Two correctional officers were stabbed by inmates at a maximum-security prison in Massachusetts, with three others suffering injuries as they responded to the incident. The five officers at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Lancaster were taken to hospitals after the confrontation.

The Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union first shared news Wednesday evening on Facebook, claiming that an officer was stabbed in the back and head with the statement: “SBCC on lockdown after Officer stabbing to the back and head. Multiple Officers taken out in ambulances! Massachusetts Department of Correction ENOUGH! It’s been 4 years since you authorized the use of the tactical units and done a thorough institution wide search! How much more do our members have to endure before you decide to keep them safe? The inmates are literally running the asylum. Do your jobs.”

A spokesperson for the Massachusetts Department of Correction said in a statement that it was notified of the assault at 6:20 p.m.; subsequently, four officers have since been released, and one was being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Scott Croteau, a spokesman for the state’s Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, in a statement via USA TODAY:  “The facility is secure at this time while an investigation is conducted to determine the facts and circumstances.”

Croteau added that the department is conducting a criminal investigation in coordination with the Worcester County District Attorney’s office, and the inmates identified as being involved with the stabbings have been transferred to other facilities.

Editorial credit: Wangkun Jia / Shutterstock.com