5 Officers Injured In Attack At MA Max Security Prison

LANCASTER, MA — Two correctional officers were stabbed and three others injured during an attack by inmates at a maximum-security prison in Massachusetts Wednesday night, a spokesperson for the prison said.

The attack occurred at Lancaster's Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, which is operated by the Massachusetts Department of Corrections.

The three people who were not stabbed were injured after responding to the initial stabbing, officials said. Details on the injuries were not provided.

All five officers were taken to hospitals after the confrontation, 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 injuries that aren't life-threatening.

"The facility is secure at this time while an investigation is conducted to determine the facts and circumstances," according to Croteau.

The department is conducting a criminal investigation in coordination with the Worcester County District Attorney's office, he added. The inmates involved with the stabbings have been transferred to other facilities.

The Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union posted online Wednesday that an officer was stabbed in the back and the head, calling 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 Senator 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 added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.