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Friday, March 29, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

More Abuse Reported at Private Prison

HONOLULU (CN) - A man claims he was forced to give a private prison guard oral sex in his cell at the Corrections Corporation of America's Saguaro Correctional Center in Eloy, Ariz. It's the latest in a string of abuses reported at the CCA prison, which is nearly wholly occupied by Hawaiian inmates. CCA is the biggest private prison company in the country.

Jonathan Kemona Kamaka sued CCA and Hawaii for breach of duty and negligence. He claims CCA guard Richard Ketland forced him to give Ketland a blow job in his cell in October 2009.

Kamaka claims that as he was waiting to re-enter his cell unit, Ketland told him that he'd "lost some weight," was "looking good," and then asked, "When was the last time you had some dick?"

Kamaka says he was shocked and did not respond, but tried to report the advance to his unit's supervisor, who was busy, so he returned to his cell for lockdown.

Ketland, conducting a head count, let himself into the cell and threatened Kamaka with punishment if he did not comply with his orders, Kamaka says. He says Ketland "unzipped his pants, and ... ordered plaintiff to perform oral sex on Ketland," which he did, under fear of retaliation.

Ketland, 64, was charged with felony unlawful sexual contact, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and was sentenced to probation, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported on Friday.

"Gov. Neil Abercrombie has promised to bring back all Hawaii inmates serving prison sentences on the mainland because of previous allegations of mistreatment by guards at Saguaro," according to the Jan. 14 newspaper report.

Eighteen Hawaiian inmates sued CCA in December 2010, claiming that guards stripped, beat, kicked and threatened to kill them, banged their heads on tables while they were handcuffed, and that "the warden himself" threatened their families. Those inmates claim that CCA "deliberately destroyed and failed to preserve evidence of their wrongdoing, including videotapes," and "deliberately falsified reports."

Hawaii's governor also cited a December 2010 "riot" at another CCA prison in Arizona, Red Rock Correctional Center, which holds about 50 Hawaiian prisoners. The Saguaro prison holds about 1,800 Hawaiians.

Kamaka demands punitive damages from CCA and Hawaii for assault, criminal indifference and negligence. He is represented by Mitchell Wong of Honolulu.

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