LAURINBURG —State officials said an inmate and guard at Scotland Correctional Institution were hurt in separate incidents this weekend at the prison.
According to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, an inmate was found injured in his cell by staff. Officials said the injuries were “consistent with those received in a physical assault.”
“The inmate was transported to an outside medical (facility) for evaluation and treatment of what appears to be non-life threatening injuries,” the department said in a statement.
The incident occurred at about 11:40 a.m. Sunday.
Officials said that when staff members were interviewing inmates in the dining hall after the incident, an inmate struck a correctional officer in the face.
“Staff restrained the inmate, and the injured correctional captain was taken to outside medical for evaluation and treatment of what appears to be non-life threatening injuries,” the statement said.
No other staff or inmates were injured.
The name of the inmates or the guard have not been released.
The incidents are under internal investigation and the Scotland County Sheriff’s Office was contacted.
DPS is cooperating with local law enforcement related to any criminal charges that may be filed.
Scotland Correctional Institution is a 1,756-bed, high-security prison facility near the Laurinburg-Maxton Airport. The facility opened in September 2003 as a 1,000-bed close-custody facility. A 504-bed medium security addition opened in March 2011, and a 252-bed minimum security unit opened in July 2011.