Prison attacks are increasing, officials say

MANSFIELD, Ohio (AP) — Officials say attacks in Ohio’s prisons have increased recently, partly because young adult gangs disregard an unofficial code among inmates by robbing others and attacking in groups.

The number of prison attacks doubled from about 500 in 2005 to more than 1,000 in 2008 throughout the overcrowded corrections system.

Officials say some of the gangs have evolved from rivalries among juvenile offenders who kept their loyalties when they entered state prisons as young adults.

Guards say that leads to fights such as those last month at the Mansfield Correctional Institution.

An official responsible for monitoring prison conditions says about one-fourth of the inmates at the Mansfield prison have gang affiliations.

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