A former corrections officer at Bayside State Prison was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison for allowing two inmates to be assaulted in front of him.
Joshua Hand, 35, of Millville, pleaded guilty in February to a charge of depriving the men of their civil right not to be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment.
The first victim was assaulted in December 2019, according to the charges.
Hand was inside the officers’ quarters within the kitchen area of Bayside State Prison when the first victim was summoned to that room.
Shortly after the victim entered the officers’ quarters, the exit door was blocked and the victim was assaulted by several inmates and taken down to the floor. Hand watched and did not attempt to intervene when multiple inmates pinned and restrained the victim on the floor while other inmates delivered multiple punches and other blows to the victim’s torso, arms and legs.
Hand did not report this assault to his supervisors or medical personnel despite knowing that he was required to do so.
Later that same day, the second victim was in the officers’ quarters at the prison with Hand and another corrections officer. Without provocation, the other corrections officer struck the second victim in the legs multiple times with a broomstick.
During the assault of the second victim, Hand remained within arm’s reach of the assault and had a reasonable opportunity to intervene but did not attempt to do so. Once again, Hand did not report this assault to his supervisors or medical personnel.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Karen Williams sentenced Hand to three years of supervised release and fined him $10,000.
U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark, with the investigation. He also thanked the New Jersey Department of Corrections, under the direction of Commissioner Victoria Kuhn, for its assistance.
