A former Suwannee Correctional Institution prison guard was arrested Saturday after being accused of beating up a prisoner and lying about it.
Ricky Wilson was charged with aggravated battery and falsifying records related to the January incident at the North Florida prison.
According to a press release issued by the Department of Corrections on Monday, Wilson "battered an inmate without any legal justification, resulting in injury." Wilson resigned from the agency earlier this month.
"This individual acted in a manner which is both deplorable and contradictory to the department's values. The Office of Inspector General shall continue to aggressively pursue those whose actions violate our state's laws and jeopardize the safety and accountability of our institutions," Corrections Secretary Julie Jones said in the release.
Wilson's arrest is the latest in a purge of prisons initiated last year by Jones's predecessor, Michael Crews, in the wake of news reports about inmate deaths at the hands of prison guards and cover-ups involving deaths, beatings and corruption.
