LANCASTER, Mass.—Two correctional officers were stabbed by inmates at a maximum-security prison in Massachusetts, and three others were injured as they responded, a spokesperson said.
The five officers at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Lancaster were taken to hospitals after the confrontation Wednesday night, Scott Croteau, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Department of Correction, said in a statement Thursday. Four have since been released and one was being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
“The facility is secure at this time while an investigation is conducted to determine the facts and circumstances,” he said.
The department is conducting a criminal investigation in coordination with the Worcester County District Attorney’s office, Crouteau said. The inmates identified as being involved with the stabbings have been transferred to other facilities, he said.
The two officers suffered stab wounds, and the other three were injured as they responded, the statement said. Details on the injuries were not provided.
The Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union posted online that an officer was stabbed in the back and the head. It called for more action from the department.
“How much more do our members have to endure before you decide to keep them safe? The inmates are literally running the asylum. Do your jobs,” the post said.
Some legislators said they stand with the union in its call for accountability in the Department of Correction and for steps to be taken to ensure correction officers are safe
“This is not the first time we have seen serious injuries inflicted on corrections officers by inmates and the time has come to act,” state Sen. Peter Durant, a Republican from Spencer, said in a news release.
Shawn Jenkins, interim Department of Correction commissioner, said he was “deeply concerned” about what happened.
“Our department will also conduct a thorough security assessment and review of protocols to ensure the safety and security of all who work and live at our facilities,” he said.