Judge Orders More Cameras After Prison Abuse Allegations

Credit: Theron Trowbridge / Foter / CC BY-NC

A federal court has ordered a North Carolina prison to install more security cameras, following allegations that guards deliberately dragged inmates into blind spots to severely beat them.

After hearing testimony that "malicious and sadistic" beatings were deliberately conducted where cameras would not catch them, "U.S. District Judge Terrence Boyle instructed attorneys representing the North Carolina prison system on Thursday to bring him the state's plan for installing new Central Prison security cameras," according to the Raleigh New & Observer.

Jerome Peters, a 48-year-old inmate of Central Prison claims that while handcuffed and shackled around the ankles, he was dragged to the ground and beaten by a group of guards, ultimately "suffer[ing] fractured bones in his hand, face and pelvic area."

The lawyers representing Peters and seven other plaintiffs allege that cameras did catch some footage, but prison officials deleted it. Because of this, "Boyle also instructed the attorneys to include details for how the maximum-security facility plans to preserve security camera images weeks longer than the current practice." The judge gave the prison 10 days to revise their system.

The 19 guards and their lawyers called for the case to be dismissed, but the judge denied it. The Associated Press reports:

State attorneys say there is no merit to the allegations. Corrections officers use force with inmates relatively rarely, but must have that option with up to 192 inmates in the prison's solitary confinement block sent there for offenses committed behind bars, state attorneys wrote in court documents. Likewise, the defendants argue that they acted in retaliation after Peters hit, spat on, and threw urine at guards.

However, Peters contends that he was victimized after filing internal complaints about receiving meals that went against his dietary restrictions. His lawyers added that the beatings, which left him confined to a wheelchair for months, violate the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. 

Comments

[Dibbler]

I've only been to jail, not prison, for a week. But that was more than long enough to realize the criminals without the cages are much more violent and deranged than those within.

[Libertymike]

You be right.

[Kevin47]

My father is in prison. He can only speak to what he sees, but says a lot of these cases play off the emotions of people who see this stuff on TV.

For example, there aren't a lot of nooks and crannies where guards can take you to go beat you (or for inmates to take you and rape you). Prisons are designed to be privacy free zones.

By my lights (and his), guards tend to make life miserable for prisoners through basic incompetence and the condescending belligerence that comes with unearned authority. But the idea cops are bashing inmate skulls on the reg is not supported by his experience.

And there is obviously a lot of incentive to drum up false charges in these cases.

[Almanian!]

But this would violate the Peace Officers' right to privacy. It's illegal for civilians to record Officers.

Besides, it....violates their right to privacy!

/bootlicker derp

[anon]

I'm sure more cameras will fix everything.