TRENTON, N.J. — A former New Jersey Department of Corrections officer was sentenced to three years in state prison for using excessive force against a resident of the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center’s Special Treatment Unit in Woodbridge. The sentencing follows an investigation by the Office of Public Integrity & Accountability (OPIA).
Giuseppe Mandara, 55, of Brick, was sentenced Friday by Superior Court Judge Thomas K. Isenhour at the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth. A 15-year veteran of the DOC at the time of the incident, Mandara pleaded guilty in December to third-degree aggravated assault and was ordered to forfeit his public employment and be barred from future public office.
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin condemned Mandara’s actions, stating, “In a moment of rage, he lost sight of his responsibilities and his position and set out to simply inflict excessive physical harm.”
The assault occurred on Aug. 23, 2019, inside the sally port area of the STU’s West Housing Unit. Prosecutors said Mandara escalated a verbal dispute into a physical confrontation, removed his duty belt containing security equipment, and followed the victim while cursing and threatening him. Another officer attempted to intervene before Mandara engaged in a physical altercation, pinning the victim to the ground and repeatedly punching him.
Mandara admitted his actions were excessive and intended to cause significant bodily injury. He is set to surrender in March to begin serving his sentence.
