[UPDATE 6:17 p.m.] Correctional Officer Attacked by Inmate; Sent to Hospital

Assault FeatureAn inmate at the Humboldt County jail assaulted a Correctional Officer this morning. A spokesperson for the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office confirmed there was an assault early this morning. The officer was taken to the hospital for his injuries.

Last August, Sheriff Billy Honsal blamed jail violence on increasingly violent inmates who previously would have been placed in state prisons but are now incarcerated at the county level.

Sheriff Billy Honsal

Sheriff Billy Honsal [Photo by Oliver Cory]

Assaults on correctional officers have skyrocketed in the County since Assembly Bill 109, the Prison Realignment Plan, was put in action in October of 2011, Honsal said. The bill had those convicted of certain types of crimes that formerly would have led to terms in state prison serve their terms in county jails instead.In 2012 there were five assaults on correctional officers in the Humboldt County Jail, he explained. In 2015, there were 36. By August of 2017 there had been 22 assaults. Honsal said. Inmate on inmate assaults have also gone up, he explained.

Honsal said he believes that the state of California bears some responsibility for the increasing violence.

He suggested that the government re-establish mental health facilities all over the state.  “When your jail is the biggest mental health treatment facility in the County, that’s a problem,” Honsal said. “So let’s try and help [the mentally ill] before they start doing criminal offenses….[The jail] is not a therapeutic environment.”

We’ve requested more information about the incident today and will update when we know more.

UPDATE 6:17 p.m.: 

This is a press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office. The information has not been proven in a court of law and any individuals described should be presumed innocent until proven guilty:

Kristopher JettOn 04-01-18, at approximately 7:30 am, correctional deputies were working in the maximum security unit in the Humboldt County Correctional Facility when 31 year old Kristopher Jett exited his cell for his allotted time out in the dayroom. Upon opening his door, Jett attacked one of the correctional deputies by hitting him in the face several times. The correctional deputies were able to restrain Jett and place him back into his cell.

The correctional deputy was transported to St Joseph’s Hospital for evaluation and treatment and has since been released.

Jett was originally in custody on a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation parole hold. Jett has been booked for Battery on a Custodial Officer and his bail has been set at $25,000.

Anyone with information for the Sheriff’s Office regarding this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Sheriff’s Office at 707-445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at 707-268-2539.

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24 Comments
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Martin Stockel
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Martin Stockel
5 years ago

Prayers and love for the injuried Correctional Officer. Thank you very much for your service to our city. Get well soon.

Hobo-joe
Guest
Hobo-joe
5 years ago
Reply to  Martin Stockel

I didn’t know Key & Peele were in town

Anon Forrest
Guest
Anon Forrest
5 years ago

The money collected from Measure Z…wasn’t a sizable portion of that designated for the Sheriff’s budget? Updating the facilities at the jail would seem a logical place to spend it; and, in the name of keeping staff safe, I’m betting there are various grants available.
Humboldt Sheriff Honsel should ask Mendocino Sheriff Tom Allman for ideas on funding, as he (Allman) seems to be wired in to loose resources.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

I read that there was a substantial increase in the number of guards using Measure Z funding starting in 2016.

Big 'ol jar of pickles
Guest
Big 'ol jar of pickles
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

There was a substantial increase in the attempt to hire correctional deputies… not much to choose from locally so they are looking outside Humboldt.

Skip Arnold
Guest
Skip Arnold
5 years ago

They can look all they want, understaffing is a universal problem throughout the country. With the pathetic wages along with horrible working conditions it is impossible to hire or retain competent staffing.

Chaos
Guest
Chaos
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

They are so short staffed it’s sad.

CoveTroll
Guest
CoveTroll
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Deport

Freedom Club
Guest
Freedom Club
5 years ago
Reply to  CoveTroll

A bullet would be cheaper…

Skip Arnold
Guest
Skip Arnold
5 years ago
Reply to  Freedom Club

Can’t imagine where you read that or who they were talking about. The jail has been understaffed for over twenty years with officers being required to work excessive overtime hours to maintain minimum staffing. There are not enough Correctional Deputies to fully staff the existing jail, let alone the addition that is anticipated in the near future.

