Former correctional officer Willie Redden has pleaded guilty to conspiring with other officers to assault and injure inmates at Macon State Prison in Oglethorpe, Ga.
Redden, 24, of Albany, Ga., admitted to his role in the 2010 beatings, which left one inmate unresponsive and requiring hospital transport via ambulance.
The Correctional Emergency Response Team (CERT) member pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the civil rights of inmates, in incidents that were allegedly used as punishment.
In connection with his guilty plea, Redden acknowledged that more senior officers told him to write a false report and stick to their cover story when speaking with investigators.
"Mr. Redden admitted today that instead of lawfully carrying out his public safety responsibilities, he conspired with fellow officers to assault inmates and then cover up those assaults," said Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Thomas E. Perez.
"The Justice Department will continue to vigorously prosecute officers who cross the line and engage in criminal misconduct," Perez added.
Redden faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. His sentencing date has not yet been set.
"When people are incarcerated, the sentence they are required to serve is their time locked up in prison," said U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia Michael J. Moore. "It is not a part of their sentence that they be subjected to beatings by the correctional officers."
This case is being investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Special Litigation Counsel Forrest Christian and Trial Attorney Tona Boyd of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.
Redden’s guilty plea is a significant blow to the Corrections Department, which has faced repeated allegations of abuse and misconduct in the past.
The Justice Department has vowed to continue its efforts to hold officers accountable for their actions, and to protect the rights of inmates across the country.
Redden is expected to be sentenced in the coming months, although a specific date has not been set.
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