A New Jersey grand jury indicted 14 correction officers for their part in a brutal attack on inmates at the state's only prison for women.
The indictments were handed up by the grand jury after a yearlong investigation, according to the acting attorney general.
Attorneys for the guards said they would fight the allegations in court. The charges include conspiracy, official malfeasance, and assault.
The departure of the state's corrections commissioner and Gov. Phil Murphy's declaration that he will close the prison were among the consequences of the indictments.
The state paid out millions to a woman who was paralyzed after her neck was broken. They won't be charged.
A picture of what happened in January 2021, based on accounts from law enforcement, videos released by authorities, and a report commissioned by the governor, is emerging.
A video clip shows five prison guards wearing helmets and chest, back and shoulder armor, filing into the cell of a woman at the prison and hitting and punching her in the head. The woman told the man to stop punching her.
Guards used excessive force on inmates and filed false reports after they removed inmates from their cells, according to a report commissioned by Murphy. Male guards were allowed to view female inmates during strip searches in violation of policy.
There was a coordinated effort by some inmates to attack prison guards in the days leading up to the attack, according to the report. Liquids, including urine and feces, are thrown at them. The head of the labor union for prison guards said that things were at a boiling point.
Murphy said he would close the prison after the episode.
Lawmakers called for the ousting of theCorrections Commissioner who resigned.
The Justice Department entered into a consent agreement with the state because they did not protect inmates from sexual abuse. A federal monitor was put in place at the prison.
Everyone who was involved in the brutal assaults in January will be held accountable.
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