MACCLENNY, Fla. – A corrections sergeant at the Baker County Detention Center was fired and arrested Tuesday after an investigation revealed he hit an inmate in the head, according to the Baker County Sheriff’s Office.
On Feb. 10, an inmate at the center located in Macclenny told staff that BCSO Corrections Sergeant Charles Wesley Wright hit him a few days prior, deputies said.
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Wright was placed on administrative leave while the sheriff’s office reviewed the complaint.
Following the investigation, the BCSO found Wright hit the inmate in the head for “no apparent reason” while he was handcuffed.
Wright was arrested a week later and charged with battery. He was also immediately terminated, BCSO said.
“The safety of our inmates is our responsibility, and it is paramount. Any allegations of abuse involving our staff will be fully investigated and like this case, if it is determined that our staff acted outside the scope of our policies or the law, they will be dealt with accordingly,” BCSO Sheriff Roden said.
The facility, which serves as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center, has sparked controversy over alleged mistreatment of immigrant detainees.
In November 2024, a Florida congressman called for the closure of the detention center after a whistleblower report and a complaint alleging civil rights violations at the facility. The whistleblower, who was identified as a former medical worker at the facility, testified that staff denied inmates basic medical care and that they falsified records.
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The ACLU of Florida says it has received almost 500 complaints about the detention center since 2020.
“We’ve received hundreds of complaints from the people at Baker, egregious complaints. I’ve been on several hotline cases,” ACLU attorney Amy Godshall told News4JAX in November.