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Talks With Prison Hostage-Takers Continue 
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By ANANDA SHOREY
Associated Press Writer
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
January 21, 2004, 9:32 AM CST

BUCKEYE, Ariz. -- Negotiators began a fourth day of talks Wednesday with 
two inmates who took two correctional officers hostage in a prison guard tower. 

"The negotiating team says they are feeling positive about how things are 
going," said Cam Hunter, a spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections. 

Negotiators got their first glimpse of the correctional officers on Tuesday, 
and they appeared to be OK, Hunter said. The guards were also allowed to speak 
briefly to law enforcement by radio. 

The sighting of the officers helped reassure family members and prison 
officials while negotiations continue, Hunter said. Negotiators did not see 
the inmates, she said. 

The identities of the inmates and guards have not been released. 

The standoff began Sunday morning after an inmate attacked a guard in the 
prison kitchen. The prisoner and another inmate then got into an observation 
tower where the two guards, one male and one female, were stationed. 

Prison officials had initially said the male guard was injured, though they 
did not disclose details of the injury. 

Until the crisis is resolved, the 4,400 inmates at the medium- to high-security
Arizona State Prison Complex-Lewis remain in lockdown, meaning no one was is 
allowed in the yards and inmate movement is more heavily restricted. 
On the Net: 

Arizona Department of Corrections: http://www.adc.state.az.us 
Copyright (c) 2004, The Associated Press