December 20th, 2024 by WCBC Radio

A press conference held at the entrance to North Branch Correctional Institution on McMullen Highway Thursday drew attention to safety and critical staffing shortages at state facilities. AFSCME, the union representing over 20,000 state employees has crossed the state calling attention to issues endangering workers. Patrick Moran, President of AFSCME Maryland Council 3, says it is not easy to get a true account of work injuries in the unsafe facilities…

   

“You can’t have an accurate assessment of that because unless someone goes to the hospital, it’s often not counted as an injury, right? If people just say okay, I was injured on the job; I’m going to continue doing my job, even though they might have been assaulted by someone, if they continue to work that day, the state is often not marking that or counting that as an injury.”

Tony Sines, President of Local 898 who represents local corrections officers, said violence against officers is increasing…

  

“I just want to highlight the staff assaults between both these facilities have more than doubled since last year – in one year’s time. This staffing crisis has been happening since 2016.”