Prison Officials Struggle To Deal With Violence

STRINGTOWN, Okla. (AP) -- As state prison officials struggle with crowded prisons they're also facing violence within the prison walls.<br/><br/>Department of Corrections records show there were about

Wednesday, August 15th 2007, 2:26 pm

By: News On 6

STRINGTOWN, Okla. (AP) -- As state prison officials struggle with crowded prisons they're also facing violence within the prison walls.

Department of Corrections records show there were about 1,100 inmate assaults on other prisoners in 2005 and 135 assaults on prison staff. The numbers increased last year to 1,142 assaults on inmates and 189 assaults on staff.

Longtime inmates like Buddy Fesmire say the new inmates have no morals and no respect. The 58-year-old Fesmire has spent 40 years in prison for killing his father, brother and a friend. But Fesmire says the younger inmates don't mess with the older ones because -- in Fesmire's words -- "we don't fist fight, we kill."