Thoughts.com Blogs - Officer Stabbed at Work

January 20th a day-shift officer at my unit was stabbed eight times with a homemade shank. This officer, a long-time Christian friend of mine, responded to an incident involving two inmates, one of which attacked the other with a shank. My officer friend called for backup, but made the decision to intervene in order to save the life of the inmate being attacked. The assaulting inmate turned on the officer and stabbed him eight times in the side, puncturing his lung. My friend was taken by air-rescue to the hospital and underwent surgery. He is home now and wants to return to work in another week.

Since this incident, my unit has been locked down all week. As each day went by, the inmates grew more and more restless from being locked down. January 26th, the unit attempted some movement on the yard by allowing the inmates to go to the chow hall to eat. Each day, the inmates will gain more and more of their liberties back on the condition that they do not fight. The Deputy Warden made it quite clear that he would not tolerate any more violence because it puts his officers at risk - officers who have children waiting for them at home. One more fight, the unit will go into a lengthy lockdown and privileges will be taken away in increments. Another fight. . .more privileges gone.

Two weeks ago another officer at another unit was stabbed in the head three times. He survived his injuries and is doing well. In the last year their have been at least seven staff assault just at my unit. Staff assaults are increasing, yet the Director claims that staff assaults are down. This is an untruth - an untruth that is having a significant effect on officer morale.

The Director has redefined staff assaults as inmate/officer conflict. This is why her statistics reflect decreasing staff assaults. Her statistics are based on rhetoric and not fact. Don't you just love ego-based politics?

Praise and thanks to God almighty for the rapid healing of our injured officers.