Source: Citizens’ Voice
The fatal stabbing of correctional officer Eric Williams by inmates at U.S. Penitentiary at Canaan in Pennsylvania has prompted changes that can lead to a safer prison environment.
The Eric Williams Correctional Officer Protection Act causes federal prison workers to become better guarded by allowing them to carry pepper spray and wear stab-resistant vests.
“We turned a bad situation into making it safer for staff inside a federal prison,” explained Darrell Palmer, Northeast Regional Vice President for Council of Prison Locals C-33.
However, many critics of the act state that conditions must be improved for prisoners in order for violence between inmates and staff to decrease.
The U.S. Penitentiary at Canaan houses more than 1,300 criminals and has garnered a reputation for being one of the most violent prisons in the country.
Read full story at: Citizens’ Voice