CAMDEN, N.J. – John Makos, 42, a corrections officer at Bayside State Prison in Leesburg, New Jersey, was sentenced on Tuesday, to 30 months in prison. Makos was found guilty of conspiring to physically assault inmates in violation of the prison’s rules, resulting in injury.
From April to December 2019, Makos and fellow officers agreed to assault inmates for actual and perceived breaches of prison rules. These attacks, occurring out of sight of surveillance cameras, led to physical injury for the inmates. On one occasion, Makos watched without intervening as multiple inmates assaulted another, punching him approximately 25 times. This incident was not reported to supervisors or medical personnel, a clear violation of Makos’ duties.
Makos, who is from Millville, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams, who imposed the sentence. Alongside the prison term, Makos was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.