Working as a correctional officer at a maximum security prison can be fraught with danger. By definition, a prison population is filled with people who do not want to be locked up and are frustrated with the wardens whose job it is to keep order. Many, if not most, of the prisoners are capable of violence, and they can have anger or mental health issues. When a correctional officer suffers a work-related injury, the damage can be severe or even deadly.
Over a period of one week, five correctional officers required medical care after being injured on the job at the North Branch Correctional Institution in Maryland. The most serious work accident victim was a dietary worker who was attacked with a push broom in the kitchen of the detention center. The employee was transported to an area medical center via ambulance for treatment of his head injury which required both staples and stitches. His attacker was a 48-year old man imprisoned for life on a murder charge.
A few days later, four more correctional officers were treated at a hospital for minor wounds after an inmate struck one of the officers for no apparent reason. The other three correctional officers leaped to his defense in order to take control of the situation.
In situations where a worker is injured on the job, it may be necessary to file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits. An attorney can provide information about such benefits which can help pay costs of medical expenses and lost wages, as well as provide help with temporary and permanent disability concerns.
Source: Cumberland Times-News, “Four correctional officers injured in second NBCI incident since Friday,” July 10, 2013
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