Dont ComplyThe U.S. Department of Justice announced that Michael Pack, 40, a former correctional officer at Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for a conspiracy to violate inmates' rights. Pack pleaded guilty on March 30 to one count under 18 U.S.C. § 371. According to court records cited by the department, Pack admitted that he and co-conspirators struck inmates, including pretrial detainees, as punishment, often taking them to camera blind spots. He admitted that officers repeatedly struck one detainee and used OC spray on him for kicking his cell door, and that he did not intervene when a handcuffed detainee was assaulted in an interview room. Pack also admitted writing a false report that omitted the detainee's transfer to that room and denied any injury. The release reports no response from Pack beyond his guilty plea.
Why it matters
The case involves force used against people in government custody, including pretrial detainees, and false reports meant to avoid accountability. It shows how camera blind spots and inaccurate paperwork can hinder oversight of jail conditions.
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