Utah State prisons on lockdown after three assaults against officers

SALT LAKE CITY — Two Utah State jail services had been on lockdown Sunday following an assault within the max unit that despatched a corrections officer to the hospital over the weekend.

It marks the third assault by an inmate in opposition to an officer in a two-week interval on the Utah State Correctional Facility close to Salt Lake Metropolis.

The Division of Corrections confirmed to KSL in an announcement that on Saturday night, “a correctional officer was assaulted within the Antelope restricted housing unit on the Utah State Correctional Facility. The officer was handled at a close-by hospital and was launched later that night.”

The division mentioned the incident is below investigation for potential prices in opposition to the incarcerated particular person.

“Each the Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake and Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison are on lockdown. The standing of each services shall be revisited on Monday,” the DOC mentioned.

The assertion was practically equivalent to an announcement DOC despatched out final week, following an assault within the Antelope restricted housing unit that additionally despatched an officer to the hospital on Jan. 31. The Antelope facility is the max facility on the jail.

The DOC confirmed one other assault ten days earlier than the Jan. 31 incident, that one within the Currant Facility, which is the psychological well being unit.

Assault in opposition to corrections officer brings up security issues at new state jail

“It’s getting worse,” mentioned Chad Bennion, Govt Director of the Utah Fraternal Order of Police Utah Corrections Lodge 14.

He outlined the main points he heard about the latest assault.

“The inmate really hit the officer by means of a cuff port,” Bennion mentioned of what he was informed. “And so he motioned down for the officer to speak to him and simply hit him proper by means of the cuff port.”

He mentioned the assaults have been extreme, leading to damaged bones and noses.

“It’s simply escalating,” he mentioned, and so are his frustrations.

Bennion defined he believes extreme understaffing and obligatory overtimes for workers who aren’t used to working within the new jail are a part of the issue. The brand new design, he mentioned, requires extra staffing than what they’ve.

“With the design of the brand new jail with this mannequin, there’s simply been– because it’s coming to mild– too many blind spots, too many alternatives, and issues for the inmates to take advantage of proper now,” he defined.

Bennion informed KSL final Tuesday how he had simply met with lawmakers to speak about funding for hiring and retention. They’re hoping the state will put aside $42 million this session.

“We actually must get options proper now and get the funding for these positions to entice extra folks to come back to work for the division, to retain the folks now we have proper now,” he mentioned. “As a result of if we hold shedding officers as properly, it simply continues to get extra unsafe.”

He’ll be spending the subsequent a number of weeks on Capitol Hill, hoping for excellent news.

“If issues proceed to escalate, I’m fearful that you may find yourself with a fatality, and that might be the worst factor to occur,” Bennion expressed. “And I don’t need to see that occur, however we’re not doing these issues to which are holding the officers protected.”