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Inmate serving life term allegedly stabs guard

A state prison in Luzerne County resumed visits Saturday after an inmate serving a life sentence allegedly stabbed a corrections officer.

A state prison in Luzerne County resumed visits Saturday after an inmate serving a life sentence allegedly stabbed a corrections officer.

The assault occurred shortly after 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the State Correctional Institution at Dallas, according to a release from the state department of corrections.

Investigators said the inmate exited a housing unit and approached two officers sitting behind a desk. He allegedly used a homemade weapon to stab one of the officers.

Three other officers immediately restrained the inmate.

The housing unit where the stabbing took place was directly across from the prison's infirmary, officials said. The injured officer walked himself to the unit for treatment and was transferred by medics to a hospital.

"The entire incident, from start to finish, lasted only a few minutes," superintendent Larry Mahally said in a statement commending prison staff for their quick response.

Authorities said the inmate had been imprisoned at SCI Dallas since 1996 and was serving a life sentence. He was immediately transferred to another prison.

The jail was initially locked down, and inmate programs and visits were canceled. Some activities resumed Saturday as the prison continued "phasing back into normal operations," according to a post on the department of correction's website.

Pennsylvania State Police is conducting an investigation into the incident, along with the prison's security staff and the department of corrections.