Several staffers attacked at Bridgewater State Hospital as transfer of control looms

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. — Officers and nurses at Bridgewater State Hospital have been under attack with three incidents in just the past 36 hours.

These recent attacks come just days before control of the hospital will transfer from the Department of Corrections to a private healthcare provider.

Approximately 250 men with serious mental health disorders live in the hospital, and that can lead to dangerous situations for the staff.

Officials from the DOC confirmed Tuesday that a patient "physically assaulted two correction officers with closed fist punches.”

Another physical attack happened around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday when a "mental health worker was punched four times to the head and face and she had defensive wounds on her hands" from trying to fight back.

In both cases staffers ended up in the hospital.

“The simple fact of the matter is that dealing with a mentally ill criminal population is dangerous,” prison security expert Martin Horn said.

Horn, former New York City Corrections Commissioner, said violent attacks inside prisons are rare, but those dealing with mental health patients are at more risk.

“This is a very difficult task to manage this population/and you just can't hire anybody off the street and plug them in,” he said.

State leaders have recognized the troubles at the medium security prison - and have now hired Nashville-based Correct Care Solutions to overtake patient care and security.

But Horn said the state contract must ensure CCS employees also have adequate training to deal with a troubled prison population.

“That's the critical question, who are they hiring, how are they training them, what experience will they have, what experience will the middle managers have?” he said.

In a statement about the most recent attacks ahead of the transition, a DOC spokesman said "CCS provides similar care in multiple states around the country and we are confident that they will be able to provide services as outlined in the contract."

DOC officers will continue to provide perimeter security and oversee court transportation.

Cox Media Group