PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. — One prisoner was killed and two others seriously injured Monday in a brawl involving at least 10 inmates at a federal prison in Saskatchewan.
The Correctional Service of Canada says the maximum-security unit at the penitentiary in Prince Albert has been locked down since the fight broke out during the lunch hour in full view of the guards.
Spokesman Darcy Begrand says inmates who usually get along with each other were in the lunch area when seven prisoners turned on three others.
The two injured inmates were treated in hospital.
Begrand says it’s not clear what sparked the fight, if the inmates are gang members or whether weapons were used.
No employees were injured in the assault, and following the attack, guards provided CPR to the hurt inmates until emergency services arrived.
“(Staff) responded immediately. The unfortunate thing is these types of incidents occur very fast, very quick and it sure doesn’t take them long to initiate an assault on another inmate,” Begrand said.
RCMP are also investigating.
Begrand couldn’t say how long the unit would be locked down.
“What I can tell you is that when we are locked down we try to open up and return to normal as quickly as possible, but at the same time we have to make sure we’re doing it in the safest manner possible,” he said.