Inmate sentenced to 4 additional years

Friday, May 1, 2009

A Putnamville Correctional Facility inmate was handed a four-year sentence Thursday in Putnam County Circuit Court for a Class D felony charge of battery resulting in bodily injury.

On Aug. 27, 2007, Aaron W. Wood, 31, was sentenced to 10 years for Class B felony dealing in cocaine or narcotics and three years for Class D felony dealing in marijuana. Judge Matthew Headley gave Wood the maximum three-year sentence -- all executed -- for the latest charge, which was filed in late October.

Wood, who sat smirking and silent through the entire sentencing, was also deemed a habitual offender, for which Headley enhanced Wood's sentence by a year. Headley took the recommendation of Putnam County Deputy Prosecutor James Hanner when handing down Wood's sentence.

"Mr. Wood's record goes back to 1996," Hanner said. "He has seven priors. He struck an officer. Due to his extensive record, we believe he should be maxed out."

According to court records, Wood, a confirmed member of the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang, assaulted Putnamville Sgt. Kevin Clark.

Wood's court-appointed attorney, James Recker, said the incident was just a "matter that came up during dinner time."

"In a prison setting, these incidents unfortunately happen," he said.

Headley disagreed, ruling that Wood's new sentence would run consecutively to the one he was already serving.

Under the terms of a plea agreement, a charge of Class D felony criminal gang activity against Wood was dismissed in exchange for his guilty plea to the battery charge.

Before Thursday's sentencing, the Indiana Department of Corrections Web site listed Wood's earliest possible release date as Aug. 24, 2017.

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  • Good for Matt Headley. Offenders in the prison system should not be allowed to assault staff. Many people feel that anyone working in a prison system should accept the assaults, this is wrong.

    If it were not for us who work in the prisons the majority of people would not be safe even in their homes. The employees in prisons, jails, etc. are taxpayers who are helping many people.

    We are not in the unemployment line (as of right now - it depends on Mitch's decisons), we are not a burden to society, unlike the offenders.

    Thanks for understanding!!!!

    -- Posted by Taxpayer5253 on Fri, May 1, 2009, at 7:56 AM
  • Shame on you Mr. Recker; We as Correctional Professionals place ourselves in harms way every time we walk thru the gate. We play an intrinsic and vital role within the Criminal Justice System, unfortunately we do not receive the same recognition as other public servants such as Police Officers and Firefighters.

    Recently an Employee at the Branchville Correctional Facility was brutally beaten with repeated blows to the skull with a hammer, was this, "just a matter that came up..." in the daily duties of this man.

    You owe every employee of the Indiana Department of Correction an apology for your insensitive comments.

    -- Posted by ISF-C/O on Sat, May 2, 2009, at 10:49 AM
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