Reported by Eve Tannery
DOVER- An Delaware inmate is facing some serious consequences after allegedly assaulting a correctional officer.
Prison officials on Wednesday confirmed an incident that occurred on June 10 at the Delaware Correctional Center near Smyrna.
Delaware Department of Correction officials say 48-year-old inmate, Darius Johnson, of New Castle County, was coming back from the recreation yard and entered the wrong side of his medium-security housing unit, where he did not belong. Officials say when a female correctional officer asked him to return to his unit, Johnson got belligerent.
"He grabbed her around the neck and they fell to the floor," said DOC spokesperson, Beth Welch.
Welch said the officer is OK, and has since returned to work. She said the investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Johnson is serving a life sentence for second degree attempted robbery. His sentence started in 1990.
As a result of the incident, Welch said Johnson is facing three more charges. He is being charged with two felonies and a misdemeanor. Those charges are first degree assault, assault in a detention facility and unlawful imprisonment.
This incident happened just weeks shy of the one year mark of a violent and deadly hostage incident at the same prison. On July 12, 2004, prison counselor Cassandra Arnold was raped and nearly killed by inmate Scott Miller during a seven-hour standoff. A sharpshooter eventually shot and killed Miller.
A task force report that came out in February of this year recommended a host of changes within the prison system. Those changes included things like adding more security equipment, more formal training and addressing the staffing issues in the prisons. But prison officials say those concerns were not a problem in this recent incident.
Prison officials say officers on duty where the incident took place were working their normal positions and no one was on forced overtime. They say officers responded immediately.
Now, since the task force report, the DOC has begun implementing changes to things like security procedures and the classification of inmates. Welch said that right now, it is too early to tell if those changes are working.
"It's going to take some time for us to see what the affect of those changes are, but we think they're changes that are moving us in the right direction," Welch said. "They're positive changes and they're changes that are going to make our facility safer and more secure."
Welch said some of the task force recommendations require more funding that the DOC is hoping to get in its upcoming budget. That money will be used for items like communication system upgrades and weapons purchases.
Another recommendation the task force made was for the prison to do more frequent reports on security. Welch said those checks will be used to make sure the changes they make are working.
In related news, last year's prison hostage incident has sparked the attention of state lawmakers.
The Senate unanimously approved a bill Wednesday that would permit the use of deadly force against a hostage taker. This is allowed if the hostage taker refuses an order to release the hostage.
Right now, state law allows law enforcement officers to use force to prevent an escape, but it does not reference hostage incidents.
The bill now heads to the House.
Darius Johnson
