Philadelphia, PA — A federal jury convicted Ivory S. Cousins, a former correctional officer at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility, of multiple civil rights violations stemming from her actions during an inmate assault. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced the verdict on Thursday.
Cousins, 35, of Glassboro, New Jersey, was found guilty on three counts of depriving an inmate of civil rights under color of law and one count of filing a false report.
The charges stemmed from an incident that occurred while Cousins was employed by the Philadelphia Department of Prisons. Court documents revealed that Cousins was aware of an inmate’s serious injuries after an assault by another inmate but chose not to provide medical care or report the situation to a superior. Instead, she displayed deliberate indifference to the inmate’s condition.
When Cousins’ partner located the injured inmate and called for medical help, Cousins used excessive force by deploying pepper spray on the inmate before medical personnel could arrive. After the inmate was removed for medical treatment, Cousins allowed one of the original assailants to enter the injured inmate’s cell and steal personal items.
Cousins later filed a false report, claiming that the inmate had acted aggressively, been involved in a fight, and used a weapon, which was not true.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 24. Cousins faces a maximum possible penalty of 41 years in federal prison.
