Private prison guard caught sleeping on the job

Willacy County Regional Detention Facility

The unnamed guard worked at the Willacy County State Jail, which is operated by the private prison company CoreCivic (formerly known as Corrections Corporation of America). The guard was watching over a prisoner on August 1 at the Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen, Texas. CoreCivic launched an investigation into the incident following the picture, and had this to say:

"We can confirm that the photograph is of a CoreCivic/Willacy County State Jail correctional officer and this is certainly a behavior we do not condone. Due to the serious nature of his behavior and numerous policy violations, the employee has been terminated from his position with the company effective immediately.”

 

Unfortunately, this is not the first issue around the Willacy County Jail. In 2015, an uprising by prisoners due to inadequate medical care caused fires that led to the closing of the facility. Then, in November of 2016, two former guards were charged with bribery. Both guards were found guilty and were sentenced to jail time.