PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Philadelphia prison guard is in the hospital after an inmate at Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility beat him up over the weekend. The correctional officers’ union says it’s just one more example of the ongoing safety concerns among prison workers that are getting little attention or help from the city.
Philadelphia police were called out to the prison on State Road Sunday afternoon, where they found a 51-year-old correctional officer battered and bloodied. Officials said a 35-year-old inmate attacked the officer as he was trying to lock him in his cell.
David Robinson, president of the union representing the city’s correctional officers, AFSCME Local 159 DC 33, said the 21-year veteran was charged with the care of 80 inmates — by himself.
“If he had a partner, someone to watch his back, maybe they could have fought together and the beating wouldn’t have been as bad,” Robinson said.
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The officer was taken to the hospital in stable condition. Charges are pending against the inmate.
Robinson said this attack is just one example of the larger danger inside prison walls, with too few guards. There are about 1,000 prison worker vacancies. New officers are graduating, but veterans are also retiring. And he said still more are leaving for better jobs.
“I have been trying to work with the administration, and I get a brick wall,” he said. “I am tired of fighting. Right now it is time to keep the officers safe, keep the inmates safe. And if you can’t keep the officers safe, you can’t keep the incarcerated persons safe — what is the next step?
“I don’t want to have to take one of my members out in a body bag and say, ‘You know, maybe we should have done X, Y and Z.’”
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The prisons are currently hiring — with a salary start of about $60,000 and a $2,000 hiring bonus. For more information, head to the city’s website.
The prison denied KYW Newsradio’s request for an interview and declined to make any further statement about the alleged assault.
An investigation into the incident remains active and ongoing with the Northeast Detective Division.
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