Livin' Easy
Guest
Livin' Easy
5 years ago

There are circumstances where a person committing crimes could benefit with mental health intervention, but we have to face the facts that there is becoming more and more criminals who will be criminals the rest of their life no matter how much people try to help. More and more jails are becoming full which shouldn’t mean all other career criminals arrested are given a free pass to keep committing crimes. We cannot have jails and prisons with ‘No Vacancy’ signs flashing. The criminals know it and know there are no meaningful consequences.

Mkl
Guest
Mkl
5 years ago

That f’n bill really screwed stuff up!!!! Our jail was not built or designed for prisoners to serve their sentences. Its nuts and the state needs to be held to task, blaming local govt and sheriffs fir the “rotating door” many comment about is short sighted. Call your state reps when it bothers you. Our reps are very open to meeting and hearing issues in my experience, we actually have some that care!

Johnny Reb
Guest
Johnny Reb
5 years ago

Our “state reps” are more interested in giving illegal aliens free rides and other leftist causes. Sacramento is stuffed full of politicians from So-Cal who wish to establish Aztlan, their dream state. They could care less about anyone who built this country or culture.

Dave Kirby
Guest
Dave Kirby
5 years ago
Reply to  Johnny Reb

The native Californians and later the Mexicans had established a complex culture before Anglos stole the state in a trumped up war. Many different groups “built” this country and culture. Just because the Jerk in the White House spouts a lot of nativist gibberish about imigration doesn’t make it so.

Canyon oak
Guest
Canyon oak
5 years ago
Reply to  Dave Kirby

Don’t confuse modern or historic “Mexicans” with the Spanish who conquered the Aztecs among others, and established the mission system to begin to settle the territory we call california and to “civilize” the native tribes who were NOT “Mexicans”. Mexico only inherited the territory after their own revolutionary war, just like ours( from the British)in America. The territory of California was always far from the center of Aztec colonial influence.
Ever wonder why Mexicans speak Spanish, a European language? Well now you know.

Helllbilly
Guest
Helllbilly
5 years ago

It is really sad. The jails are not supposed to house prisoners for Long term and most do not understand the intricacies of the issue. I wish the best for those stuck in there and hope the best for everyone involved

Hobo-joe
Guest
Hobo-joe
5 years ago

No no no we need to spend more money on the bullet train to nowhere

CoveTroll
Guest
CoveTroll
5 years ago
Reply to  Hobo-joe

The train needs to go from Arcata to g ville.No stops in between. Put a unicorn horn on the front and paint it pink. Tickets will be food stamps and ssi checks approved

R -DOG
Guest
R -DOG
5 years ago

High profile con’s should not bee let out of thar cell with out being shackled

Randy MacKendrick
Guest
Randy MacKendrick
5 years ago

I knew this guy from when I worked at the Del Norte Jail. This is not his first assault of correctional officers nor the last I fear.
Moonbeam really put the screws to county jails and the citizens.

MA Castillo
Guest
MA Castillo
5 years ago

I attached a picture summary from the AB109 talking points.
Non-violent, non-sexual, non-serious offenders are the oned staying in the local jails and even in state prison guards are not attacked unless they provoke the inmates. So have the attitude of the guards changed in this new environment? You have the more serious offenders that have done state time for non-violent, non-sexual crimes mixed in with the knuckle-headed petty criminals and you can’t treat everyone the same. County guards tend to be heavier handed because their inmates were mostly new, inexperienced and afraid.
Also, state money was diverted from construction and operations of new prisons to the counties to help offset additional costs annually. Kern county used theirs to build a new jail or reconfigure existing facilities for the new use. How is the county using it?
Lastly, the District Attorney’s have been in the habit of prosecuting every case, sending every person to state and handing out over-extended prison times even for minor and gratuitous crime. Prison is for the hardcore criminals. Not the people shoplifting, bouncing checks or using drugs. That’s a county issue. Have the DA’s adjusted their actions?
There are too many holes in the sheriff’s story.

Cindy
Guest
Cindy
5 years ago
Reply to  MA Castillo

Look at what CA calls non-violent. You might rethink your stance.

unbridled philistine
Guest
unbridled philistine
5 years ago

Geez! how bad do u want a career in law enforcement? Terrible pay to start and get ur ass kicked! What a shitty job! Surrounded by the worst everyday! I could go on but darn sounds terrible…

Emily
Guest
Emily
5 years ago

Wow I agree with you guest, except I bet if we had the mental institutions we wouldn’t need more jails.