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Five Boot Camp Guards Fired
Houston, Texas- Five Harris County, Texas, deputies were fired June 9 upon being indicted on felony charges for abusing inmates at the county's boot camp for first time offenders.
Those charged are Darryl Coleman, Benny Galindez, Alfonso Giraldo, W.E. Jones and Joe Saenz. They acted as camp drill instructors and choked and beat the inmates with their fists, feet and broomsticks, said prosecutor Don Smyth.
The indictments capped an investigation that began in March and spanned 17 sessions of the grand jury in which 49 witnesses described life at the camp located north of Houston.
Authorities at the camp have numerous ways to discipline inmates without resorting to violence, including calisthenics, push ups and unpleasant work assignments.
None of the 27 inmates who testified before grand jurors complained about having to drill, exercise or participate in ceremonial activities at the camp, Smyth said.
"It was the physical abuse, not the physical training," he said. "It was what they called 'the laying on of hands.'"
Corrections Digest
Those charged are Darryl Coleman, Benny Galindez, Alfonso Giraldo, W.E. Jones and Joe Saenz. They acted as camp drill instructors and choked and beat the inmates with their fists, feet and broomsticks, said prosecutor Don Smyth.
The indictments capped an investigation that began in March and spanned 17 sessions of the grand jury in which 49 witnesses described life at the camp located north of Houston.
Authorities at the camp have numerous ways to discipline inmates without resorting to violence, including calisthenics, push ups and unpleasant work assignments.
None of the 27 inmates who testified before grand jurors complained about having to drill, exercise or participate in ceremonial activities at the camp, Smyth said.
"It was the physical abuse, not the physical training," he said. "It was what they called 'the laying on of hands.'"
Corrections Digest
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