Remembering Fallen Corrections Officers

Corrections officers face danger everyday, but they often face it alone. Officers Work a job that is hidden away from the public and not given a second thought by those who sleep safe in their beds. Officers who lose their life in the line of duty get a passing mention in the news and then are forgotten by all but those closest to them. To the public they are a "Prison Guard." To their families, they are a Grandfather, a Sister, a Mother, a Son. Officers who are killed on the job deserve more than one sentence in the newspaper. In honor of those who serve behind the walls and razor wire, Here are three people who we should all take a moment to remember.

The above picture is SGT Mark Baserman of the PA Department of Corections. He was killed on February 15th 2018 when an inmate attacked him for confiscating a towel from his cell. He was punched in the back of the head, knocked to the ground and stomped on. He did not get to go home that day all because his life was worth nothing to a 22-year-old inmate. We need to remember that his life and others like his are worth something to us .
SGT Meggan Callahan worked in a critically understaffed unit within the failing North Carolina Department of Corrections when she was murdered. as a person, she was said to have a passion for helping people. She supported the special Olympics and the National Alliance on Mental Health. She had close friends and Family, and she cared for the safety of her coworkers. She was killed brutally just before the end of her 12 hour shift. She had boiling water thrown in her face, she was stabbed and and knocked to the floor, then beaten with a fire extinguisher until she became unresponsive. Other officers responded and subdued the inmate, but for Callahan, it was too late. Less than an hour after the attack she was dead.

On February 02 2017 Steven Floyd, a 16 year veteran with the department was killed during a two-day hostage situation at the Vaughn Correctional Center in Delaware. He was said to be a very outspoken supporter of human rights who was always standing up for those who were pushed down. His life ended in an understaffed prison after his own concerns about safety issues had been ignored by administration.

The above names are only a few, but they stand as a reminder of the reality of prison. They are shared here as a call to remember not only these lives lost, but the lives around us. Remember to look after each other and to keep those who serve in your thoughts and prayers.

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