PHILADELPHIA – Former Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility guard Christopher Knight, 47, confessed in federal court today to a string of brutal assaults on inmates. Knight pleaded guilty to five counts of civil rights violations and two counts of falsifying records, admitting he repeatedly pepper-sprayed helpless prisoners and then lied about it in official reports.
The indictment detailed attacks spanning January to March 2023. Court filings paint a picture of unprovoked violence: inmates sprayed while prone and handcuffed, attacked during routine escorts, and even targeted while writing letters. One victim was repeatedly doused with pepper spray even after being restrained. Another was sprayed while lying face down.
Knight didn’t just rely on the spray. He allegedly doctored “use of force” reports, conveniently leaving out details that would have revealed his own aggression. The FBI, aided by the Philadelphia Department of Prisons, investigated the case.
Knight faces up to 90 years in prison at his July 15th sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Priya DeSouza and Michael Miller are prosecuting.
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- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: U.S. Department of Justice
- Keywords: prison abuse, corrections officer, civil rights
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
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