A former Michigan corrections officer has admitted to assaulting an inmate while on duty, a judiciary act that affirms the tragically regular breach of trust within the prison system. Christopher Cluley, 48, pleaded guilty to one count each of Aggravated Assault and Willful Neglect of Duty in connection to the April 2020 incident at Isabella County Jail, as per the Michigan Department of Attorney General's office.

The plea, which aligns with a disheartening narrative of custodial misconduct, ensures Cluley will never again work in law enforcement in Michigan, after signing an affidavit of decertification and an agreement to not re-certify. As reported by WWJ Newsradio, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel highlighted the fundamental duty of corrections officers to "protect those in their custody" and commended the coordination between authorities "that made today’s plea possible."

The incident, which was captured on video, depicts Cluley's harsh treatment of the inmate following a verbal altercation with a different officer. Cluley can be seen grabbing the inmate, forcibly steering him against a cell door, propelling him against a wall, and then shoving him to the ground in a new cell -- actions that resulted in the inmate's cry of pain and a fractured left knee.

Following the incident, Cluley was placed on administrative leave pending the results of an internal probe by the Isabella County Sheriff's Department. The Michigan State Police’s Special Investigation Section subsequently took over the investigation, forwarding their findings to the Department of Attorney General’s Public Integrity Unit, which led to his guilty plea. Cluley is set to learn his fate with a sentencing hearing on June 20th in 21st Circuit Court before Judge Eric Janes, adding another chapter to the documented transgressions by those sworn to oversee the incarcerated.