By Richard Chumney
Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
CHESHIRE, Conn. — Two prison guards at Cheshire Correctional Institution were injured Tuesday when they were attacked by an inmate, union officials said.
The alleged assault began around 5:50 p.m. when a female correction officer returned from a restroom, according to AFSCME Council 4, the union that represents prison guards.
The union said the inmate rushed at the officer unprovoked and attempted to throw her to the floor. They said the officer sustained substantial injuries to her neck and back, and that another officer sprained their wrist while responding to the incident.
The union said both of the injured officers were transported to MidState Medical Center in Meriden where they received medical care.
The union alleged the inmate was in “a severely altered mental state” when they committed the assault and that officials later found mind-altering drugs in their cell.
“An officer could not even take a moment to use the restroom without being subjected to a vicious assault,” the union said. “That should outrage everyone entrusted with the safety of Connecticut’s correctional workforce.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Correction did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The union said it is calling on state officials to help protect prison guards by properly staffing each facility. They also said the prison system should utilize letter scanners to detect drug-laced paper sent in the mail.
“To date, these scanners have not been implemented across all of Connecticut’s correctional facilities, and no other measures have been taken to substantially reduce the flow of contraband into Connecticut’s correctional facilities or adequately improve officer safety,” the union said.
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