The mother of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer serving a 20-plus year sentence for second-degree murder in the death of George Floyd, was recently updated on her son’s condition following a prison stabbing. The attack occurred at Federal Correctional Institution, Tucson, a medium-security prison, and reportedly resulted in serious injury to Chauvin.

Carolyn Pawlenty, Chauvin’s mother, reported that she received minimal information from the Bureau of Prisons regarding her son’s injuries. She was told that Chauvin was “stable and has protection” in an unnamed medical facility, and that she would hear from him when he was able to call.

The bureau allegedly delayed contacting Pawlenty because they were keen to avoid giving her inaccurate information and needed to bring the situation under control first. This has sparked criticism from Gregory M. Erickson, Chauvin’s attorney, who slammed the bureau for their lack of communication and claimed the prison lacked “institutional control.”

Erickson expressed outrage at the bureau’s poor communication with both Chauvin’s family and his legal team. He stated, “It appears to be indicative of a poorly run facility and indicates how Derek’s assault was allowed to happen.” The limited updates have left Chauvin’s family relying on third-party reports to gauge his condition, leading to doubts due to the ongoing lack of transparency.

Pawlenty voiced her frustration at learning about her son’s condition from the media and Minnesota’s attorney general before receiving official information, despite her repeated attempts to get updates. She reportedly said, “Every five minutes, I was on the phone. I haven’t slept in three days. It’s ridiculous.”

This incident marks another high-profile attack within the federal prison system in recent months. The Federal Correctional Institution, Tucson, has had its share of violent incidents too. In November 2022, an inmate reportedly attempted to shoot a visitor in the head, although no injuries were reported.

Chauvin’s attorney, William Mohrman, had previously filed an appeal at the U.S. Supreme Court on his client’s behalf, arguing that Chauvin was denied a fair trial. However, the high court declined to hear the appeal last week.