A jail house fight last week left two inmates bruised and bloodied.

And on Tuesday, authorities charged prisoners Warren J. Green, 24, of Summit Township and William D. Crowley, 24, of Ellwood City with misdemeanor assault.

Butler County Detective Pat Cannon, however, admitted he hopes those charges also send a message to the inmate population at large at the new Butler County Prison.

"So far, it's been pretty good for the six months or so the prison's been opened," Cannon said. "But we want it known that this kind of fighting isn't going to be tolerated by prison personnel. It's not going to be tolerated by our office.

"And charges are going to be filed every time."

The kind of zero-tolerance policy on inmate fights followed a discussion by Cannon and prison Capt. Dave Williams, which came in the wake of the Green and Crowley scrap.

The two inmates on Nov. 23 squared off in a "fight by mutual consent" in the restricted housing unit, where both defendants were confined, authorities said.

The fight apparently started after Crowley confronted Green over the suspected theft of commissary items.

Crowley, listed at 5, feet, 10 inches tall and 200 pounds, allegedly head-butted Green, breaking out Green's two front teeth, according to court documents.

Green, who stands 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds, fought back, leaving Crowley with two black eyes and a cut to the forehead.

Both inmates, who received in-house treatment for their injuries, face preliminary hearings Dec. 21 on simple assault charges.

Cannon, meanwhile, has another message for inmates who might consider fights inevitable because of so many unhappy people living in such close quarters.

"If they don't like being in jail," he said, "they shouldn't be committing any crimes."