3 Officers Charged After Women Inmates Beaten At NJ Prison

UNION, NJ — Three suspended correctional officers were charged for their roles where women inmates were severely beaten at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women on Jan. 12, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced.

Authorities said Correctional Police Officer Luis (aka Lisandro) A. Garcia, 23, of Nutley was involved in forcing the women inmates out of their cells while two supervisors Sgt. Amir E. Bethea, 35, of Springfield, and Sgt. Anthony J. Valvano, 38, of Bound Brook watched and did not intervene, said Grewal.

"Edna Mahan has a long, ugly history— one that has justifiably attracted scrutiny from county, state, and federal investigators," said Grewal. "That’s why we must do more than simply figure out what went wrong on January 11. We must hold the responsible parties accountable, and we must fix the systemic failures that made this incident possible. I’m committed to using the full resources of my office and, with the assistance of the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office, we will tackle this problem head on."

In one of the incidents just after midnight on Jan. 12, one inmate was pepper-sprayed before five correctional officers entered her cell. A video shows Garcia punched the inmate with a closed fist about 28 times in the face area while she was pressed against the cell wall with her arms up trying to cover her face to protect herself, said Grewal.

The woman had serious bodily injuries including a concussion and facial injuries, according to Grewal.

Afterward, Garcia allegedly submitted a false report stating the inmate "was throwing punches towards my torso" as he tried to restrain her, said Grewal.

Bethea was also present and watched as Garcia punched the inmate, according to the report.

Later that morning at around 1:13 a.m., Bethea and Valvano were also present, watched, and did not intervene when one or more correction officers handcuffed another inmate and punched her, said Grewal.

That inmate suffered visible injuries to her right eye, which was later determined to be an orbital wall fracture.

Valvano allegedly submitted a false report stating the inmate was "banging her head into the cell door and that her cell door had to be breached to prevent further injuries after she was handcuffed," said Grewal.

Garcia was charged with second-degree aggravated assault, second-degree official misconduct, and third-degree tampering with public records or information.

Both Bethea and Valvano were charged with second-degree official misconduct and third-degree tampering with public records or information.

"I am grateful to Attorney General Grewal for taking swift action and filing criminal charges in the wake of the horrifying incident at Edna Mahan on January 11, which resulted in severe injury to several inmates. Among other things, the indictment alleges that corrections officers committed official misconduct by abusing their office to injure or deprive individuals under their care. Any abuse of power is abhorrent and violates the public trust, and can never be tolerated or excused," said Gov. Phil Murphy.

More charges are likely as this is an ongoing investigation by the Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) and the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office, conducted with the help of the New Jersey Department of Corrections (DOC) Special Investigations Division.

American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey Executive Director Amol Sinha said the charges Thursday was an important step in fixing the state's prison system.

"Against the backdrop of long-documented patterns of abuse and retaliation at Edna Mahan and in other facilities around the state, New Jersey must recommit to ending mass incarceration, dismantling its worst-in-the-nation racial disparities in prison, and protecting all people in custody, including transgender people, who are at heightened risk of violence in prison," said Sinha. "Now more than ever, New Jersey has an opportunity to invest in meaningful and robust corrections oversight by fully implementing the Dignity Act and ensuring the Office of the Corrections Ombudsperson is equipped to address the systemic issues that are the backdrop to this terrible violence."

• Read More: Murphy 'Sickened' By Report Of Women Inmates Beaten At NJ Prison

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