Two months after two correctional officers were stabbed while working at Souza-Baranowski maximum-security prison in Lancaster, advocates say some of the more than 1,000 prisoners who reside there are still being retaliated against.
Advocacy group Prisoners’ Legal Services says, in some units, there’s still no access to education or programming, there’s “indiscriminate” shackling in meetings between prisoners and non-correctional staff and “punitive lockdown conditions” persist that keep prisoners in their cells for all but a half hour every day.
The group called for 11 reforms in a Tuesday letter addressed to Gov. Maura Healey, Executive Office of Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy, Attorney General Andrea Campbell and legislative leaders.
In the wake of the September incident, the Department of Correction imposed “cruel and dehumanizing conditions that amounted to collective punishment,” Prisoners’ Legal Services alleges in the letter.
Authors told GBH News these restrictions have only increased tensions and fostered a dangerous atmosphere.
“The first week, they were locked in their cells 24 hours a day. And then for the following few weeks after that, conditions varied unit by unit,” said policy director Jesse White. “They weren’t having any opportunities for programming or education, not even in the reentry unit.”
The Department of Correction says it’s reviewing the group’s recommendations, and Healey’s office referred all questions to the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.
The Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union didn’t reply to request for comment.
“We remain deeply committed to building upon these advancements to provide a secure environment that promotes successful reentry and public safety,” said a Department of Correction spokesperson. “The DOC will continue to engage our many stakeholders in productive dialogue to further our shared goals of ensuring the safety, dignity and well-being of all who live and work within our facilities.”
The DOC is in the middle of a security assessment at Souza, sparked by the September attack. The department said it’s implementing a new body-worn camera system and increasing targeted searches for weapons.
Three prisoners were charged in connection to the attack that left a total of five officers injured.
In October, nearly 60 legislators signed a letter to Healey in support of the Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union. They called for regular tactical searches in all correctional facilities, swift prosecution of assaults on correction officers and a task force to review safety protocols.
Prisoners’ Legal Services says they’ve heard from inmates that, since September, they’re only allowed to meet with non-security personnel — including substance abuse counselors — while shackled to a chair or locked in “therapeutic modules.” They’re looking for that policy to be changed and reserved only for individuals who present a demonstrated risk to safety.
They also reported a lack of showers for a week after the lockdown began and no access to a grievance process.
Prisoners’ Legal Services seeks showers for prisoners after 24 hours, fewer lockdowns and for the grievance process to return. They also want more public accountability for what happens behind Souza’s walls.
After the September stabbings of correctional officers, the Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union (MCOFU) obtained a video of the attacks that was aired on local media.
“If DOC immediately releases video of violence to MCOFU for them to put on the news, they can certainly release video to the public or to interested requestors that shows the incident in a larger context,” advocates wrote.
They’re requesting the Department of Correction be required to provide video and incident reports to attorneys and legal advocates within 10 days of asking, and that the department have consequences for officers that do not wear or properly record using their body-worn cameras.
The letter alleges that staff “disfavor certain people over others (often along racial lines) for meager privileges causes anger and leaves the impression that the only way to address the mistreatment is through open conflict.”
Prisoners have also reported physical assaults, verbal harassment and chemical agents used by correctional officer staff since September. The group said a small number of correctional staff is creating the “hostile” environment and repeated complaints haven’t yielded action.
