FOLSOM — Two correctional officers at California State Prison, Sacramento remain hospitalized after being attacked by an inmate Saturday night in what officials are investigating as an attempted homicide.
According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), the attack occurred around 7 p.m. on November 1 when 48-year-old inmate Jason Brannigan allegedly assaulted two officers with an improvised weapon as they were escorting him from his cell for a search.
Staff quickly intervened, using physical force and chemical agents to subdue Brannigan. An improvised weapon was recovered at the scene, CDCR said. The two injured officers were taken to the prison’s triage and treatment area before being transported to an outside hospital, where both remain admitted in fair condition.
Brannigan was placed in restricted housing while the investigation continues. Prison officials confirmed the case will be referred to the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office for potential felony prosecution.
According to CDCR records, Brannigan was received from Sacramento County on March 7, 2011, to serve a 17-year, eight-month sentence for corporal injury to a spouse within seven years of a prior conviction, making criminal threats, and vandalism as a second striker, with an enhancement for a prior serious felony. In February 2022, he received an additional four-year term from Kern County for possession and manufacture of a deadly weapon while already incarcerated.
The facility remains on “modified programming” while staff complete a 24-hour threat assessment. CDCR said peer support and other services are being offered to affected employees.
California State Prison, Sacramento—often known as “New Folsom”—opened in 1986 and houses more than 2,200 inmates ranging from medium to maximum and high-security levels.
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