New Jersey corrections officer Joshua Hand, 35, was sentenced to 20 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a $10,000 fine, for depriving two inmates of their right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment.
Hand pleaded guilty in February, admitting he failed to intervene during two assaults on inmates orchestrated as part of a “going away party” ritual at Bayside State Prison in Leesburg, New Jersey.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, these assaults, a known practice within the prison, were intended to intimidate inmates nearing release or transfer.
The incidents occurred between April and December 2019, typically in secluded areas out of surveillance view, like the prison’s kitchen. Corrections officers, including Hand and his colleague John Makos, recruited inmates to carry out the attacks and sometimes directly restrained the victims themselves.
On December 5, 2019, the first attack occurred when Makos summoned Victim 1, who was close to his release, into the officers’ quarters. Once inside, inmates blocked the exit and proceeded to take Victim 1 to the floor, delivering blows to his torso, arms, and legs while Hand and Makos watched.
During the assault, one inmate positioned himself as a lookout by the door. Victim 1 sustained injuries but refrained from reporting the incident out of fear that doing so could delay his discharge.
Later that day, a second attack involved Victim 2, who was also in the officers’ quarters with Hand and Makos. Without provocation, Makos struck Victim 2 multiple times in the legs with a broomstick as Hand observed but did nothing to stop the assault.
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In this case, Makos also pleaded guilty and received a 30-month prison sentence. Hand’s defense attorney has not responded to requests for comment on the sentencing.
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