March
17, 2017
ADVISORY:
Corrections Day at the Legislature 2017
CHARLESTON,
W.Va. – A career correctional officer injured in the line of
duty will accept the citations that the W.Va. Senate and House of Delegates plan
to present Friday, March 17, 2017 as part of Corrections Day at the
Legislature.
Cpl. Glen Johnson has served his fellow
West Virginians for 27 years as a correctional officer at the Huttonsville
Correctional Center, the state’s largest prison. On June 5, 2016, Cpl. Johnson
was supervising inmates as they headed to the chow hall for their noon meal
when he was attacked from behind.
The assaulting inmate struck Cpl. Johnson
in the back of the head, knocking him to the ground. Cpl. Johnson briefly lost
consciousness as the inmate continued to strike him with his fists. Cpl.
Johnson was able to regain his senses and secured the inmate until other officers
arrived to aid him.
Cpl. Johnson’s injuries included a
concussion that kept him on medical leave for two weeks. He continued to experience
headaches and blurry vision for months afterward. He has returned to the job,
and is also a member of the Crisis Negotiation Team at the Division of
Corrections.
Military Affairs and Public Safety
Secretary Jeff Sandy invited Cpl. Johnson to participate in this year’s
Corrections Day at the Legislature, as lawmakers consider the working
conditions of the men and women who perform this critical public safety mission
every day, around the clock.
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