Derek Steven Clark, Civil Rights Violations, Kentucky 2021

LONDON, Ky. – A former Rockcastle County Deputy Jailer has been found guilty of violating the civil rights of an inmate in his custody. Derek Steven Clark, 25, was sentenced to 39 months in federal prison on Thursday, before U.S. District Court Judge Claria Horn Boom, for his role in the assault of the victim.

Clark was convicted by a federal jury in July 2020 for violating the civil rights of an inmate. According to testimony at trial, Clark and others placed the inmate into a restraint chair. Clark then aided and commanded the assault of the victim by another inmate, which resulted in bodily injury.

After the incident, Clark completed an official incident report, which falsely stated that the inmate began spitting at deputy jailers, causing two inmates to intervene. However, the evidence established that Clark and others placed the inmate into the restraint chair, and the inmate did not become physically combative or spit at deputies before being punched by the inmate.

Under federal law, Clark must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence and will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for two years, following his release.

Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and James Robert Brown, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentence.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hydee Hawkins.

On Thursday, an unspecified date in 2020, Derek Steven Clark, a former Rockcastle County Deputy Jailer, was convicted by a federal jury for violating the civil rights of an inmate. The crime occurred in 2020, in the Eastern District of Kentucky, under federal law.

The defendant was found guilty of violating the civil rights of the inmate, resulting in bodily injury. Clark was sentenced to 39 months in federal prison, with 33.35 months to be served.

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