Recent prison attacks are sparking real change.
Lisa Wise was a Registered Nurse for the state’s Department of Corrections for ten years. She says in that time, the amount of violence toward staff inside the prison walls has continued to rise.
“We walk in there not knowing whether we’re going to walk out,” said Wise. “The staff assaults have gotten so out of control.”
After an attack at SCI Somerset in February, Sgt. Mark Baserman became the first State Correctional Officer to be killed by an inmate in Pennsylvania in almost 40 years.
On Wednesday, former prison staff urged lawmakers to pass a series of bills aimed at protecting those corrections officers. They would include eliminating the possibility of parole for inmates convicted of staff assault, as well as an additional mandatory five year sentence.
“I can’t think of anything of a higher priority to ensure the safety of all our staff,” said Tabb Bickell.
Tabb Bickell with the Department of Corrections believes the increase in violence in state prisons is directly linked to an increased drug trade in prison. This week, the D.O.C. released a new plan to combat both, including more K-9s, an increased use of body scanners, and a review of procedures for inmate mail processing to keep drugs and violence out.
“We will not leave one stone unturned, as we fight to keep these drugs outside of our institution, and to protect our staff,” said Bickell.
Officials say it’s also important to remember that even though there has been an uptick in violence this year, violence in Pennsylvania State Prisons is down over the last 25 years.
