Plain-language summary (this site, from the cited record only)
Officer Michael Rathjen was suspended for 55 days by the Burlington County Department of Corrections in 2023 on a sustained charge of excessive force. The agency reported that Rathjen engaged in a physical confrontation with an inmate in the booking department and, while attempting to restrain the combative inmate to the ground, used unauthorized physical force when he threw two punches that struck the inmate in the head and face area. The agency also listed training, coaching, or counseling among the sanctions.
Officer became engaged in a physical confrontation with an Inmate in the booking department. When the Officer attempted to restrain the combative inmate to the ground, he used unauthorized physical force when he threw two punches striking to the inmate directly in the head and face area.
Compensation and pension
No confident pension match found. This site links a pension record to a named officer only when the name and the exact employing agency both match a New Jersey Treasury record. Where that bar is not met, nothing is shown rather than a guess. See methodology for how these matches are made and what is withheld.
Similar records
AnalysisComputed by this site from shared agency, year, charge category, and sanction outcome. Not a legal or factual equivalence.
same agency · same year · similar sanction outcome
Tony Coleman · Burlington County Corrections · 2023
Suspended 6 days
Sustained charge(s): Abuse of sick time
same agency · same year · similar sanction outcome
Questions and answers
What is a summary of Michael Rathjen's major discipline record?
Officer Michael Rathjen was suspended for 55 days by the Burlington County Department of Corrections in 2023 on a sustained charge of excessive force. The agency reported that Rathjen engaged in a physical confrontation with an inmate in the booking department and, while attempting to restrain the combative inmate to the ground, used unauthorized physical force when he threw two punches that struck the inmate in the head and face area. The agency also listed training, coaching, or counseling among the sanctions.
What is Michael Rathjen's major discipline record at Burlington County Corrections?
Michael Rathjen has one major discipline record at Burlington County Corrections in the New Jersey Attorney General's 2020-2025 releases, from 2023. These are final, adjudicated actions, not allegations.
Does Michael Rathjen's record show a termination?
The major discipline records shown here do not report a termination for Michael Rathjen at Burlington County Corrections.
How does Burlington County Corrections score on this site's report card?
This site's report card places Burlington County Corrections in the second-highest fifth of its peer group on reported internal affairs volume and discipline severity. The grade is analysis by this site, not an official rating, and it describes the department, not Michael Rathjen individually.
Sources
[1]New Jersey Major Discipline Data, 2020-2025. New Jersey Office of the Attorney General. Sheet "Major Discipline Data", row 1525. Snapshot retrieved 2026-07-03. ↩