JAIL GUARD PROMOTES VIOLENCE
According to a story published Wednesday in the New York Times, Lloyd Nicholson, a 35 year-old guard at Riker’s Island, was arrested and has been charged with gang assault, assault, and official misconduct by the Bronx district attorney’s office. This transpired after it is alleged that guard Nicholson encouraged one group of inmates to assault another group for his purpose of maintaining order and enforcing prison discipline.
The Times story reported that the charges against Nicholson are a result of his direction to six inmates to beat three other inmates-resulting in one being treated for a collapsed lung. The six inmates were charged last October in the beatings. Apparently Nicholson rewarded the inmates who followed his directions by allowing them to take personal property and telephone privileges from other inmates. It is reported that authorities have indicated that Nicholson personally beat another inmate with a stick. According to the Times article, the motive for Nicholson’s actions was apparently that it freed him up from having to monitor his assigned post during his overnight shift.
District Attorney, Robert T. Johnson, indicated that under the most serious charge, gang assault, a felony, Nicholson could face up to 15 years in prison.
The Robert N. Davoren Center, located on Riker’s Island, houses both adolescents, 16 to 18 years old, and, separately, adult men.
Nicholson, who has worked as a city correction office since 2001, was released on a personal recognizance bond, and has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the trial according to the Department of Correction’s spokesman Stephen Morello.
Being in jail does not deny you the right to be free of unreasonable actions by prison guards. If you, or a loved one, has suffered injuries and other violations of your rights by vicious treatment at the hands of state or local employees the New York personal injury attorneys at Wingate, Russotti & Shapiro, L.L.P., would like to meet with you. Please call our office at 212-986-7353 to set up an appointment to discuss your case.
