Mark C. Maxwell, a lieutenant at the Pinckneyville Correctional Center, has pleaded guilty to a federal charge for civil rights abuse of an inmate, confirms the U.S. Department of Justice. Maxwell, 52, admitted to neglecting his responsibility to intervene when subordinates were brutalizing a restrained inmate, leading to severe injuries.
The unauthorized punishment resulted in the victim suffering a fractured orbital socket and a partially collapsed lung from improperly intervening, requiring 25 stitches for facial wounds. Officers are legally obliged to intervene in instances of excessive force, underscoring Maxwell's flagrant neglect of this duty.
Cord A. Williams and Christian L. Pyles, two other correctional officers, were indicted alongside Maxwell. Both confessed to violating civil rights under the color of law, conspiring to obstruct justice, and obstruction of justice. The abuse occurred on April 24, 2022, when the inmate, entirely restrained, was attacked allegedly in retaliation for punching a different officer.
Maxwell's sentencing is anticipated for February 21, potentially leading to up to 10 years in federal prison.
