Louisiana has Fired 30 Juvenile Prison Guards in past 8 Months - Abusing Inmates

• Originally published by 2theAdvocate.com on 9/28/2004 [here ]
  

Prison officials cite abuse in guard firings
 
By BRETT TROXLER
btroxler@wbrz.com
2theadvocate.com staff

State officials announced Wednesday 30 juvenile prison guards have been fired for physically abusing inmates. Officials said the guards are from Jetson Correctional in Baton Rouge, Bridge City and Swanson Correctional Facility in Monroe.

Thirty guards have been fired from three juvenile correctional facilities around the state in an effort to end physical abuse of inmates.  Prison officials said the abuse is a problem that has been on the rise over the last few years. The abuse resulted in everything from bruises to broken bones, officials said.

"We've trained our staff to use force appropriately," said Simon Gonsoulin of Louisiana Youth Development. "There are times of course when using force is an appropriate approach to handling a situation."

Officials with the Department of Corrections said that on at least 30 occasions the use of force was inappropriate. As a result of the incidents, DOC has fired 30 guards from the three state facilities in the last eight months.

"The problem is not the injuries," Gonsoulin said. "The problem is the rule violation."

The DOC has had specific rules in place against abuse of inmates for years. These rules include corporal punishment -- using physical pain as punishment -- along with unnecessary and excessive force.

"This to me is a very proactive stance on the part of this agency to get rid of these people who are not going to fall in line with what the vision is," Gonsoulin said.

Corrections officials said they have identified the dorms where more violence takes place and have added more guards. Officials report violence has gone down in those areas at Jetson by 25 percent.

Attorney Cleo Fields said he is working with several victims who were inmates at Jetson, and he is planning to file lawsuits for the abuses.