As Hays State Prison slowly rolls off lockdown there is hope in sight that prisoners will get to visit with family members and loved ones soon, according to Warden Rick Jacobs.

As work modifying cells and repairing locks continues at the prison, the next phase of lockdown will be a "slow roll off" according to the Warden, which is when little by little, prisoners will be given more freedoms, one day at a time. Depending on how that works will depend on how soon prisoners are allowed visitation. Visitation and no lockdown is expected by around the beginning of June at the latest. 

Jacobs said the prisoners are being cooperative and are making progress.

"They want to see their families, but they don't want to be  killed doing so," Jacobs told AM1180.

"This is one of the toughest prisons in the state," he explained. "This is a Level 5 prison. Prisons will have issues, but it won't be like it has been. Prison is bad. Bad things happen in prison."

At the end of last year and the beginning of this year, three inmates were murdered at the prison and two correctional officers were stabbed. The correctional officers recovered from their injuries.