Report from Carolina Public Press:
Inmates at the Cherokee County Detention Center were repeatedly ordered to beat up other inmates, according to two former Sheriff’s Office employees who allege a pattern of mismanagement at the jail that has lasted over several years.
This comes on top of two separate and ongoing State Bureau of Investigation inquiries into the July death of one inmate a few hours after his arrest and into a May altercation among another inmate and two guards.
Joseph Preston Allen, a former sergeant with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office who retired in March after 11 years working at the jail, described the coerced fights among inmates. In some cases, he said, officers would target an inmate for a beating and then leave the inmate’s cell unlocked intentionally, prompting attacks by multiple other inmates.
Another former detention officer, Tom Taylor, quit the Sheriff’s Office in August after seven years, including working for Allen on the night shift for several years. Interviewed separately, Taylor confirmed Allen’s claims and provided additional details. Both deny involvement in the alleged misconduct.
For the complete story, visit the Carolina Public Press website.
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