Inmate who caused nearly $50,000 worth of damage to roof at Albany Regional Prison cops further sentence

An inmate who caused nearly $50,000 in damage to the roof of Albany Regional Prison will spend an additional four months behind bars. Jaden Sydney Anderson, 29, was serving a term of imprisonment when he caused significant damage to the roof structure of the Albany correctional facility. In sentencing last month, the Albany Magistrates Court was told that Anderson and another inmate gained access to the roof of the prison on May 8, 2022, and refused orders to come down by officers. Anderson then proceeded to cause significant damage to air conditioning units, roof fans and the roof structure itself before he was tasered and arrested by officers. Police prosecutor Sergeant Warrick Walker said that despite his remorse following the incident, Anderson had caused $42,236 worth of damage to a State-built facility for prisoners. Sgt Walker told the court that a further term of imprisonment should be considered given the amount of damage caused and the fact Anderson had opportunities to come down but resisted. Magistrate Dianne Scaddan said while handing down her sentence that the offence occurred on Mother’s Day, which had personal significance to Anderson but the day’s importance to him was not detailed in court. Ms Scaddan said she considered Anderson as being at a “low ebb” on that day but it didn’t justify his actions. “That you managed to get up on the roof, that in itself is significant in a prison,” Ms Scaddan said. “You were asked to come down and had the opportunity to back out. “It is a very serious criminal damage charge, $42,000 damage to a prison and it will cost the community to rectify that.” Ms Scaddan said she accepted Anderson had written a letter of apology and had shown remorse for his actions. She added that Anderson had a difficult family upbringing and had spent a large amount of his adult life in detention or prison. Anderson was set to be released in June this year but Ms Scaddan said there was no getting away from the amount of damage he caused and that further jail time was the appropriate sentence. Ms Scaddan handed Anderson an additional four months cumulative prison time to his current term of imprisonment and recommended he doesn’t re-offend before his release.