BOSTON — A spate of recent violence at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Massachusetts has prompted a group of state legislators to advocate for stringent security enhancements across all state prisons. Last month’s serious assault on five correction officers, where one was hospitalized for multiple days due to stab wounds, has particularly intensified calls for action.
Following the grisly September 18 incident that inflamed concerns about safety, legislators are pressing for an increase in random searches and aggressive prosecution against attackers of correctional staff. Dialogue between lawmakers and Massachusetts Department of Correction officials culminated in a meeting late last week to examine security lapses and deliberate preventive strategies.
Lawmakers, including state Rep. Jonathan Zlotnik, a member of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, are adamant about the need for comprehensive security overhauls. “The making of homemade weapons in prison is an ongoing issue, and controlling contraband is the first step toward ensuring safety for everyone,” Zlotnik stated, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
The meeting comes in the wake of reports by the Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union, which highlight the confiscation of over 70 weapons and more than 30 assaults on officers at Souza during the past three months alone. In response to the incident, the Department of Correction has relocated the involved inmates to other facilities, and three individuals—Jose Crespo, Heriberto Rivera-Negron, and Jeffrey Tapia—are now facing charges that include armed assault to murder.
In seeking solutions, lawmakers earlier this month urged Governor Maura Healey to bolster prison security. Their suggestions included the implementation of additional tactical response teams for routine and comprehensive searches across the state’s correctional facilities. This move aims to adopt a “commonsense approach” to curbing violence and contraband in prisons, as stated in their letter to the governor.
Interim Commissioner Shawn Jenkins assured a thorough security assessment and review shortly after the incident. “We are committed to enhancing dialogue with stakeholders and ensuring that our officers have the resources and support necessary to maintain safe, rehabilitative environments,” Jenkins remarked, revealing a collaborative approach to addressing these security concerns.
Previous deployments of tactical teams following incidents at Souza have not been without controversy, however. The state faced legal challenges, including a lawsuit settled recently with two prisoners claiming abusive retaliation following a 2020 attack on officers. An additional class action lawsuit alleges similar retaliatory violence by correction officials after the same incident.
Zlotnik views the recent meeting as a starting point and is keen to see the outcomes of the promised reviews. Expressing broader concerns, he emphasized that increasing search operations, whether conducted by tactical teams or others, is essential but not sufficient alone.
“It’s clear we have much more work to do. One policy change or meeting won’t be enough to fully secure prison systems—it’s a long-term commitment,” he asserted.
Souza, as the state’s sole maximum-security prison, houses over 1,000 male inmates and employs about 300 correction officers per shift, representing a substantial management challenge and underscoring the critical need for robust security protocols to protect both staff and inmates.