MONTGOMERY, AL – Justice, though delayed, came down hard today for the brutal 2010 beating death of inmate Rocrast Mack at Ventress Correctional Facility in Clayton, Alabama. Four former corrections officers – Michael Smith, Matthew Davidson, Joseph Sanders, and Scottie Glenn – received federal sentences ranging from five to thirty years for their roles in the horrific crime and subsequent cover-up. The case exposes a dark underbelly of abuse within the Alabama Department of Corrections.
Michael Smith, 39, the former lieutenant with supervisory authority, bore the brunt of the sentencing, receiving a staggering 30 years imprisonment. A federal jury convicted Smith on June 25, 2013, on seven counts of civil rights violations and obstruction of justice. Evidence presented at trial painted a gruesome picture: Smith repeatedly striking Mack with a baton, stomping, and kicking him in a prison office. The assault didn’t end there. Smith allegedly continued the beating in the medical unit, repeatedly stomping on Mack’s head. Mack succumbed to his injuries the following morning at a Montgomery hospital.
Matthew Davidson, 45, received seven years after pleading guilty to two civil rights violations and one count of obstruction of justice. Joseph Sanders, 32, was sentenced to five years for his role in obstructing the investigation. Scottie Glenn, 30, also received a five-year sentence after pleading guilty to a civil rights violation and conspiracy. The collective sentences send a clear, if overdue, message that abuse of power within correctional facilities will not be tolerated.
“These defendants each played a role in the vicious and fatal beating of Mr. Mack, and then they lied to authorities to conceal their culpability,” stated Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Department’s Civil Rights Division, Jocelyn Samuels. “Their actions run completely counter to the responsibilities and trust given to law enforcement officers. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously prosecute those officers who commit such heinous criminal acts, and I hope that these sentencings help bring some measure of closure to the Mack family.”
U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama, George L. Beck Jr., echoed Samuels’ sentiment, stating, “The majority of our corrections officers are dedicated to protecting and serving the public…These correctional officers were not so dedicated. These correctional officers savagely beat, stomped, and tortured a restrained man and then lied to protect themselves. There is no excuse for such behavior.” Beck emphasized the crucial line officers cannot cross – the boundary between maintaining order and engaging in criminal activity.
The investigation was a joint effort between the Mobile, Ala., Division of the FBI and the Alabama Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerusha Adams and Trial Attorney Patricia Sumner led the prosecution. The case serves as a chilling reminder of the potential for abuse within the corrections system and the importance of accountability. While the sentences offer a degree of justice, the scars of this brutal incident will undoubtedly remain for the Mack family and those who witnessed the systemic failures that allowed it to occur.
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Key Facts
- State: Alabama
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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