By Rick Sobey
Boston Herald
BOSTON — The prison inmates attacking and stabbing correction officers at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center earlier this week was captured on a “horrifying” video that “shocks the conscience.”
One of the officers was stabbed 12 times in the stunning assault.
The video from the maximum-security prison shows a correction officer getting attacked from behind by an inmate who was seen waiting by a cell.
The inmate then takes several swings at the officer with an apparent “shiv” before they tumble to the ground. Meanwhile, another inmate joins in on the assault.
Then a second correction officer runs it to help his colleague. The two inmates and two officers are seen wrestling on the ground before a third officer runs in. Then a third inmate joins the fracas.
Several officers then respond to contain the inmate assault.
Five officers were injured in the attack, including one who was stabbed 12 times and suffered a punctured lung. He remained in the hospital on Friday in serious but stable condition.
“The video shocks the conscience,” the Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union Executive Board said in a statement. “Suffice it to say the Executive Board of MCOFU is stunned, appalled and angry with the level of brutality of this video; but unfortunately, not surprised.
“We have been warning the DOC of something like this,” the board added. “Our Officers are continuing to get hurt. This horrifying video speaks for itself. Change has to come, and it has to come swiftly.”
The board noted “the bravery and the will to survive and protect one another, as is clearly visible when you view the tape.”
The officers “fought for their lives. They fought for themselves, they fought for one another, they fought to go home to their families, and they survived as a result of it,” the board added.
“Every single responder that came to their aid; you saved lives,” the board said. “That will to survive can never be questioned. You deserve the highest praise and admiration for your actions that day, and on behalf of all of your brothers and sisters across the Commonwealth, you certainly have it.”
Meanwhile, the union president told the Herald that DOC has sent in “specialized tactical units” to find weapons inside the prison.
The union has been calling for this security measure, especially after they found dozens of “shivs” inside the prison last month.
“We have been very adamant about sending in specialized tactical units to shake the place down and get as many weapons out as possible,” union president Dennis Martin said Friday. “DOC has implemented that, and it’s still ongoing. It will take several days to shake that place down.
“It shouldn’t take an officer to almost get killed to have these security measures in place,” he added. “We’ve been bringing attention to this for over two years now.”
Operational searches were conducted inside the prison, according to DOC, adding that it’s part of “the ongoing full security assessment.”
The union has been asking for a full security assessment and review of all security related policies, procedures and protocols inside all Massachusetts prisons.
“We’ve been here before,” the union board wrote. “ENOUGH is ENOUGH. Our members don’t want to be here ever again.”
Two Republican legislators at the State House are calling for an investigation into DOC after this week’s attack.
“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 said in a statement. “The administration has kicked this can down the road too many times and there is no reason why our corrections officers should have to come to work fearing that they will leave their shift in an ambulance.”
“I am outraged that we are here, again, after legislators have been begging for a thorough investigation into why these incidents continue and what steps have been taken to prevent them,” State Rep. Michael Soter said. “We cannot wait until there is a loss of life before we address this problem.”
The most recent DOC data shows that there has been a 13% increase in overall staff assaults during a recent three-year period.
There were 260 reported assaults in 2023, a 13% jump from 230 assaults in 2021.
Staff assaults at maximum-security facilities have gone up 17% — from 149 assaults in 2021 to 175 assaults last year.
“Assaults have definitely been up,” Martin told the Herald. “We know there’s been an uptick.”
During that three-year period of 2021, 2022 and 2023, DOC data shows a 42% drop in staff assaults with serious injury.
There were 12 reported serious assaults in 2021, compared to seven serious assaults last year.
Assaults by throwing a substance declined by 35% — from 60 assaults in 2021 to 39 assaults last year.
The most recent data shows that more than 64% of all assaults occurred in maximum-security facilities.
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