Yesterday, an incident at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Lancaster, Massachusetts, resulted in two correction officers being stabbed and three additional officers sustaining injuries. The Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security spokesperson, Scott Croteau, confirmed that all wounded parties were promptly transported to area hospitals following the affiliate attack, which was reported to the Department of Correction at 6:20 p.m., as reported by 7NEWS.
In an interview with 7NEWS, union president Dennis Martin described the violent episode not as a random act but as "an attempted murder on a correction officer." He expressed frustration, claiming that the attack could have been prevented. The union had previously warned about assaults, including a similar incident in 2023, but elected officials did not take adequate proactive measures to address the issues and prevent such violence.
NBC Boston also highlighted the Massachusetts Correction Officers union's outrage, which aired grievances on Facebook shortly after the incident, criticizing the Department of Correction for not conducting a thorough search for weapons since authorizing tactical units four years ago. This post came following the recent discovery of nearly three dozen "homemade sharpened weapons" at the facility.
As details about the event continue to unfold, Boston 25 News reported that, prior to this attack, authorities found an alarming number of improvised weapons inside the correction facility, Moreover, A strong police presence stayed outside the prison into Thursday morning as investigations into the stabbings continue. The union is calling for better safety protocols and more accountability from the correction department.
