Multiple cell fires, staff assaults reported at Marquette Branch Prison
MARQUETTE, Mich. (WJMN) — Several prison cell fires and staff assaults this week at the Marquette Branch Prison have been reported by the Michigan Department of Corrections.
The Marquette Branch Prison is one of five maximum-security prisons in the state.
According to the MDOC’s Public Information Officer Kyle Kaminski, several attacks on staff and three fires started by prisoners in their cells happened before a more serious incident Wednesday afternoon.
In the early evening hours of March 13th, Kaminski said multiple prisoners in solitary confinement again started fires in their cells. Surrounding cells were evacuated and the fires were extinguished without significant damage.
Two employees and one prisoner were taken to the local hospital for smoke inhalation. The employees have since been released, but the prisoner is still hospitalized.
Two cells were temporarily taken out of use, but the units are otherwise still operational.
After the incident, the some of the evacuated prisoners were resistant to going back to their cells. Kaminski said they spoke out against being moved back and made threats to staff, but did not say any physical assault happened at that time.
Over a dozen more staff members were called to the unit. After that, Kaminski said all prisoners were returned to their cells without incident.
As of Thursday afternoon, the Marquette Branch Prison is under “restricted prisoner movement” protocol in the affected units.
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