Guards Were Accused of Battering Inmates Before Murder
A scathing report released by the state’s watchdog agency on Thursday accused a maximum-security prison in Colorado of a pattern of brutality, alleging that correctional officers regularly used excessive force and battered inmates before one man’s lethal shooting.
According to the report, the night shift at the Harry M.auer Supermaximum Custody Unit in Canon City, Colorado, was marked by a culture of abuse and intimidation, with guards using pepper spray, Taser guns, and batons to discipline inmates on a regular basis.
The report, which was the result of a two-year investigation, also accused the prison’s administration of failing to adequately investigate allegations of abuse, and of creating a culture of silence among guards who were reluctant to report incidents of misconduct by their peers.
The report cited a number of specific incidents in which inmates were allegedly beaten or otherwise mistreated, including one instance in which an inmate was left with a bloody ear and a broken nose after being beaten and hogtied by a group of guards.
The report’s findings have been echoed by several former inmates who have spoken publicly about their own experiences of being abused and mistreated while incarcerated at the facility. Many have described a culture of fear and intimidation, in which guards held significant power over inmates and were quick to resort to violence to discipline and punish them.
The report’s release has sparked outrage among civil rights advocates and lawmakers, who are calling for immediate action to address the systemic problems at the facility. “This report is a devastating indictment of the department’s failure to protect its most vulnerable residents,” said one state senator. “We need to take concrete steps to ensure that our prisons are safe and humane, not places where abuse and mistreatment are the norm.”