A former Tennessee Department of Corrections officer, Javian Griffin, 38, has been handed a four-year prison sentence followed by three years of supervised release for laying into an inmate with brutal force and then penning a false report to conceal his actions. Griffin stepped forward and admitted his guilt on Oct. 11, 2023, owning up to his misconduct.
Griffin's use of force incident left the inmate with a shattered jaw—a clear case of punishment without cause. The inmate, according to the reports, posed no threat that might've warranted such a severe reaction from the officer. A fellow former TDOC officer, Sebron Hollands, implicated in the same case for his part in the deception, pleaded guilty back on Oct. 2, 2023, for contributing a false narrative to the official use of force report.
In a statement released on the Justice Department's website, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke stated, "The defendant pledged to protect and serve but instead he abused his authority as a corrections officer, violently punching a man in the head and breaking his jaw." Clarke emphasized the department's commitment to holding such officials accountable, affirming that the sentencing "sends a clear message that the Justice Department will hold accountable any official inside our jails and prisons who violates an inmate’s civil rights."
"No correctional officer is above the law," echoed U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee. Ritz assures that their office’s National Security and Civil Rights Unit will continue to vigorously prosecute public employees who betray the civil rights of others. The FBI was active in bringing justice to the fore, with Special Agent in Charge Douglas DePodesta remarking on the FBI’s prioritization in addressing any law enforcement officer who steps outside the bounds of their duties.
The case was investigated by the FBI's Memphis Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Pritchard for the Western District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Matthew Tannenbaum and Andrew Manns of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section shouldered the prosecution. As for Griffin and Hollands, they are now facing the consequences of breaking the trust placed in them to safeguard those within their charge, rather than to inflict harm.
