Former Federal Corrections Officer Sentenced for Sexual Misconduct Violations

According to the Department of Justice, a former federal corrections officer had been sentenced for his sexual misconduct violations.

It is very nerve racking how the United States can not even trust its top trusted officials any longer. In the news, citizens are told more and more about how those who are supposed to be trusted and being the role models in society are also guilty of the same crimes as those they are watching and disciplining. Throughout the past five years, there has been an increasing number of these cases. First it was the priests, then soldiers, then police men, and now even the corrections officers? What is going on here? Are we doing enough background checks before providing these jobs?

Working at the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan Texas, Ricky Bernard, a former Bureau of Prisons corrections officer was sentenced today, August 10^th 2007. He is now on the list of a growing number of trusted individuals who are turning against their title. Previously pleading guilt in a Houston federal court to federal civil rights charges, he has now also been sentenced to 21 months in prison. To top it all off, he is guilty got sexual misconduct with three inmates!!

"Sexual misconduct by an officer is very disturbing," said Wan J. Kim, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice. "When law enforcement officials violate the law and the public trust, we will not hesitate to prosecute them."

Though Bernard apparently lied to federal law enforcement officers and even a sworn affidavit about his sexual misconduct, he admitted to his crimes finally at his guilty plea on October 20, 2006. Throughout 2003 and 2004, disturbingly enough while inmates were all under his supervision as a Bureau of Prisons officer , there were many different occasions when he had sexual contact with inmates.