Five inmates at the Silverdale Jail who were stabbed just after midnight on Saturday called home just beforehand saying they were going into a dangerous situation, family members said.
The sister of one of the prisoners said he told them he "thought it would be his last call." He said guards were moving them into a cell with people they did not get along with.
He said he knew that one of those in the cell "had a shank (homemade knife)."
She said families of all five inmates got similar late-night calls.
The sister said her brother is still bleeding from the incident and needs outside medical care to make sure his leg does not get worse.
A mother said her son was stabbed 17 times and has stitches in 10 different places.
She said he was in the hospital for three days, but has been placed back into the general population at Silverdale, which is now operated by the Sheriff's Department after a private firm left at the end of December.
The mother said, "No one will give us answers to any of our questions."
County Commissioner David Sharpe said he would hold a committee meeting to look into the situation.
The Sheriff's Office earlier said, "On Friday at 7:51 p.m., the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office Corrections Division was made aware of an inmate that had been stabbed while incarcerated at the Silverdale Detention Facility. The inmate was transported to a local hospital where the non-life threatening injuries were treated at which time the inmate was released.
"On Saturday at 12:11 a.m., another altercation occurred that resulted in five inmates claiming that they had been stabbed by other inmates within the facility.
"Three of the five victims were transported to a local hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries and then returned to Silverdale Detention Facility. The other two victims were treated onsite by medical personnel."
"Currently there is an ongoing investigation into the incidents by the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Division."