and are under quarantine, so those who have evaluated negative have been moved away from them to the extent possible.
” They’re being treated,” he said of the inmates with COVID-19 “There’s every effort made from keeping this from being spread any even more.”
Also, over the weekend, the Department of Prisons shut down Johnston Correctional Organization, relocating prisoners elsewhere, so that its staff of around 100 might be reassigned to Neuse to help the staff there.
Bull stated DPS is worried for the security of the prisoners and the staff at the Goldsboro facility.
” Tensions are running high there in the transgressor population and I’m sure the personnel is as anxious as everybody else,” Bull informed WRAL News.
NC closes down Smithfield prison to shift staff to Goldsboro facility with significant coronavirus break out
