Douglas County inmate convicted for attempting to traffic a makeshift weapon

Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez today announced that Isaiah J. Duckworth, 36, of Lawrence, pleaded no contest to attempting to traffic contraband while incarcerated at the Douglas County Correctional Facility.

“In light of our many alternatives to incarceration and responsible criminal justice reform, the population of those lodged at the jail is very different than prior to 2021,” District Attorney Valdez said. “This matter serves as an example of the hazards our corrections officers face on a regular basis.”

Charges stemmed from an incident that occurred on July 18, 2023, when corrections officers found, among Duckworth’s clothing, an eating utensil that had been sharpened into a makeshift weapon. Duckworth had been in custody at the time while he awaited sentencing on two counts of aggravated sexual battery.

Deputy District Attorney Joshua Seiden represented the State of Kansas. The case was investigated by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.

Judge Sally Pokorny set Duckworth’s sentencing for 1:30 p.m., on March 15, 2024, at the Douglas County Judicial and Law Enforcement Center.

Duckworth faces 7-23 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC). He was sentenced to 79 months in the KDOC on July 21, 2023, for his convictions in the aggravated sexual battery of a Lawrence teen.