The Miami Department of Corrections has announced the dismissal of 32 prison guards this past week after investigations tied them to the deaths of inmates.
This move follows the suspension of some prison guards earlier in the month. These stringent actions are the aftermath of a series of policy changes aimed at enforcing zero tolerance on wrongdoers, which the secretary of the state's correctional department, Michael Crews, revealed at the end of last month. Crews has warned that employees who are found guilty of corruption or abuse will be rooted out of the department.
According to him, the correctional "standards are high and we will accept nothing less to ensure the safety of our staff and those in our custody, as well as Florida families."
Florida's correctional system has come under increased scrutiny after reports surfaced about the gruesome murder of a mentally ill inmate by prison guards. According to the investigative report by the Miami Herald, mentally ill inmates are frequently tormented and abused by the guards of the Dade Correctional Facility.
In 2012, one of these inmates, Darren Rainey, was flushed with 180 degrees hot water for two hours resulting in his death. This gruesome incident is reported to have gone unaccounted for until a group of informants leaked it to the press.
Many other disturbing instances of the abuse of the rights of inmates by prison guards have been revealed since that report was published and pressure continues to mount on the state's correctional authorities to redeem the reputation of this vital institution.
Meanwhile, union officials have described the mass dismissal of the prison officers as a "massacre." Reports indicate that the suspended officers are all currently on leave. It is currently unclear if the state will initiate any legal actions against them.
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