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Knife Fight Kills One Inmate, Injures Others At Southeast Oklahoma Prison

Gregory Smith
Oklahoma Department of Corrections

An Oklahoma inmate died Wednesday night after a disturbance broke out at the Mack Alford Correctional Center in Stringtown.

In a press release describing the incident, Department of Corrections Director Joe Allbaugh called the knife fight “senseless violence” and vowed to look for a motive.

“We have launched a full-scale investigation into the situation,” Allbaugh said. “We will ensure the proper measures are taken to better manage these situations in the future.”

Four inmates used homemade knives in the attack that killed one and injured three others in an open room inside the prison. Gregory Smith, serving a life sentence for murder, was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Two other inmates suffered injuries and have returned to Mack Alford. The fourth inmate sustained a stab wound to the stomach and remains in observation as of Thursday afternoon.  

The medium and minimum-security facility has been housing inmates on bunk beds in day rooms to help deal with overcrowding. More than 50 inmates live in the day room where the knife fight occurred.

The Mack Alford Correctional Center is at 107 percent capacity as the Department of Corrections continues to grapple with limited bed space across the state. 

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