Major discipline · 2025[1]
Suspended 15 days- Rank as reported
- Senior Correctional Police Officer (see this rank)
- Sustained charge(s)
- (a) General Causes (6) a public employee (7) (12) HRB 84-17
- as amended B2-
- loafing
- idleness or willful failure to devote attention to tasks which could result in danger to persons or property. B8- Serious mistake due to carelessness which may result in danger and/or injury to persons or property. C11- an employee. D9- Failure to report injury
- abuse
- or accident involving incarcerated persons
- residents
- patients
- or clients. E1- Violation of a rule
- regulation
- policy
- procedure
- order or administrative decision.
- Separated while IA pending
- No
Synopsis as reported by the agency
On 7/10/25, Garden State Youth Correctional Facility’s Senior Correctional Police Officer (SCPO) Dennis Howard was involved in a physical altercation with an incarcerated person. After the incarcerated person received his canteen, he stuck his hands out of the food port and held them there. Despite instructions to put his hand back into the food port, the incarcerated person remained non-compliant. SCPO Howard and other custody staff members attempted to gain compliance of the incarcerated person by utilizing physical contact to put the incarcerated person’s hands back into the food port. The New Jersey Department of Correction’s (NJDOC) Use of Force (UOF) subcommittee reviewed the incident and found force to be reasonable and appropriate. SCPO Howard admitted that he did not author a custody report and failed to contact a supervisor about the incident as required by NJDOC UOF policies. SCPO Howard signed a settlement agreement for a 15-day suspension on 10/2/25.