A series of fights between prison inmates forced state officials to lockdown the Attica Correctional Facility. In some cases, violent incidents involved illegal weapons.
The lockdown began Sunday after multiple fights broke out, all about the same time, in four different recreation yards.
Joe Miano with the New York State Correction Officer's union says a search is underway for illegal weapons and other contraband.
"The inmates are locked in their cells while this (the search) is going on. So, that will be just temporary. It's not long term, it's just until they can search and recover any weapons that are hidden within the facility," Mian said.
Miano says the violence appears to be gang-related.
"The inmates that we are dealing with today are more of a violent inmate than they've had in the history of the department. " said Miano, who reports the multiple incidents involved about 30 inmates. The condition of one inmate who was stabbed has not been released.
"They're pretty much dealing with the worst of the worst on a daily basis now."
Miano says no officers or prison staff were injured.