Inside the Hamilton County Justice Center's mental-health unit, an inmate-on-inmate attack earlier this month has turned into an attempted murder case that is now raising fresh questions about safety inside the downtown Cincinnati jail.
According to FOX19 NOW, a grand jury has indicted inmate Daesha Smartt on felonious assault in connection with an April 14 incident, and she also faces an attempted murder allegation.
Court documents reviewed by the station describe a brutal scene. Prosecutors say Smartt stabbed her cellmate in the head with a colored pencil, then grabbed a plastic garbage bag and put it over the woman's head while telling her, "I'm going to kill you bi---." The affidavit states the victim was taken to a hospital with severe injuries.
Inside the Jail's Mental-Health Unit
The altercation happened inside the Justice Center's mental-health unit, a specialized pod within the Hamilton County jail system. The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office notes that the Justice Center operates multiple housing units and has an inmate capacity of about 1,240, underscoring the scale of what deputies and medical staff are managing on any given day. The sheriff's jail services information also highlights on-site medical and psychiatric care for people held there.
Court Action and Smartt's Record
Court records show Smartt was originally charged on April 14, the day of the alleged attack. FOX19 NOW reports that a grand jury has since returned a felonious assault indictment linked to the same incident, alongside the attempted murder allegation.
In a separate case, FOX19 reports that Smartt pleaded guilty to arson and disrupting public services. She was sentenced on April 21 to 18 months in state prison on those counts, to be served concurrently, with credit for 131 days already served, according to the judgment entry reviewed by the station. The outlet also notes that court dockets show Smartt has 23 prior booking photos on file and a years-long pattern of arrests and jail stays in Hamilton County.
What the Charges Mean
Felonious assault in Ohio is defined in Ohio Revised Code §2903.11, which generally covers causing serious physical harm to another person or using a deadly weapon. It is ordinarily a felony of the second degree.
An attempt to commit murder is charged under the general attempt statute, R.C. 2923.02, paired with the murder statute. Depending on the specific facts and any added specifications, an attempted murder charge can carry first-degree felony penalties. Those statutes frame prosecutors' charging decisions and the potential prison time if there is a conviction.
What Comes Next
Smartt remains in custody while the case moves through the Hamilton County courts and new filings are added to the docket. Local jail-watchers and advocates say the allegations are likely to bring renewed scrutiny to how people with mental-health needs are housed, supervised, and protected inside the Justice Center.
