Two corrections officers stabbed at Massachusetts maximum security prison, five taken to hospital

LANCASTER — Two corrections officers were stabbed multiple times by inmates at Souza Baranowski Correctional Facility in Lancaster on Wednesday, the Massachusetts Department of Corrections said.

Three other prison officers were injured while responding to the incident.

The corrections officers’ union will hold a press conference Thursday at 11 a.m. to discuss the incident. You can watch it live on CBS News Boston in the video above.

The attack took place around 6:20 p.m. in the maximum security facility. Five officers were taken to hospital for treatment.

“The facility is secure at this time while an investigation is conducted to determine the facts and circumstances,” said Scott Croteau of the Executive Office of Public Safety.

Massachusetts State Police have been notified of the incident.

Union president calls for security changes

Dennis Martin, president of the Massachusetts Federated Corrections Officers Union, said he has asked the DOC to make the maximum-security prison safer for officers. He told WBZ that nothing has changed.

“This is a dangerous prison,” Martin said. “We’ve done everything we can. We’ve begged the department to take action and make a change here, but they just refuse to do anything. So we’ve tried to educate these people here at the Department of Corrections, but our efforts have fallen on deaf ears.”