– Prison guards using Tasers on inmates who fail drug tests
– Guards Tasing prisoners for drug test failures and dishonesty.
Accident – Death – Obituary News : Inmates at Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex in Morgan County faced a harrowing choice last year when their urine tested positive for illegal drug use. They were given an ultimatum by the guards – either face the official penalties, which included loss of privileges and solitary confinement, or opt to be Tasered as a form of entertainment for the prison staff.
The guards used state-issued Axon Taser 7 weapons, typically meant for defensive purposes, to administer painful electric shocks to the inmates. This practice, referred to as “riding the lightning,” allowed the guards to keep the test results off the records by allowing the inmates to discard their tainted urine samples.
During the monthly urine testing in April 2023, several inmates at the facility chose to endure the electric shocks rather than face the consequences of failing the drug test. However, the experience left them traumatized and in pain.
Inmate Samuel Daniels from Louisville described the ordeal, stating, “They Tased the shit out of me! On my arm! Smelled like burnt skin all night, with scabs on it.” Another inmate, Jason Gowers from Elizabethtown, expressed his frustration, saying, “Either you get Tased or take the dirty.”
The abuse faced by the inmates did not go unnoticed, as seven of them filed a federal civil-rights lawsuit against four guards and Warden James David Green. The lawsuit alleges excessive force, cruel and unusual punishment, and an environment of fear and retaliation within the prison.
Attorney Joseph Buckles, representing the inmates, condemned the actions of the guards, calling it sadistic and revealing that such incidents had been occurring at the facility for years. An internal investigation conducted by the Kentucky Department of Corrections confirmed the Tasering incidents as described by the inmates.
The lawsuit further claims that inmates were sometimes given the choice of either being Tasered or drinking their own urine samples, a practice vehemently denied by the Department of Corrections. However, Buckles stood by the urine-drinking allegation, stating that some inmates opted for the extreme measure to avoid being Tasered.
Three of the guards involved were terminated and faced misdemeanor charges in court, while the fourth guard, who cooperated with investigators, received a suspension. Warden James David Green, who was not directly implicated in the abuse, submitted his retirement notice amidst the scandal.
This incident marks the second major inmate abuse scandal at the Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex in recent years. In 2018, a group of guards assaulted an inmate in a separate incident, leading to convictions and jail sentences for the perpetrators.
The revelation of the inmate abuse came to light due to the efforts of Carla Harris, the mother of one of the inmates involved in the lawsuit. Harris’s persistent complaints to government officials triggered an internal investigation that exposed the shocking mistreatment of inmates at the facility.
The guards involved in the Tasering incidents were ultimately dismissed from their positions and faced criminal charges. While the Department of Corrections asserted that the system worked by taking appropriate disciplinary action, critics argue that the lack of accountability and transparency within the prison system allows such abuses to persist.
In conclusion, the lawsuit filed by the inmates sheds light on the systemic issues of abuse and misconduct within the Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex. The case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of oversight and accountability in the treatment of incarcerated individuals..
KY prison guards Tasered inmates failed drug tests
KY prison guards Tasered inmates lied about it.
