Major discipline · 2025[1]
Suspended 15 days- Rank as reported
- Senior Correctional Police Officer
- Sustained charge(s)
- (a) General Causes (6) a public employee (12) HRB 84-17, as amended B2 - , loafing, idleness or willful failure to devote attention to tasks which could result in danger to persons or property D7 - Violation of administrative procedures and/or regulations involving safety and security E1 - Violation of a rule, regulation, policy, procedure, order or administrative decision
- Separated while IA pending
- No
Plain-language summary (this site, from the cited record only)
On December 14, 2024, at Garden State Youth Correctional Facility, an incarcerated person was found on his cell floor with hand pain, and body-worn camera footage showed his hands were injured when Senior Correctional Police Officer Jose Sosa improperly closed his cell food port, the Department of Corrections reported. Sosa exited the tier and did not return, and admitted closing the food port by mistake. He did not write special custody reports or have the person medically evaluated. Sosa signed a settlement agreement for a 15-day suspension.
Synopsis as reported by the agency
A review of the Garden State Youth Correction Facility Daily Activity Report (DAR) from 12/14/24, revealed a Medical Alarm was sounded when an incarcerated person was found lying on his cell floor complaining of pain in his hand. A review of related Body Worn Camera (BWC) video surveillance footage revealed that the incarcerated person's hands were injured when improperly closed inside his cell food port by Senior Correctional Police Office (SCPO) Jose Sosa. SCPO Sosa exited the tier and never returned to the incarcerated person's cell. SCPO Sosa logged his BWC as “Medical/ Mental health treatment area”. SCPO Sosa was heard on BWC, admitting he closed incarcerated person’s food port by mistake. Later the Medical Alarm was called and the incarcerated person was brought to the infirmary for medical treatment. A review of departmental records indicated that SCPO Sosa never wrote special custody reports about the incident or had the incarcerated person medically evaluated for potential injuries from the incident. SCPO Sosa signed a settlement agreement on 4/7/25 for a 15-day suspension.