By Phil Kabler
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State Corrections Commissioner Jim Rubenstein said Thursday he is looking into circumstances that led to a lock-down of prisoners at the Lee Adjustment Center, the private prison near Hazard, Ky., that is bidding to house up to 400 West Virginia inmates.
Rubenstein said he had just learned Thursday morning of news reports that one wing of the prison, housing about 200 prisoners, had been put on lockdown following a series of inmate assaults.
“I want to look further into that to see what going on, and get more of the specifics and particulars,” he said.
Earlier this week, Richard Byrne, out-of-state unit supervisor for the Vermont Department of Corrections testified to Vermont legislators about the incident at the Kentucky prison, which currently houses 460 inmates from that state.
Byrne could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Full story: State officials look into Kentucky prison lockdown