“I’VE NO DOUBT THE BEATINGS TOOK PLACE”
by Sharon Rondeau
(Aug. 4, 2017) — The Post & Email has received a letter from an inmate at the Morgan County Correctional Complex (MCCX) in Wartburg, TN confirming the accounts of several others who have claimed that correction officers at the facility are physically abusive to inmates without cause.
Relatives of those incarcerated at the prison have described scenarios in which correction officers (COs) encourage inmates to fight one another and injure themselves for the COs’ entertainment.
Inmates who are wheelchair-bound are reportedly not spared.
As The Post & Email has reported, the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) has denied all reports that its staff are not adhering to TDOC published policies.
“The things that are going on here at MCCX will shock you. Its [sic] really bad here and extremely dangerous,” the inmate wrote. “Staff here will beat an inmate without hesitation. And I believe they’d kill an inmate just as quick.”
This publication has been told by more than one individual that a “Sgt. Cashmore” is particularly abusive to inmates. The treatment has been termed by some as “hands-on training.”
Based on his observations and conversations with others claiming to have been assaulted by prison staff, the inmate said, “I’ve no doubt the beatings took place.”
Tennessee law requires wardens to assure that the inmates placed in their custody are “treated with humanity and kindness.”