BRIDGETON, N.J. — A Cumberland County jury on Thursday convicted a former senior corrections officer of assaulting an inmate at South Woods State Prison in 2017, following a two-week trial.
Cortlen S. Flax, 37, of Woodbury, was found guilty of simple assault, a disorderly persons offense, and second-degree official misconduct. The jury returned its verdict after approximately two hours of deliberation.
The charges stem from a February 15, 2017, incident involving Julio Valdez, a 61-year-old inmate. Prosecutors said Flax, then a corrections officer, entered a cell and struck Valdez on the left side of the head without provocation. The injury resulted in blood clots and a ruptured eardrum, according to medical staff at the prison.
The assault was reported the following day and referred to the New Jersey Department of Corrections Special Investigations Division.
Flax faces a sentence of five years in state prison with a mandatory minimum of five years before parole eligibility. Sentencing is set for September 5.