BEAUMONT, Texas — An investigation is underway after an inmate at a Beaumont prison was injured during a fight.
A representative with the United States Penitentiary Beaumont confirmed to 12News that an inmate was, "found with injuries consistent with an altercation," Monday morning. At this time, it is unclear what happened during the fight or how the inmate was injured.
Staff immediately secured the area and the inmate was taken to a hospital for treatment, and there has been no word on their condition. No other inmates or prison staff members were injured.
Prison staff do not believe the general public was ever in danger.
The prison was placed on 'modified operations,' meaning there was a temporary change to some operations which could include inmate movement, programs and services. 12News is working to confirm if this is the same as a lockdown.
According to a spokesperson, Bureau of Prisons institutions are sometimes placed on modified operations for a variety of reasons. Institutions placed on modified operations tend to remain on it throughout investigations into incidents to ensure the safety of staff and inmates.
An investigation into Monday's incident is ongoing.
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From a Office of Public Affairs release:
We can confirm on December 5, 2022, at approximately 8:30 a.m., an inmate at the United States Penitentiary (USP) Beaumont in Beaumont, Texas, was found with injuries consistent with an altercation.
Responding staff immediately secured the area. The inmate was transported to a local hospital for further treatment.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation was notified. No staff or other inmates were injured and at no time was the public in danger.
An internal investigation is still ongoing. For safety and security reasons, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) does not discuss specific security practices or internal procedures. However, we can confirm, USP Beaumont was placed on modified operations. Modified operations refer to a temporary change to some institution operations that may include inmate movement, programs, and/or services. From time to time BOP correctional institutions are placed on modified operations for a number of reasons, e.g., inmate altercations or intelligence indicating potential safety threats. Ordinarily, institutions remain on modified operations in order to thoroughly investigate the incident and ensure the safety of staff and inmates.
USP Beaumont is a high security facility and currently houses 1,484 male offenders.
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