Two inmates attacked in one week at Madison Co. jails
[gtxvideo vid=”ThK4BtSr” playlist=”” pid=”OTSe9U1y” thumb=”http://player.gtxcel.com/thumbs/ThK4BtSr.jpg” vtitle=”Inmate Assault – Bryan”]
MADISON COUNTY, Tenn. — Two inmates in Madison County jails are victims of violence from other inmates within the same week, according to jail officials. “What you’ve got here in a situation like this is confined quarters — people are together 24/7 — and it’s just sometimes the overcrowding issue comes into play,” Madison County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Tom Mapes said. Jailers said inmate Shaun Edwards was attacked Wednesday night by inmates James Martin and Antonius Carter at the Criminal Justice Complex. Edwards had a severe cut to his face and was taken to the emergency room. A day earlier down the street, another attack occurred at the Jail Annex. Jailers said inmate Patrick Vanakens reported he was attacked by inmate Tony Greer, who allegedly hit him in the head while he was writing a letter. The attack continues to raise questions about jail overcrowding. Currently at the annex they are eight under capacity, and officials said at the CJC they are 15 inmates over capacity. Officials said warm weather plays a small role in inmate behavior but that the major issue is the crowded facilities. “One of our major issues for sure is the situation of overcrowding and just the fact a lot of our facilities are getting quite old now,” Mapes said. Edwards, the inmate transported to the hospital for his injuries, has since returned to the jail.
