| Subject: How Soon They Forget |
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Date Posted: 08:22:26 04/29/04 Thu
February 17, 2000
CELLUCCI AWARDS THIRD ANNUAL CORRECTION OFFICER OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Governor Paul Cellucci today presented the Annual Correction Officer of the Year Awards, giving the state's highest honor to a Massachusetts Department of Correction Sergeant who pulled three colleagues to safety during a major uprising in the inmate dining hall of the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley.
"Justice is only served when criminals do their time behind bars and our correction officers are an integral part of ensuring justice in our Commonwealth," said Cellucci. "We salute today's medal recipients and all of our correction officers for your dedication and for helping to make our state a safer place for all our citizens."
Cellucci bestowed the Correction Officer of the Year Gold Medal of Honor to Sgt. Thomas Griffin for the heroics he displayed on December 21, 1998 when three officers were assaulted by a large group of inmates in the dining hall. The inmates attacked the officers while they were trying to restrain another unruly inmate. Griffin was assaulted as he attempted to rescue the officers from the inmates' punches and kicks. Eventually, he brought the officers to safety and secured the dining hall. Griffin saved three officers from serious harm and contained an extremely dangerous situation, while risking his personal safety.
"Correction Officers are the last line of defense in the effort to maintain our quality of life. Once an arrest is made, and the criminal is sentenced, it falls on our correction officers to see that justice is served. You spend every minute of every shift surrounded by some of the most hardened prisoners in the state," said Public Safety Secretary Jane Perlov.
Cellucci awarded DOC Sgt. Scott Lynde with the Silver Medal of Valor for his actions at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center on Dec. 8, 1998. He put his own safety on the line to end a potentially fatal altercation in the dining hall between two inmates after an inmate began stabbing another inmate with a sharpened piece of metal. To prevent escalation and involvement of others, Lynde physically restrained the assaulting inmate. Through his brave initiative, he saved the life of another and prevented a serious incident from unfolding.
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