Violent crimes between inmates erupted at Minnesota’s only level five maximum security prison last month. Oak Park Heights is designed to house inmates who are extremely dangerous, chronically ill or a high-escape risk.
At least two attacks happened within weeks at Oak Park Heights, according to a source.
Alpha News was told the first assault occurred March 10 when an inmate was attacked by another inmate from behind with a piece of glass. He was stabbed in the face and neck several times, the source said. That inmate was taken to a hospital and had to undergo surgery. The attack happened in a living unit and charges were filed for attempted homicide, the source added.
A second attack involving two different inmates happened March 28 in that same unit, according to the source. Alpha News was told one inmate attacked another from behind with a metal shank. The source added that the victim has dozens of stab wounds and significant injuries that kept him hospitalized for four days at Regions Hospital.
In a statement to Alpha News, a spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Corrections said inmates have “a right to be safe” while they “work on transforming their lives.”
“Our staff do incredible work to maintain safe and secure prisons to allow people to focus on transforming their lives. But sadly fights and physical altercations that cause injuries do occur, including one attack that caused serious injuries to an incarcerated person on Monday (March 28). We take this conduct seriously and will investigate the incident to ensure the person responsible is held appropriately accountable,” the spokesperson said.
According to a source, the man who is allegedly responsible for the March 28 attack, Thomas Edward Riffenburg, killed a cellmate in 2013 at the Snake River Correctional Institution in Ontario, Ore. In 2017, he confessed to killing his girlfriend and her baby, who had been missing since 2009.
Like many law enforcement agencies, the DOC appears to be dealing with a shortage of corrections officers. The agency was offering $5,000 signing bonuses, walk-in interviews, and a streamlined interview process to new applicants in December.
Pafoua Yang
Pafoua Yang is a reporter for Alpha News. She has worked as an on-air reporter for stations across the Twin Cities.
