A man serving a life sentence at a state prison in Monroe, Washington was hospitalized after a second attempt to cut off his penis.

Corrections Department spokesman Chad Lewis identified the inmate as John Forrester.

Cathy Kopoian, a spokeswoman for the Monroe Correctional Complex, says the 49-year-old inmate has a history of mental illness and already had amputated much of his genitals several years ago.

In an interview with The Everett Herald, Kopoian said that he was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with serious cuts to the groin.

It is believed that Forrester used a razor blade to cut off what remained of his genitalia last Thursday.

Kopoian says Forrester was convicted on July 1, 1977, for aggravated first-degree murder and was sentenced to life without parole.

Kopoian says prisoners are permitted basic necessities — including razors — under state law.