Florida

Former Florida Guard Guilty of Conspiring to Assault Inmates

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NBC

A former Florida prison guard has been convicted of conspiring to assault young inmates at a South Florida facility.

Terrance Reynolds, 30, was found guilty Monday in Miami federal court of conspiring to commit civil rights violations, according to court records. His sentencing is scheduled for May 5.

“In the Southern District of Florida, abuse by corrections officers will not be tolerated," U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan said in statement. “If you are an officer who violates the civil rights of those entrusted to your protection, know this: My Office will prosecute you.”

Reynolds and another former guard, Brendan Butler, were working at the South Florida Reception Center in March 2017 when they instructed three youthful offenders to exit their housing unit and go into a mop closet, prosecutors said. Once inside, Reynolds and Butler assaulted one of the inmates with a stick, investigators said. The following day, Reynolds and Butler assaulted one of the other inmates to punish him for being disrespectful, officials said.

Butler was previously sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to violate the inmates’ civil rights.

Inmates may be classified as youthful offenders by a court or the Department of Corrections, and are generally 24 years old or younger.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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