By Marcia Moore
The Daily Item
ALLENWOOD, Pa. — A U.S. Penitentiary at Allenwood corrections officer is “alert and fighting for his eyesight” after being stabbed by an inmate Monday, the officer’s father said.
Dale Franquet, 51, of Middleburg, was one of two prison staff members injured Monday morning by an inmate. The assault happened at about 6:15 a.m. in the high-security Union County prison where 571 inmates are held, according to a Bureau of Prisons (BOP) press release.
The release confirmed two staff members were wounded by an inmate and being treated Tuesday at a local hospital but did not name the employees. Allenwood prison public information officer Suzanne Brown declined to identify the injured staff members, citing the Privacy Act.
Franquet’s father, Dale Franquet Sr., of Orwigsburg, said his son is “alert and able to make his own decisions.”
He learned of the assault from his son’s wife, Angela, who along with the couple’s two daughters, is unable to visit him in the hospital due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“It was awful news to hear,” the elder Franquet said, adding that he was not aware of a second staff member being injured.
A nurse who has worked at Lehigh County Prison in the past, Franquet Sr. said he and his son were well aware of the dangers of working in a high-security prison.
“We talked about it a lot. I knew anything could happen,” he said. “You can’t turn your back or trust any inmate. They have nothing to lose.”
The father and son messaged one another nearly every day.
“The last thing I texted him was ‘Be safe. Love you,’” Franquet Sr. said.
Following the assault, the inmates were secured in their cells and the prison was placed in “modified operational status” as the FBI investigates, the BOP release said.
Franquet Sr. said the outpouring of sympathy from the public was swift and overwhelming.
“I must have easily 500 messages offering prayers,” he said.
Midd-West School Superintendent Rick Musselman said he learned Monday afternoon that Franquet, head coach of the Midd-West High School wrestling team, was injured on the job.
“We’re just hoping for the best,” he said.
Franquet Sr. said his son is “mentally and physically tough” and will pull through. “He’s endured a lot.”
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