MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. (AP) — A fight that broke out at the Northern Regional Jail in Moundsville, West Virginia, involved makeshift weapons and left three inmates injured.
The state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is investigating overcrowding issues at the facility after the June 3 incident, The Intelligencer of Wheeling reported.
None of the people hurt required outside medical care, according to Lawrence Messina, a state spokesman.
“Inmate population levels remain a challenge throughout the regional jails system,” Messina told the newspaper. “While this was an issue before COVID-19, the precautions and safeguards established in response to the epidemic have greatly restricted transfers among facilities and otherwise heightened this challenge.”
As of June 4, there were 411 inmates at the jail, with 43% of them awaiting trial or a court order. There were around 470 inmates at the end of March and 460 on May 17, according to the state.