HOUTZDALE – An incident at the State Correctional Institution at Houtzdale was resolved peacefully early Tuesday evening when inmates who were refusing to leave the recreational yard were returned to their cells, according to a press release from the Corrections Department.
The incident began around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday when a fight broke out between two inmates in the fenced-in recreational yard. When correctional officers intervened, a disturbance broke out and five correctional officers were injured, said a department spokesperson.
“This type of behavior is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated,’’ Secretary of Corrections John E. Wetzel said.
“Our staff members risk their lives every day to protect and maintain the public safety of the citizens of this Commonwealth.’’
Members of the Department’s Corrections Emergency Response Team were dispatched from nearby prisons to assist the staff of SCI Houtzdale in removing the inmates from the yard and returning them to their cells in a methodical, peaceful manner, the spokesperson said.
According to the spokesperson, the inmates were returned to their housing units Tuesday evening and the incident was peacefully resolved with no apparent property damage to the prison.
Staff members will be investigating the incident, as well as conducting a thorough search of the inmates and the prison grounds during the next several days, the spokesperson added.
“Superintendent Ken Cameron and his staff at SCI Houtzdale are to be commended for the calm and professional manner in which they handled this situation,’’ Wetzel said. “I ask everyone to keep the injured officers in their thoughts.’’
SCI Houtzdale, located in southern Clearfield County, houses approximately 2,500 male inmates with about 500 staff members.
At this time, all inmate visits are cancelled until further notice.