Eric Williams, a 34-year-old correctional officer, died at the Canaan federal prison in Waymart, Pa., on Feb. 25, 2013, after being attacked by an inmate. Williams formed the Voices of JOE, which takes its name from the first names of Jose Rivera, Osvaldo Albarati and Eric Williams — correctional officers who were killed on duty. Williams also works closely with the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) in the union’s effort to have the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) hire more correctional officers. It’s a controversial policy known as “augmentation.”When four Canaan employees were assaulted during an August 2015 disturbance, only one was a correctional officer. The proposed budget is “bad for prison staff, and it’s bad for inmates,” he said.

Source: Washington Post February 23, 2018 12:00 UTC