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SALT LAKE CITY — The assaults of three Department of Corrections officers over the past two weeks at the new Utah State Prison has caught the attention of lawmakers.
Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, said the assaults have been "concerning, I think, to all of us."
"We're trying to determine what we can do to try to help with those," Adams said, noting there are several legislators that are interested in looking into the issue.
Adams added state auditors are conducting some audits "to see what can be done there."
"It's something we're concerned about and something that I hope we're able to at least find out what some of the solutions are and what some of the options that we have in the Legislature to deal with some of those issues," Adams said. "But it is concerning."
On Saturday, a corrections officer "was assaulted in the Antelope restricted housing unit at the Utah State Correctional Facility," the Department of Corrections confirmed in a statement. "The officer was treated at a nearby hospital and was released later that evening."
The incident marked the third assault by an inmate against an officer in a two-week period at the new state prison in Salt Lake City.
The attack prompted corrections officials to place both the Salt Lake facility and the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison on lockdown Sunday. Both facilities returned to normal operations on Monday, a spokeswoman with the Department of Corrections confirmed, with the exception of the maximum security Antelope housing unit which was placed "on a modified lockdown."
The department said the incident is under investigation for potential charges against the incarcerated individual.
The statement issued over the weekend is nearly identical to a statement the department sent out last week, following an attack in the Antelope restricted housing unit that also sent an officer to the hospital on Jan. 31.
The department confirmed another attack 10 days before the Jan. 31 incident, in the Currant Facility, which is the mental health unit.
"It's getting worse," said Chad Bennion, executive director at the Utah Fraternal Order of Police Utah Corrections Lodge 14.
He outlined the details he heard about the most recent attack.
"The inmate actually hit the officer through a cuff port," Bennion said regarding what he was told about the incident. "And so he motioned down for the officer to talk to him and just hit him right through the cuff port."
He said the assaults have been severe, resulting in broken bones and noses.
"It's just escalating," he said, and so are his frustrations.
"With the design of the new prison, with this model, there's just been — as it's coming to light — too many blind spots, too many opportunities, and things for the inmates to exploit right now," he explained.
If things continue to escalate, I'm fearful that you could end up with a fatality, and that would be the worst thing to happen.
–Chad Bennion
Bennion told KSL-TV last Tuesday he had met with lawmakers to talk about funding for hiring and retention at the prison. They're hoping the state will set aside $42 million this session for prison staffing needs.
"We really need to get solutions right now and get the funding for these positions to entice more people to come to work for the department, to retain the people we have right now," he said. "Because if we keep losing officers, as well, it just continues to get more unsafe."
He'll be spending the next several weeks on Capitol Hill, lobbying for good news.
"If things continue to escalate, I'm fearful that you could end up with a fatality, and that would be the worst thing to happen," Bennion expressed. "And I don't want to see that happen, but we're not doing those things to that are keeping the officers safe."
Senate Minority Whip Kathleen Reibe, D-Cottonwood Heights, on Monday noted the Utah Legislature increased salaries for correctional officers last year to help with staffing levels.
"I think it's just taking a little while for those people to get trained," she said. "So instead of operating maybe at a deficit with their staff, they're actually running closer to being fully staffed. So hopefully some of that money will start moving forward and getting us to the staffing we need to be at."
Contributing: Pat Reavy
