ORISKANY -- New information about the alleged assaults of two high profile inmates.
Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol says Christian Patterson, accused in the shooting death of Oneida County deputy Kurt Wyman was assaulted Thursday after a dispute started while he was waiting in line for the microwave. Patterson was taken to the hospital for stitches. The suspect was being housed in the new part of the jail.
David Trebilcock, awaiting trial for stabbing and killing 6-year-old Lauren Belius, was bunking with other inmates in the old part of the jail when a fight broke out. Sheriff Maciol says Trebilcock was attacked in his sleep and doesn't know why Trebilcock was targeted. Shaun Andrews was charged with assault in connection to the attack.
The Sheriff tells us that the ratio of corrections officers to inmates is 1 to 56. Maciol says that's standard for New York State. However, in some cases, an officer can be asked to keep an eye on several inmates, or even just one, depending on the circumstances.
There is surveillance on all the inmates, and if fights break out, they are addressed quickly.
"There are alerts that an officer can send," says Maciol. "Every officer is equipped with a radio, so if there is a fight, immediately the officer would activate the response."
Maciol says if a fight breaks out, that unit is immediately locked down. Then, other corrections officers and members of the Sheriff's Emergency Response Team can be called in to help.
When inmates first arrive at the jail, they go through an assessment. The Classification Office decides where in the jail they should be put, based on the consideration of a number of factors, including age, gender, criminal history, and if they have any previous problems with other inmates. However, that system can't prevent every fight.
"There is no jail or no prison anywhere that can guarantee 100% of the time that an inmate's not going to have a problem with another inmate," says Maciol.
However, Maciol says he's confident his staff is well-trained and able to protect offices and inmates.
