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Table of Contents

Convicted: Alabama Correctional Supervisor Watched As Inmate Was Beaten

A former Alabama correctional supervisor has been convicted of failing to stop a prisoner from being assaulted by an officer under his command. Former shift commander Willie M. Burks III, 42, was found guilty by a federal jury on July 21, 2021, after a three-day trial.

The evidence presented during the trial showed that Burks watched as his subordinate, Sergeant Ulysses Oliver, punched, kicked, and beat a handcuffed inmate with a baton at the Elmore Correctional Facility. When Oliver turned himself in and an investigation was triggered, Burks instructed him to write in his report that Burks had told him to stop, even though that was not true.

“The Constitution requires officers to take reasonable steps to stop excessive force when they know of it and have the power to stop it,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division. “Defendant Burks defied the Constitution, and ignored his oath as a law enforcement officer, when he casually watched a handcuffed and defenseless inmate in his custody being assaulted by an officer under his command.”

Burks is the fourth correctional officer to be convicted in federal court in connection with the assault. Former ADOC Sergeant Ulysses Oliver previously pleaded guilty for assaulting the inmate, and former Corrections Officers Briana Mosley and Leon Williams, who were also present during the assault, previously pleaded guilty for failing to intervene.

Burks will be sentenced in November and faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Mobile Division and ADOC’s Law Enforcement Services Division, with assistance from the Civil Rights Division.

The conviction is a significant step towards justice for the victim and all those affected by the abuse. “Correctional officers have an incredibly difficult and important job, but cases like this damage public trust and make the job they do more difficult,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Stewart for the Middle District of Alabama.

Former Alabama correctional supervisor Willie M. Burks III was convicted of failing to stop a prisoner from being assaulted by an officer under his command, a crime that has shaken the trust of the public and the correctional community. The guilty verdict sends a strong message that officers who commit federal civil rights violations will be held accountable for their actions.