A former Kentucky corrections officer charged with dozens cases of sexual assault, drug trafficking and misconduct all of which he admitted will serve no jail time. In a plea deal he gets seven years of probation.
Former corrections officer, James Johnson, 54 was arrested by
State Police following an investigation where they determined he
was trafficking drugs to inmates and sexually abusing them at the
Kentucky Correctional Institute of Women in Peewee Valley,
according to WLKY-TV.
Johnson’s attorney, Mary Rives said about her client “He is
really eager to put this behind him. We thought it was a good
resolution for all parties involved.”
Prison guard gets 2 years probation for 25 sexually assaults of prisoners???? http://t.co/fdqoMt0JII Time for #DOJ to step in? #cjreform
— Deborah Golden (@DebGoldenDC) October 22, 2014
Kentucky State Police Detective Kevin Calhoon said at the time of
the arrest in 2011, the detectives revealed that Johnson, a
sergeant at the prison who had worked there for nine years, was
supplying controlled substances to female inmates and sexually
abusing them. After the arrest, Johnson was dismissed.
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Johnson was eventually charged with 25 counts of sexual abuse, trafficking controlled substances, and 50 counts of official misconduct. Johnson maintained his innocence during the court proceedings but accepted a plea deal on Monday that requires him to attend a diversion program. He was also sentenced to seven years of probation – five years for drug trafficking and only two years for dozens cases of sexual abuse.
Oh, apparently in KY it's cool to sell drugs to and abuse captive women, as long as you're a Corrections Officer. http://t.co/BgE96vkvIY
— driveswift (@Driveswift) October 21, 2014
Rives told WLKY-TV at the Shelby Circuit Court that her client
entered his plea under North Carolina v. Alford where a defendant
can enter a guilty plea while still protesting his innocence.
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While the details of the case have not been specified in new reports what is known is the indictment alleged the sexual abuse took place between January through July 2011. One inmate has been paroled, and others remain incarcerated, according to the Associated Press.
KY prison system avoids scandal by letting sexual abuser guard (25counts) avoid jail. http://t.co/NmEMZmU6Af#KYsen#p2
— Sharon (@srb2245) October 21, 2014
The lack of prison time has shocked many concerned about the
welfare of prisoners. It is doubly unusual when Kentucky
lawmakers changed their laws concerning sex between prison staff
and inmates in 2010. Under the provision prison guards, jailers
and other staffs who oversee inmate could be charged with felony
rape and sodomy for having consensual sex with prisoners. Prior
to the change corrections officers faced only misdemeanor charges
for consensual sex with inmates.
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The US Department of Justice found that from 2008 to 2009, 2.8 percent of state and federal prisoners and 2 percent of jail prisoners reported at least one incident of sexual victimization by a corrections employee – that’s 57,000 incidents – 36, 800 were described by the Opposing Views as “unwilling.”