LANCASTER, Mass. - Five correction officers are hospitalized following a violent incident at the Souza-Baranowski Correction Center in Lancaster Wednesday.

The Department of Correction said inmates stabbed two correction officers multiple times and three other officers were injured trying to intervene.

At a press conference Thursday, the president of the Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union said the two officers were performing routine rounds when they were attacked from behind.

Dennis Martin said one was stabbed 12 times in the back, the other was stabbed in the back of the head.

Martin said they've been warning the state about issues for years.

"This has been a systemic problem with this institution right here in the prisons across this Commonwealth,” said Martin. “They are unsafe. This union brought to the attention to this Department of Corrections of the uptick in weapons, the assaults on correctional officers. And we've been pleading with this department to take action. We've been asking for tactical units to come in here. The department has many resources to facilitate this and to keep this prison safe for staff and inmates. And it seems to be falling on deaf ears."

Martin said four of the five officers have been released from the hospital, but the officer stabbed 12 times remains there.

The Department of Corrections said they've launched a comprehensive investigation to determine the facts and is conducting a full security assessment.

When asked about the attacks at Souza-Baranowski, Gov. Maura Healey said there's no place for violence in these facilities and the state is going to do everything it can to protect the people who work there and those who are incarcerated there.

Healey said she spoke with some of the injured officers.

"I talked to a few of them, just expressing their real concerns about increased violence, you know, weapons in the facilities and, you know, things that we know about,” said Healey. “I mean, they're happening in facilities around the country, but it's something that I know the secretary of public safety and I and our commissioner for the DOC are committed to working on. I do want to underscore that, you know, I wish them a speedy recovery.  It's very serious when these things happen. I'm not going to tolerate it. And we need to make sure that we're doing all that we can to support those who are working in the facilities and those who are incarcerated in the facilities."

The Department of Correction's criminal investigation is in coordination with the Worcester County District Attorney's Office.