Inmate at JTVCC assaults and injures correctional officer

The Correctional Officers Association of Delaware is saying an officer was assaulted by an inmate and injured on Tuesday at the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center in Smyrna.

The Delaware Department of Correction confirms the attack.

During inmate showers Tuesday morning, COAD reports inmates yelled at and threatened staff members.

One inmate reportedly shouted he would kill all correctional officers.

As officers tried to secure this unruly inmate and place him into his cell, the inmate reportedly punched an officer in the face and additionally assaulted another. COAD says the inmate continued fighting the officers until assistance arrived.

COAD says one officer suffered lacerations and bruising to his face.

COAD is blaming an August 2016 agreement with the American Civil Liberties Union and the Community Legal Aid Society.

Geoff Klopp, president of COAD, says the deal "turned control of the facilities over to the inmates and their mental advocates."

Klopp says mental health advocates in prisons routinely undermine correctional officers' ability to do their jobs.

"Repeated incidents where an officer directs an inmate to do something only to have mental health advocates instruct the inmate not to comply occure all too often," Klopp said.

Tuesday's assault at JTVCC comes only six days after a hostage situation at the prison left one correctional officer dead.