An Inmate Is Suing the U.S. Prison System, Alleging Guards Laughed as He Was Raped and Beaten
An unnamed inmate in Colorado is suing the Federal Bureau of Prisons over abuse he received at a Supermax facility. The lawsuit alleges prison guards knowingly put him with an inmate who threatened to rape him. According to this prison rape lawsuit, the guards even smiled and walked away as he was raped and beaten.
The lawsuit says threats against the inmate began on Aug. 6, 2014. Eight members of an American Indian prison gang named “The Boys” threatened him. One of the gang members was William Mexican. Mexican and two other gang members accused the inmate of being gay, and the gang “voted him off the yard.” That means they’d attack him if he didn’t go into segregation.
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The inmate told prison officials about the threats. One official allegedly only smiled at the request, and other officers investigated by asking the gang members. All gang members denied the allegations except for Mexican, who “openly admitted to having made threats” and said he “would have issues” if the inmate were returned to the yard.
Despite Mexican admitting to the threats, prison officials formally disciplined the victim, calling him “deceitful” about the threats. On Oct. 8, the prison put him in the same cell as Mexican. The lawsuit says Mexican taunted him in front of the guards, asking “Are you nervous?” and telling the officers “he will be fine.”
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Unfortunately, the victim was not fine. Mexican beat and raped the victim repeatedly over three days, bragging about his previous offenses, threatening to stab the inmate if he went to authorities and forcing him to clean blood from the walls and floor.
The lawsuit says the inmate repeatedly pressed a “duress” button, but the signal was ignored. On Oct. 10, he told officers Mexican had caused a number of injuries. The officer who took him to the hospital laughed when the inmate said he’d been beaten.
Mexican even admits to the assault, saying he didn’t want other inmates to think he “condoned homosexuality.”
Featured image by Dmetsov via iStock
