Accident injures Anamosa penitentiary staffer

ANAMOSA - A staff member at Anamosa State Penitentiary was injured in an 'isolated, serious accident” earlier this week, the prison spokesman said.

The nature of the accident has not been disclosed. However, Matt Eivins, public information officer at Anamosa, said it did not involve inmates.

'It did not involve offenders or inmates,” Eivins said. 'There was no assault of any nature. It was nothing like that.”

Eivins said the accident happened Monday, and the staff member has recovered. Prison personnel praised other prison staff in assisting the injured man.

The injured man is not a correctional officer, and Eivins cited privacy in not identifying the man or his job at the prison. The accident is being investigated by other agencies that Eivins said he could not identify at this time.

'It's an ongoing accident investigation,” he said. 'There will definitely be more we can release at a later time.”

Iowa Occupational Safety & Health Administration administrator Jens Nissen said OSHA is aware of the situation but couldn't comment.