Category Archive for : ‘CORRECTIONS OFFICER’

A federal appeals court issued a ruling earlier this month in a Texas case that helps explainwhy so many prison or jail inmates are sexually assaulted by their guards and why so little is doneabout it. It’s not just lax training and oversight within facilities. It’s not justpoor recruitment practices. It’s also layer upon layer of nearly insurmountable legalstandards crafted over time by judges and legislators to protect corrections officers, theirsupervisors, and, ultimately, local budgets.

Consider the case of Ezmerelda Rivera. In December 2014 she and her husband were arrested forpublic

Three male correction officers have been arrested on charges they sexually abused femaleprisoners at a federal prison in Brooklyn.

Prosecutors say one of the men, Carlos Richard Martinez, could face life in prison if he isconvicted of charges he repeatedly raped an inmate who he knew spoke minimal English, had fewvisitors and would eventually be deported.

According to the criminal complaint, Martinez was responsible for conducting rounds to identifyand deter staff sexual abuse and sexual harassment. He also educated staff regarding the PrisonRape Elimination Act (“PREA”) protocols and incidents.

Martinez is accused of

newsday.com/Ann Givens

Mark Barber, a 50 year old former Nassau correction officer, is accused of sexually abusingseveral female inmates.  The prosecutor said he chose his victims carefully, selecting thosewho would be least believable if they ever complained about him.  Jurors are expected to begindeliberating Tuesday on the charges against Barber that include rape, official misconduct, forcibletouching and promoting prison contraband.  If he is found guilty of the most serious chargesagainst him he faces up to 20 years in prison.  Between 2007 and 2009, Barber madearrangements so he could be alone

Huffingtonpost.com

Robert Buchanan, a 45 year old Cook County sheriff’s correctional officer, has been chargedwith sexual assault of his 10 year old step daughter based on DNA results from a rape kit testedten years after the incident took place.  In 1997, the victim reported multiple incidents ofsexual assault over seven months in the home she shared with Buchanan and her mother.  InAugust of that year, a rape kit was administered at a hospital and submitted to the Harvey PoliceDepartment where it was never tested.  In 2007, the Cook County state’s

FBI

Elie Quinonez, 35, of Pueblo, Colorado, was sentenced earlier this week to serve 72 months (6years) in federal prison for possessing child pornography.  Quinonez was a church pastor aswell as a correctional officer in Weld County.  He is free on bond and was ordered to reportto a facility chosen by the Bureau of Prisons within 15 days of designation.  Following hissix year prison sentence, he was ordered to serve an additional 5 years of supervisedrelease.  Quinonez was also ordered to register as a sex offender and cooperate in thecollection

Captain Dominick Labruzzi, a 30 year old jail captain accused of fondling teenage inmates on Rikers Island, has been arrested after a month-long investigation.  The male inmates, ages 16 to 19, told investigators Labruzzi took them to locked areas of the jail, including a secluded basement section, touched some through their clothes and forced others to disrobe.  At least two of the inmates was asked for oral sex.  Labruzzi, a correction officer for five years, will be suspended immediately.  He is charged with 10 counts each of endangering the welfare