Category: Line of Duty Death
Attica at 55: Remembering the Correctional Staff Who Never Came Home
In September 1971, 11 members of the Attica correctional family went to work and never returned home. They were correction officers, supervisors, industrial employees and account clerks. They held different responsibilities inside Attica Correctional Facility, but each played a role in keeping the institution operating. Beyond the walls, they were husbands, fathers, sons, brothers, veterans, […]
55 Years Later: Remembering Correctional Officer William “Billy” Quinn
On September 11, 2026, the Correctional Peace Officers Foundation solemnly marks the 55th anniversary of the line-of-duty death of Correctional Officer William “Billy” Edward Quinn. Officer Quinn’s death became the first staff loss associated with the violence at Attica Correctional Facility in September 1971. Yet his legacy is far greater than the circumstances surrounding his […]
10 Years Later: Remembering Correctional Officer Kenneth Levella Bettis
On September 16, 2026, the Correctional Peace Officers Foundation marks the 10th anniversary of the line-of-duty death of Correctional Officer Kenneth Levella Bettis. Officer Bettis served at William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama. His colleagues knew him as a firm but fair officer who was deeply respected for his work ethic and dedication […]
55 Years Later: Remembering Corrections Employee Ronald L. Turner
On September 16, 2026, the Correctional Peace Officers Foundation marks the 55th anniversary of the line-of-duty death of Corrections Employee Ronald L. Turner. Ronald served as a laundry supervisor at Folsom State Prison. Although he did not wear the uniform of a correctional officer, he worked behind the walls and faced the dangers inherent in […]
35 Years Later: Remembering Sergeant William Dickerson
On September 11, 2026, the Correctional Peace Officers Foundation remembers Sergeant William Dickerson of the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office on the 35th anniversary of his End of Watch. Sergeant Dickerson dedicated 23 years of his life to serving the people of Wayne County, Michigan. On September 11, 1991, the 52-year-old veteran officer was working inside […]
45 Years Later: Remembering Correctional Officer Gerald Peter Magee
End of Watch: August 30, 1981 Forty-five years ago, Correctional Officer Gerald Peter Magee reported for duty at the New Mexico State Penitentiary. Before the early morning hours were over, he would make the ultimate sacrifice. Today, the Correctional Peace Officers Foundation remembers Officer Magee, honors his courage, and ensures that his name and service […]
Black August and Attica: Remembering the Correctional Professionals Who Never Came Home
Fifty-five years ago, the summer of 1971 became one of the darkest periods in the history of American corrections. The events remembered as “Black August” are often told through the lives of incarcerated activists and the political tensions surrounding the prison system. Yet there is another part of that history—one carried by correctional officers, civilian […]
Twenty Years Later: Remembering Corporal Eric E. Sutphin
End of Watch: August 21, 2006 Twenty years ago, Corporal Eric E. Sutphin of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office made the ultimate sacrifice while helping protect his community during an extensive manhunt for an escaped prisoner. Corporal Sutphin was 40 years old and had dedicated more than 13 years to law enforcement. He was a […]
One Year Later: Remembering Correctional Officer James Alexander Jackson Sr.
End of Watch: August 15, 2025 One year ago, the Florida Department of Corrections and the greater corrections community suffered the line-of-duty loss of Correctional Officer James Alexander Jackson Sr. of Hardee Correctional Institution. Officer Jackson was only 31 years old and had served with the Florida Department of Corrections for nine months. Although his […]
Remembering Youth Counselor Ineasie Maxie Baker: 30 Years Later
End of Watch: August 9, 1996 Thirty years have passed since Youth Counselor Ineasie Maxie Baker was murdered in the line of duty at the Heman G. Stark Youth Correctional Facility in Chino, California. Yet the reflections shared by her family, coworkers and the young people she counseled make one truth unmistakably clear: Mrs. Baker […]