By Rick Sobey
Boston Herald
BOSTON — A local prison guard was reportedly “knocked unconscious” after being exposed to toxic substances, as the correction officers’ union pleads with the state for more protections.
A correction officer at MCI-Shirley was rushed to the hospital after being “knocked unconscious by some kind of synthetic drug and/or chemical” over the weekend, according to the Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union.
Other inmates were also seriously injured in the incident, the union reported on Monday.
Following this prison guard’s hospitalization and a reported string of similar incidents, the public safety union is urging the Massachusetts Department of Correction to implement an “exposure policy” for when officers are exposed to synthetic drugs and chemicals, including fentanyl and K2.
“Enough is enough, the DOC needs to implement a policy that will assure fast, consistent and safe responses to our membership when exposed to these harmful chemicals, and just as importantly come up with a strategy to eliminate these illegal substances,” said Dennis Martin, president of the union.
“This union calls on the DOC to recognize this problem and address it,” Martin added.
The state agency should launch weekly or regularly rotating institutional shakedowns, cell and block searches and deploy its canine department to “weed out, reduce and eradicate these deadly substances and chemicals,” the union prez said.
“MCOFU has been forced into litigation against the DOC regarding its lack of policy and clear direction when exposed to life threatening drugs inside their prisons,” Martin said. “One of our members does not need to die before DOC leadership decides to work with the union to address major issues. Neither my members, nor inmates are safe inside Massachusetts prisons under this DOC leadership.”
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When the Healey administration earlier this year announced they were closing MCI-Concord to save money, the correction officers union warned that the closure would burden other prisons.
Closing the Concord prison was in line with a decrease in prison populations, at its lowest point in 35 years, Gov. Maura Healey said at the time.
“The DOC mistakenly thinks because we have a reduced inmate population, our problems have dissipated, and that’s completely wrong and a false narrative,” the union said. “Now more than ever, we should be working closely and collaboratively on the challenges that face our officers and staff on a daily basis, rather than this deep divide and isolationism that has recently been promulgated by the Department.”
The Massachusetts Department of Correction did not immediately respond to comment.
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