Welcome to

A ticking time bomb is how the union representing correctional officers describes the states prisons. As Mike Vasilinda tells, A riot, an uprising, and attacks against officers are fueling fear.

A quickly quelled riot at Franklin Correctional Institute in June, the second this year. And more than thirty attacks on officers in April and May are the reasons officers call the prisons a ticking time bomb. They want lawmakers to meet soon and provide raises and more staffing. Rick Orzechowski is a retired Major.

“This needs to be addressed as soon as possible, so that staff can feel safe. The more staff, the safer the surroundings” says the former correctional officer.

The Department of Corrections has not confirmed that there have been 30 attacks since April.

In a letter to the Governor and legislative leaders, the Teamsters say there are 11  hundred fewer officers than there were a decade ago, but they are overseeing 12 thousand more inmates. The letter says a session is needed to prevent imminent harm and necessary for th safety of officers, inmates and communities. Senate President Andy Gardiner questioned the timing of the letter.

“We’ve seen a lot of politics being played when it comes to demanding special sessions, demanding surveys so that people can use it in a political campaign” says the outgoing Senate President.

Last week, The Police Benevolent Association, a rival union, filed the paperwork necessary to force corrections officers to vote on who represents them. Matt Puckett says he agrees with the Teamster’s assessment, but…“So the timing of this is a little curious, but I don’t want to diminish that there are issues in the department that we would like the legislature to address” says Puckett.

The Department of Corrections  is in the middle of a hiring campaign. But salaries remain below most other law enforcement in the state, making retention of officers difficult.

The turnover rate at the DOC is 17%. One of every two officers on the job has five years or less with the prison agency.