Inmate Sentenced For ‘Brutal’ Prison Beating In Essex County

NEWARK, NJ — It was about two years ago that Jayshawn Boyd was nearly beaten to death while in the custody of the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark. Now, one of the inmates responsible for the attack – which included repeatedly smashing Boyd in the head with a microwave oven – will be serving up to 20 extra years in jail, prosecutors say.

On Wednesday, a Superior Court judge sentenced Byad Lockett to 20 years in state prison for nearly killing his fellow inmate.

Lockett and Darryl Watson, another inmate involved in the seven-person assault, were convicted of attempted murder in June. Lockett was also found guilty of second-degree aggravated assault, and third-degree possession of a microwave for an unlawful purpose. Read More: Inmates Found Guilty After Brutal Prison Beating In Essex County

According to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, here’s how the attack happened:

“On September 23, 2021, seven inmates, including Lockett, attacked Boyd in a common area of the Essex County Correctional Facility, beating him unconscious by punching him in the face and stomping on his head. Upon seeing the riot, the sole corrections officer assigned to the area exited for his safety and called for assistance. Once Boyd was unconscious, Lockett struck Boyd in the head multiple times with a microwave oven, a multi-gallon beverage dispenser and a broom. This attempted murder, which lasted approximately two minutes, was captured on video surveillance at the jail.”

Under the No Early Release Act, Lockett, 22, of Newark, must serve 85 percent – or 17 years – of his 20-year sentence before being eligible for parole, prosecutors said.

Lockett was serving a sentence for conspiracy to commit murder at the time of the attack. His new sentence will run consecutive to the prior one, giving him an aggregate sentence of 32 years.

Lockett offered an apology in court, claiming he was not on his medication at the time of the attack, NBC New York reported.

It was an apology that fell short with Superior Court Judge Ronald Wigler, who called the beating “savage, brutal and heinous,” and accused Lockett of “having no remorse whatsoever” about the attack.

Boyd – who has schizophrenia – was reportedly never put in general population before the day of the beating. He was left with permanent brain damage after the assault.

The attack lasted at least two minutes and 11 seconds without any intervention by guards at the county-run prison. Boyd was in prison for “minor charges” at the time, The New York Times reported.

Boyd’s family has since filed a lawsuit against the county and correction officials, accusing the county of failing to protect him while he was in their custody.

Over the past few years, the union representing guards at the prison have claimed that they are overwhelmed and understaffed, and that violence – both among inmates and against correctional officers – has been on the rise. In the first six months of 2021, at least 21 officers were assaulted by inmates at the prison, sending 14 of them to a hospital emergency room, union leaders previously said.

• See Related: Stabbing, Beating At Essex County Jail Only Tip Of Iceberg, Union Says
• See Related: Violence Continues At Essex County Prison: Inmate Death, Fires, Fights
• See Related: Staffing Woes Affect Mental Health Care At Essex County Prison: Report

After Boyd’s beating raised an outcry in the community, authorities announced plans to conduct an independent review of the Essex County Correctional Facility.

In October 2022, Essex County released the results of a massive, 184-page look into the inner workings of the jail. In all, the prison has a rated capacity of 2,434 inmates – more people than the populations of 94 New Jersey municipalities.

• See Related: Long-Awaited Review Gives Deep Look Into NJ's Largest County Prison

The Essex County Correctional Facility is paid to hold prisoners from Union County and in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. It previously housed detainees from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), until the county ended its controversial, multi-million-dollar contract with the federal government in August 2021.

• See Related: Only 1 NJ Jail Still Profits From ICE Contracts – And It May Stay That Way
• See Related: Solitary Confinement Still A Concern At Essex County Prison, Report Says
• See Related: Prison Inmates In Essex County Get Job Training, Education

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