An inmate who allegedly stabbed a correctional officer multiple times Tuesday at Augusta State Medical Prison (ASMP) has a long history of violent attacks on prison guards.
James Leon Washington, 33, is currently serving decades of additional prison time for assaults on guards dating back to his time in juvenile detention.
Washington made headlines in 2016 when he requested the longest possible sentence under maximum security, citing his inability to control his anger and his belief that locking him up for as long as possible was the only way to keep others safe. In a hearing before Judge Carl C. Brown Jr., Washington explained that his only wish was to be left alone in a maximum-security cell with his Bible and a television.
His violent behavior includes an incident in August 2015 when he attacked prison officer Nikki Reynolds at the Augusta State Medical Prison. When Reynolds opened Washington’s cell door to deliver a food tray, he stabbed her multiple times. Reynolds suffered lasting effects from the attack, including persistent headaches, and had not returned to work a year later. Washington admitted to investigators that his intent was to kill her.
According to his defense attorney, Robert Chan, Washington’s violent behavior began as a juvenile offender and continued into adulthood. Court records show that he committed multiple aggravated assaults in Gwinnett County, Georgia, in 2009 and 2010.
In 2016, following the attack on Officer Reynolds, Judge Brown sentenced Washington to 25 years in prison without the possibility of parole. At Washington’s request, the judge recommended that the Georgia Department of Corrections house him in maximum security. However, even the tight restrictions of maximum security couldn’t prevent Washington from continuing his violent outbursts.
While incarcerated at Georgia State Prison in Reidsville, Washington was involved in another violent incident in May 2017. He faced additional charges, including aggravated battery, obstruction, and unlawful acts of violence in a penal institution, and was sentenced to 35 more years in prison.
Washington was later transferred to Gwinnett County, where he was convicted of aggravated assault and violence in prison, resulting in 16 additional years behind bars.
Ultimately, he was sent back to Augusta State Medical Prison, where he attacked the officer on Tuesday, authorities say.
According to Joan Heath, Communications Director for the Department of Corrections, Tuesday’s incident occurred when Washington used a homemade weapon to injure the correctional officer. The officer’s injuries were described as non-life-threatening.
Heath confirmed that the incident is under investigation, but no further details have been released at this time.
