MACON, Ga. — A week after an inmate allegedly stabbed and killed Deputy Christopher Knight, Bibb County Sheriff David Davis announced changes coming to the jail, including a new training from a Department of Corrections Team.
The team is known as CERT. It stands for the Correctional Emergency Response Team.
Major Eric Woodford says the tragic death of Deputy Christopher Knight inside the Bibb County jail's own walls was "eye-opening" for the sheriff's office. He says from that, Sheriff Davis and other administrators at the jail wanted to find ways to run the jail differently and improve.
"Anything that we think that may add or broaden a sense of sharpness to our deputies," Woodford said.
Every Bibb County jailer goes through two weeks of basic jailer school run by the state, and before that, six weeks through the sheriff's office.
"That goes into into some of the things that CERT will be teaching. However, just on a little bit more advanced level," Woodford said.
Woodford says the CERT Team will train all jailers from the newbies to the veterans on day-to-day operations that will sharpen their skills.
That ranges from basic handcuffing to how to move inmates and shakedown for weapons or other contraband.
He says some of the most important training includes defensive tactics, de-escalation, and crisis intervention training which covers dealing with mental health episodes.
"We need to know when a person is really at that critical point, and, 'How do we not either incite by saying the wrong things and how can I better listen to de-escalate?'" Woodford said.
As we previously reported, Albert Booze, the inmate charged with the murder of Deputy Knight, had a documented history of mental health concerns. A report in his case file shows that his mother told deputies he had bipolar disorder.
"I wouldn't necessarily say we're doing this just because of him, but again, every day, we deal with it because the jails have become the largest mental health facilities, so I just think it's better that we train our deputies on the front end, on how to handle this when they see it so that we don't get into that sort of situation," Woodford said.
Major Woodford says since Sheriff Davis announced the partnership, they have been working with the state team to share all their policy and procedures. Right now, he says they're looking to begin Crisis Intervention Training by June.
Major Woodford added that they don't have an official start and end date with their partnership with the Department of Corrections team. Bibb County is also looking to have a new training to offer jailers each month.