Union for Maryland correctional officers says there is a staffing crisis in state prisons

A union representing 6,000 correctional officers in Maryland says there is a staffing crisis in Maryland state prisons.

The AFSCME Maryland says officers and incarcerated individuals are getting hurt or killed each week.  

The Maryland State Police have reported at least seven inmate homicides this year.

Union leaders say critical staffing shortages put everyone at risk.

AFSCME Maryland said in a press conference on Tuesday that the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services refuses to acknowledge the staffing shortages.

A representative with the union said they met with them and state leaders on Tuesday morning, and their offer was "a slap in the face."

"We are furious that once again we are talking about the same staffing crisis and issues that we have called attention to year after year," a representative for AFSCME Maryland said.

Public Safety and Correctional Services told CBS News Baltimore that it has invested millions in recruitment incentives and technology to decrease physical confrontations, including body cameras.

 The statement says in part, "The department has significantly lowered its staff vacancy rate, improved staff safety, and created pathways to opportunity for our incarcerated population."

The department also said it is committed to working with the union.