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LAPLACE — Lt. Kaiana Knight, corrections medical supervisor, was chosen as St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office’s Officer of the First Quarter for her outstanding service to the SJSO and the Sherman Walker Correctional Facility during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recognizing Lt. Knight were Sheriff Mike Tregre and Henri Dufresne, CEO of State Title LLC, the Officer of the First Quarter sponsor.

Lt. Knight worked diligently on and off the job, displaying exemplary commitment, dedication, effort, knowledge and guidance to assist officers as well as inmates during this crisis.

When COVID-19 hit the community last year, she immediately began researching information from the CDC and met with local and state medical officials and the State Department of Corrections to coordinate an emergency response for the Sheriff’s Office.

Lt. Knight spearheaded plans that coincided with CDC guidelines to ensure the safety of inmates and staff. Each day, Lt. Knight reviewed procedures, adapted to new CDC recommendations, and implemented the necessary changes. Lt. Knight continuously collected and distributed information to employees and inmates on how to reduce the risk of getting COVID-19.

She established a stringent schedule for deep cleaning dorms and the entire corrections facility many times each day. She kept in constant contact with inmates and staff, assuring them that her team was working hard to stop the spread of the virus in the facility.

Lt. Knight, even when she contracted the virus, never wavered. From her home, she stayed in constant contact with her medical team to ensure Corrections staff and inmates were following guidelines to control the spread of the virus. Lt. Knight put others’ safety above her own to ensure everything possible was being done to fight COVID-19 at the correctional facility and the St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office. Thanks to her outstanding efforts, the SJSO was able to keep the virus in check at the corrections facility.

When vaccines became available for first responders in January 2021, Lt. Knight worked hard to coordinate with the state to acquire vaccines for St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office personnel. She also coordinated a schedule for inmates to receive vaccines.

In addition to Lt. Knight’s exemplary work dealing with the pandemic, she continued to perform her regular responsibilities overseeing the health and well-being of inmates and Corrections staff.