Employees of Maryland prison face prison time for alleged assault

Sometimes life can surprise us, especially when it comes to the law and who is supposedly breaking it. According to recent news reports, two Maryland employees who are responsible for making sure inmates are in line may have fallen out of line with the law themselves.

The Washington Post reports that two correctional officers from a Maryland facility are currently on administrative leave from their posts because of some pretty serious, startling accusations. They are both being charged with second-degree assault. The alleged victim: an inmate who was in their care.

What the public too often forgets is that prison inmates don’t lose all rights when they are serving their time. There is no reason why any inmate, no matter the criminal conviction, should expect that his or her life is at risk while behind bars, especially at the hands of a facility employee.

Reports indicate that the two correctional officers who are accused of the prison assault used excessive force against an inmate while in his cell late last month. The victim allegedly was handcuffed at the time, meaning he would have been little threat versus the two officers.

While inmates have rights to live freely from cruel, excessive force, it is still crucial to remember that the defendants in this case still deserve a fair shake at justice. Of course, their employment is on the line as a result of the allegation of violence, but they could also have to serve 10 years in prison if convicted of the assault charges. When that time is on the line, any defendant deserves a vigilant defense.

Source

The Washington Times (Blog): “Assault charges for 2 Md. correctional officers,” Oct. 6, 2011