Corrections Officers Plotted to Ambush Inmates Awaiting Release

A New Jersey corrections officer, who stood by during two separate inmate attacks in an officer’s quarters, has been sentenced to prison. Joshua Hand, 35, received a sentence of 20 months, followed by three years of supervised release and a $10,000 fine, according to an announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Hand pleaded guilty in February to charges of depriving two inmates of their right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment. The incidents occurred between April and December 2019 at Bayside State Prison in Leesburg, New Jersey. The defense attorney representing Hand has not yet responded to requests for comment.

Court documents reveal that such attacks were commonplace at the prison, often occurring during a so-called “going away party” for inmates nearing the end of their sentences or about to be transferred. Corrections officers were said to have orchestrated these assaults, enlisting other inmates to carry them out. In some instances, the officers themselves either assisted in restraining the inmate or directly participated in the assault.

The assaults were strategically carried out in areas of the prison’s kitchen that were not covered by surveillance cameras, ensuring no visual record of the incidents. The indictment details two separate assaults on two different inmates that took place on December 5, 2019.

The first assault occurred shortly before the scheduled release of the first victim. He was called to the officers’ quarters by Hand’s colleague, identified in court documents as John Makos, 44. Upon entering the quarters, the exit was blocked and the victim was attacked by several inmates, with Hand and Makos watching. The victim was held down while others delivered blows to his torso, arms, and legs. Despite being injured, the victim did not report the assault for fear of delaying his release date.

Later the same day, a second victim was assaulted in the officers’ quarters. Without any provocation, Makos struck the victim multiple times in the legs with a broomstick, while Hand looked on. Makos has also pleaded guilty in the case and received a sentence of 30 months.