A record number of assaults on staff and inmates were reported at Five Points Correctional Facility in 2024, marking a grim milestone for the maximum-security prison. According to a press release, 2,072 staff assaults occurred last year, while inmate-on-inmate violence reached 2,983 incidents. The year ended with a December 23 inmate homicide under investigation by state police.
The rising violence is linked to ongoing staffing shortages and mandatory overtime, which have placed significant strain on officers working long shifts with little reprieve. The pattern of assaults escalated in the final months of 2024, with a series of brutal incidents highlighting the dangerous conditions inside the facility.
On November 29, an inmate threw a cup of urine at officers as they attempted to extinguish a fire in his cell. Two officers were injured on December 11 after an inmate, resisting removal from his cell, grabbed an officer through a food hatch, inflicting facial injuries and lacerations during a struggle that required backup to subdue him.
December 14 saw another violent confrontation, with an inmate slashing and striking officers using a sharpened piece of plastic. Six officers were injured, three of whom were hospitalized with cuts and joint injuries. Similar incidents followed on December 18, including an officer being attacked with a sharpened toothbrush and another assault involving bodily fluids and a biting injury.
The most serious event occurred on December 23, when officers discovered an inmate unresponsive with a string tied around his neck. Despite administering CPR and multiple doses of Narcan, the inmate was pronounced dead at the scene. The other inmate in the cell was removed to a Special Housing Unit after reportedly making incriminating statements. The cause of death remains under investigation.
Assaults at Five Points have doubled since 2020, reflecting a broader trend of escalating violence in New York state prisons. Correctional officers continue to advocate for increased staffing and improved safety measures to address the crisis.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].