An “altercation” at a maximum-security state prison in Nevada on Tuesday has left three inmates dead and nine others injured.
The deadly melee broke out at Ely State Prison, which is the only maximum-security prison in the state. The names of the victims have not been released. Officials have not released the details about what started the altercation or if any weapons were involved.
The injured victims were taken to local hospitals for treatment. The conditions of these victims are unknown at this time.
The prison is on lockdown as officials investigate the deaths and injuries. No prison staff were injured in the incident.
In this July 11, 2018, file photo, a sign marks the entrance to Ely State Prison, the location of Nevada’s execution chamber near Ely, Nev. Three inmates were killed in an “altercation” at the prison on Tuesday.
AP Photo/John Locher, File
State and local law enforcement agencies are assisting the Nevada Department of Corrections in the investigation.
Newsweek reached out to the Nevada Department of Corrections for more information.
There have been 21 deaths in Nevada prisons this year, according to the Las Vegas Sun.
Ely State Prison was also the site of a hunger strike in 2022. Dozens of inmates refused to eat to protest allegedly unsafe conditions and inadequate food portions.
The corrections department said the strike was “mostly in protest of the food portions being served but also includes conditions of confinement, property issues and disciplinary sanctions.”
The department had switched to a new vendor with smaller portion sizes.
Inmates on strike were also advocating for an end to group punishment and protection for inmates who express health and safety concerns, including mold, heating and air conditioning failures and rat infestations.
The strike went on for nearly four weeks before the inmates “voluntarily” ended it. The department vowed to implement some changes, including a clarification in how disciplinary action is taken.
The prison has a total capacity of 1,183 inmates. It has a staff of about 400, making it a major employer in the area.
The state’s death row for men is located at the maximum-security facility. There are currently 60 men on death row at the prison.
The Nevada Department of Corrections uses five different security levels: maximum, close, medium, minimum and community trustee.
The department operates seven major institutions, two transitional housing centers, nine conservation camps and a boot camp.
Ely is a mining town in White Pine County with a population of around 3,942 people. The state execution chamber is also located at the prison.
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