Roll of Honor
Jacob Grandine Van Houten
Incident
Centre Keeper Jacob Van Houten succumbed to injuries sustained one year earlier when he was assaulted by an inmate in the Center Rotunda at the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton.
Keeper Van Houten was conducting a disciplinary hearing for the inmate when the man attacked him, knocking him down and fracturing his hip. His condition continued to deteriorate and he eventually died as a result the following year.
Centre Keeper Van Houten had served with the New Jersey Department of Corrections for 40 years and was the agency's oldest serving officer at the time of his assault.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NJ-73BD6E0B- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
130 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Centre Keeper Van Houten gave the New Jersey Department of Corrections 40 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of New Jersey. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Centre Keeper Jacob Grandine Van Houten is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In NJ, 264 of 646 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 40.9% of this state's fallen. That is 13.3 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.
At New Jersey Department of Corrections, 16 of 32 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Jacob Grandine Van Houten's cause is highlighted.
How Jacob Grandine Van Houten Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Jacob Grandine Van Houten is highlighted in Apr.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Jacob Grandine Van Houten was killed by person.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
31 officers from New Jersey Department of Corrections are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
