Former Butner prison guard sentenced for violating inmate’s civil rights. Here’s why
A former lieutenant at a federal prison in Butner was sentenced to two years of probation Friday for violating an inmate’s civil rights.
Daniel Mitchell, 42, pleaded guilty Dec. 23 to conspiring to violate the civil rights of an inmate only referred to in court documents as “K.G.,” according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
Mitchell oversaw solitary confinement at the Federal Correctional Institute Butner Medium II, a medium-security prison in Granville County, the release said. The prison houses over 1,500 men, according to its website.
On Dec. 8, 2021 , K.G., an inmate in the unit, allegedly exposed himself to a female correctional officer as she conducted her rounds, then performed a sexual act in front of her, according to court documents. When the officer reported the allegation to Mitchell, he called another officer, identified as R.J., into his office, where the two discussed how to punish K.G.
Under the prison’s official policies, K.G. should have received a written warning, according to the release. But Mitchell and R.J., who described K.G. as a “jerk,” were frustrated about “how officers should not have to put up with this type of behavior,” the criminal complaint states.
That was when Mitchell instructed R.J. to “teach K.G. a lesson,” directing him to move the inmate into a separate holding cell for “counseling” and to “stay away from [K.G.’s] face,” according to the complaint.
R.J. hit the inmate several times, “knocking him to the ground,” the complaint alleges. As K.G. lay on the floor, the correctional officer began to kick him, only stopping the assault when other officers overheard and pulled him off the inmate, court documents state.
Further details were not available, with the majority of court documents still sealed online as of Friday afternoon.
This story was originally published April 11, 2025 at 4:59 PM with the headline "Former Butner prison guard sentenced for violating inmate’s civil rights. Here’s why."
