Department of Correction Commissioner Joseph Ponte sent a message to officers Wednesday morning stating he is "outraged by what happened and feel deep concern for our DOC family member."
The commissioner confirmed the inmate was re-arrested and arraigned for prosecution.
"We are doing everything we can to support our [members of service] during this ordeal. She was doing her job and she was made a victim," he said, stressing that safety is a top priority.
A group of inmates at New York City's Rikers Island Prison helped tear down plexiglass from the outside of a watch post to help a female correction officer who was being assaulted by a prisoner, the New York Daily News reported.
The incident occurred at the Anna M. Kross Center on Saturday night, when a slender inmate was able to unlock the security door by slipping through a small crack inside the watch station in order to stop the assault.
When he opened the door, the other inmates helped restrain Raleek Young, who was allegedly assaulting the woman. Young is currently serving time for raping a 13-year-old girl in 2007.
According to the criminal complaint filed at the Bronx Criminal Court, Young, 27, had his pants pulled down and was choking the officer while touching himself. In the complaint, the officer stated that Young, who is 5 feet 9 inches and weighs 290 pounds, was able to force her into a bathroom where he pulled off her sweater, touched her on her vagina and breasts, and placed his lips on her mouth and face. The officer suffered injuries on her arms and face, according to the complaint.
A person familiar with the incident said there appears to have been a lapse in security protocol that Young took advantage of but stressed that this was a singular mistake, and not part of a wider systematic breakdown.
Young faces new charges of attempted rape, sexual abuse, forcible touching, assault, and harassment. His next court date is on March 6.
Department of Correction spokesperson Eve Kessler told BuzzFeed News the incident is under investigation.