Matthew Ware, Detainee Abuse, Oklahoma 2024

A former supervisory corrections officer at the Kay County Detention Center in Newkirk, Oklahoma, is facing federal charges after allegedly orchestrating violent attacks on pretrial detainees. Matthew Ware, once trusted to uphold order behind bars, now stands accused of weaponizing his authority to expose vulnerable inmates to brutal harm.

A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment charging Ware with deliberate indifference to a substantial risk of serious harm — a felony violation of detainees’ civil rights. Prosecutors allege that on May 18, 2017, Ware ordered subordinates to move two pretrial detainees, identified only as D.W. and M.M., into a cell row occupied by inmates he knew were dangerous. He then instructed officers to unlock their cells simultaneously — a decision that triggered a violent assault. Both D.W. and M.M. suffered bodily injury.

The indictment reveals a pattern of systemic abuse. On January 31, 2018, Ware again abused his position, this time ordering corrections officers to restrain another pretrial detainee, C.D., in an unreasonable and dangerous manner. That detainee also sustained bodily injury, according to federal prosecutors. The acts, carried out under color of law, strike at the core of constitutional protections afforded even to those awaiting trial.

Ware, acting in his official capacity at the Kay County Detention Center, is accused of not only permitting but actively directing harm. The charges hinge on the argument that his actions — or deliberate inaction — reflected a conscious disregard for human safety. Federal authorities stress that corrections officers who violate civil rights undermine public trust and will be held accountable.

If convicted on any single count, Matthew Ware faces up to 10 years in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. With three counts pending, the potential penalties mount, signaling a severe response from federal prosecutors determined to root out abuse in local detention facilities.

The case was investigated by the FBI’s Oklahoma City Field Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Barry of the Western District of Oklahoma and Trial Attorney Laura Gilson of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. An indictment is not evidence of guilt. Matthew Ware is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.