Robin Smith, a former corrections officer at the Alvin S. Glenn
Detention Center in Richland County, S.C., pleaded guilty today in
federal court in Columbia, S.C., to violating the civil rights of a
pre-trial detainee.
During his guilty plea, Smith admitted that on Feb. 11, 2012, while
working as a corrections officer, he used unreasonable, unprovoked force
against a restrained inmate with mental illness. During the course of a
routine search of the victim’s cell, Smith twisted the victim’s wrist
and arm and kicked him in the upper body. During the assault, the
victim was lying on the floor of the cell with one hand cuffed. The
victim was not combative and did not pose a threat to Smith.
“The overwhelming majority of correctional officers dispatch their
difficult duties with honor and professionalism,” said Acting Assistant
Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels for the Civil Rights Division. “The
Justice Department will aggressively prosecute those who cross the line
to engage in acts of criminal misconduct.”
“Every minute of every day, corrections officers across this state
handle extraordinarily difficult situations in a way that protects the
detainees, the institution and the public,” said U.S. Attorney Bill
Nettles for the District of South Carolina. “However, when a
corrections officer’s conduct crosses the line between lawful use of
force and an abuse of authority, we will take that case before the grand
jury.”
U.S. Attorney Nettles thanked Sheriff Lott and the Richland County
Sheriff’s Department for their commitment to the investigation, without
which the prosecution would have been nearly impossible. Today’s plea
resulted from the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation and the Richland County Sheriff’s Office. The case is
being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Jared Fishman and Nicholas Murphy
for the Civil Rights Division, and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Beth
Drake for the District of South Carolina.
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