A former Maury County, Tennessee, corrections officer received a five-year prison sentence last Thursday for obstructing a federal civil rights investigation into his alleged sexual abuse of an inmate following a federal court decision in Nashville, the Justice Department announced. James Stewart Justice, the corrections officer in question, was convicted of falsifying a record to cover up his misconduct while the inmate was recovering from surgery in a hospital room where Justice was on duty.
As part of the cover-up, the man who was formerly known as James Stewart Thomas created a report claiming he was the one subject to sexual advances by the inmate a report and that his supervisors had advised him against filing any claim. According to the Justice Department, these assertions were later found to be fabricated. Further complicating the case, Justice omitted from his report that he later initiated a sexual relationship with the inmate after their release from custody, a claim only admitted during subsequent investigations.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division emphasized the importance of honesty in law enforcement, "Everyone who serves in law enforcement knows of their duty of candor," Clarke said, "That duty of candor is at its highest when responding to serious allegations such as the sexual abuse of an inmate in the officer’s care," as reported by the Justice Department's press release.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico highlighted the broader implications of such abuse of power, saying that when the authority corrections officers are given is abused, it not only threatens the civil rights of prison inmates but also undermines public trust and that this sentencing should act as a stark reminder of the FBI's commitment to upholding constitutional rights and trust, according to the same press release.
The investigation, led by the FBI Nashville Field Office, brought the case to a close with the prosecution handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nani Gilkerson for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorney Kyle Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
