LAWRENCE COUNTY — A southeastern Illinois prison remains under full lockdown Tuesday after a correctional officer was attacked by multiple inmates and was rushed from the facility by ambulance.

According to Illinois Department of Corrections spokeswoman Nicole Wilson, the department has launched a criminal investigation into the incident that led to the officer’s hospitalization for medical treatment. Wilson says the officer is now recovering at home from his injuries and IDOC will not release any other information at this time.

Eddie Caumiant, spokesman for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union that represents correctional officers says the incident has the union very concerned, although they’re not surprised as this was not the first incident involving at least one of the inmates involved.

Caumiant says in a previous incident an inmate was refusing orders of correctional staff unless he was told by a “white shirt” a name used for lieutenants. But because of new policies, the lieutenant was unable to respond to the situation with the same level of discipline previously in place for such a refusal.

Then on Friday, 2-3 inmates, including the one involved in the previous incident, were fighting and allegedly turned on the responding officer in what is being described as a “vicious” assault.

The officer who was reportedly knocked unconscious and to the floor in the attack and was then being kicked by the inmates.. He was rushed from the facility by ambulance to a hospital for treatment and is now recovering at home from his injuries.

According to Caumiant, new policies and procedures regarding inmates classified as “seriously mentally ill,” are placing staff and other inmates in danger of such attacks, and AFSCME is deeply troubled by such events and policies.

Necessary steps — such as being written up — that were previously in place for assaults are no longer being taken, explains Caumiant.  He says inmates are being given a free pass to offend as there are little or no reprisals for assaulting staff or other inmates.

Currently, he says, the only option is for staff to collect information and to notify management about concerns they may have regarding specific inmate behaviors.

In the mean time, AFSCME says they will be taking all steps necessary, including taking up the safety of the new policies with the department, to ensure the safety of officers and inmates alike.