Prison inmate remains hospitalized after stabbing

Thursday, July 21st 2005, 10:16 am

By: News On 6

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) -- An inmate who was beaten and stabbed with a homemade knife at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary is the latest victim in what has been a violent year for correctional facilities in the state.

The inmate, whose name was not released, was injured Tuesday in a fight in an exercise yard at the maximum-security prison, Corrections Department spokesman Jerry Massie said Wednesday. The man has major head injuries and remains hospitalized.

"There was a fight and there were some puncture wounds," said prison spokeswoman Lee Mann.

Mann said officials recovered a homemade knife. Following the altercation, six inmates were sent to the high-security H Unit at the prison, Mann said.

Three inmates were injured in a fight March 24 at the penitentiary, and three more were hurt the next day.

Four prison inmates have been killed in the state this year.

Ronald Sites, 48, was strangled Jan. 30 at the Lawton Correctional Facility. His cell mate is suspected.

Pedro Posadas, 32, was killed March 4 in a fight with another inmate at the Great Plains Correctional Facility in Hinton.

Adam Lippert, 32, was stabbed March 22 at the Cimarron Correctional Facility in Cushing. Charges have been filed against 12 inmates in connection with his death.

Donald Ray Jones Jr., 29, died of multiple stab wounds July 10 at the Oklahoma State Reformatory in Granite. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation has taken the case.