ROB: SARAH, THANKS. THIS NEBRASKA CORRECTIONS WORKER IS IN INTENSIVE CARE TONIGHT. JULIE: AN INMATE AMBUSHED HIM AT THE STATE PRISON IN LINCOLN SATURDAY. >> KIND OF FROM A BLINDSIDE, STRUCK HIM IN THE HEAD, AND KNOCKED HIM OUT COLD UNCONSCIOUS WHILE THE INMATE BRUTALLY KICKED HIM IN THE HEAD OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN JULIE: CORRECTIONS DIRECTOR, SCOTT FRAKES, CALLS THE ATTACK BRUTAL AND UNPROVOKED. THE PRISONER ALSO INJURED A SECOND STAFFER. THAT EMPLOYEE IS OUT OF THE HOSPITAL. ROB: ATTACKS LIKE THAT ONE HAVE THE ATTENTION OF STATE LAWMAKERS. JULIE: RIGHT NOW, BILLS TARGETING OVERCROWDING AND CONDITIONS ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE. ROB: BUT TONIGHT, A FORMER CORRECTIONS DIRECTOR TELLS KETV INVESTIGATES HE SAW THIS COMING. DAVID EARL IS LIVE. DAVID: ROB, JULIE, BOB HOUSTON TELLS US THE RED FLAG SHOULD HAVE BEEN WAVED YEARS AGO AND ADMITS UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS EXPERIENCED ITS FAIR SHARE OF TROUBLES. >> THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE STEP UP THAT SAW THIS COMING, AND HERE WE ARE. DAVID: FOR EIGHT YEARS, BOB HOUSTON SERVED AS THE DIRECTOR OF NEBRASKA’S DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS. >> MAYBE WE COULD HAVE SOUNDED THE ALARM A BIT MORE. DAVID: HE’S TALKING ABOUT THE ALARMING RISE IN NEBRASKA’S PRISON POPULATION. >> IN 2013, YOU KNOW, WE SAW THE PROBLEM. WE SAW THE PROBLEM IN 2012, AND 2011, AND CERTAINLY IN ALL THE YEARS SINCE THEN. -- DAVID: IN AUGUST OF 2009, AS INMATES PACK INTO THE PRISONS, KETV INVESTIGATES QUESTIONS THE SOARING NUMBERS. WEEKE CROWD -- WE CAN CROWD AND STILL BE SAFE. DAVID: PRISONS ARE ALREADY AT 140% DESIGN CAPACITY AS STATE LEGISLATORS CONTINUE TO PASS BILLS THAT ARE TOUGH ON CRIME. UNDER HOUSTON, TENSIONS CONTINUE TO BUILD. IN 2011, AN ATTACK ON CORRECTIONS OFFICER JEFF LAABS PROMPTS THE DEPARTMENT TO ARM OFFICERS WITH EXTRA-STRENGTH PEPPER SPRAY. >> PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT THE JOB IS, HOW MUCH WORK AND TRAINING GOES INTO AN OFFICER’S POSITION AND HOW MUCH OFFICERS HAVE TO DO EVERY DAY. DAVID: BY 2013, INMATES AT ALL OF THE STATE’S MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISONS ARE NOW RESTRICTED TO JUST ONE HOUR OF OUTSIDE TIME. AND HOUSTON COMES UNDER FIRE AFTER INMATES DRIVING A PRISON VAN HIT AND KILL JOYCE MEEKS IN LINCOLN. >> THIS TRAGEDY AND DEVASTATION TO THE MEEKS FAMILY DESERVES BETTER FROM US. DAVID: BY SEPTEMBER THAT YEAR, HOUSTON RETIRES, BUT THE PROBLEMS CONTINUE UNDER NEWLY-APPOINTED DIRECTOR, MICHAEL KENNEY. ONE YEAR INTO HIS WATCH, AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION FINDS INMATES WERE RELEASED EARLY BECAUSE OF SENTENCING ERRORS MONTHS LATER, NEWLY-ELECTED GOVERNOR PETE RICKETTS PROMISES CHANGE AND CHANGES DIRECTORS, HANDING THE TROUBLED SYSTEM OVER TO SCOTT FRAKES. >> THIS BUDGET LEAVES ROOM TO ADDRESS THE IMMEDIATE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE IN CORRECTIONS. DAVID: THREE MONTHS AFTER FRAKES TAKES THE JOB, INMATES RIOT AT TECUMSEH TAKING OVER TWO HOUSING UNITS AND STARTING FIRES. TWO INMATES DIE. IN THE DAYS THAT FOLLOW, GOVERNOR RICKETTS SAYS HE HAS FAITH IN HIS CORRECTIONS DIRECTOR. >> I AM QUITE CONFIDENT IN DIRECTOR FRAKES’ ABILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MAKE IMPROVEMENTS SO WE AVOID THIS HAPPENING AGAIN. DAVID: BUT HAS THE STATE GIVEN FRAKES ENOUGH RESOURCES TO MAKE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS HOUSTON ARGUES IT’S TOUGH WHEN EVERYONE SHARES THE SAME POT OF MONEY. >> TO REACH OUTSIDE THE AGENCY FOR RESOURCES MEANS THAT WHAT I AM SAYING TO THE GOVERNOR IS THAT HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DOESN’T NEED THAT MONEY AS MUCH AS WE DO, OR REVENUE AS MUCH AS WE D DAVID: BUT HOUSTON SAYS THAT DECISION ULTIMATELY LANDS ON PETE RICKETTS. >> THE GOVERNOR IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BUDGET. I’M NOT. DAVID: WE SPOKE TO GOVERNOR PETE RICKETTS ABOUT THE PRISON’S PROBLEMS AND HIS PLANS FOR THE FUTURE. >> DIRECTOR FRAKES AND I WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT OPTIONS MOVING FORWARD IN REGARD TO HOW DO WE ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS IN KEEPING THE PUBLIC SAFE AND OF COARSE, PROTECTING -- OF COURSE, PROTECTING THE TAXPAYER, AS WE