An inmate at the Wood County jail was beaten by another inmate last week in the visitation area of the jail.
Wood County Sheriff Mark Wasylyshyn said Sunday afternoon that the two inmates were in the visitation area when one punched the other in the back of the head. The sheriff did not have the names of the two inmates.
“We got the victim medical attention immediately and are pressing felony charges against the inmate who beat him,” Wasylyshyn said.
Felony charges will be presented to the grand jury on Wednesday.
The sheriff did not know the condition of the beaten inmate, but said he had heard that his condition was improving.
It is not clear if any jail staff was in the visitation room at the time of the incident.
“I don’t know if we had staff in there at that time,” Wasylyshyn said.
The inmate who was beaten may have been visiting with his mother at the time, he said.
Almost all inmates are permitted visitation. “All inmates, unless they are in discipline, are entitled to visitation,” he said.
The sheriff is hoping to change to video communication in the future, so the inmates stay in their jail areas, and their visitors communicate with them similar to Skype.
More information will be added to this report on Monday.
