Major discipline · 2025[1]
Terminated- 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 B8 - Serious mistake due to carelessness which may result in danger and/or injury to persons or property C4 - Verbal Abuse of an incarcerated person, patient, client, resident or employee. C10 - Divulging confidential information without proper authority C10a - Unauthorized release of information to the media C11 - an employee D4 - Improper or unauthorized contact with an incarcerated person - undue familiarity with incarcerated persons, parolees, their families or friends D7 - Violation of administrative procedures and/or regulations involving safety and security E1 - Violation of a rule, regulation, policy, procedure, order or administrative decision E2 - Intentional abuse or misuse of authority or position
- Separated while IA pending
- No
Plain-language summary (this site, from the cited record only)
Senior Correctional Police Officer Richard McLaughlin was terminated, the Dept Of Corrections reported. McLaughlin took home a confidential Daily Activity Report from Garden State Youth Correctional Facility and posted it on social media without authorization, and he acknowledged this put an incarcerated person in danger. He also posted videos containing racial slurs while using hand signs perceived to be Security Threat Group signs. McLaughlin admitted communicating with an incarcerated person and deactivated his body worn camera during an escort. He was issued a Final Notice for removal on 5/6/25.
Synopsis as reported by the agency
On 1/21/25, an investigation revealed that Garden State Youth Correctional Facility's Senior Correctional Police Officer (SCPO) Richard McLaughlin took home a Daily Activity Report (DAR), which is a confidential report. He posted the DAR on his social media account without authorization to do so. SCPO McLaughlin failed to notify any supervisory staff of the DAR being posted to social media and acknowledged that posting the report put an incarcerated person in danger. SCPO McLaughlin posted various videos on his Instagram stories containing racial slurs, lewd and demeaning language, while using hand signs which were perceived to be signs of a Security Threat Group. SCPO McLaughlin was seen to be wearing his New Jersey Department of Corrections uniform in some of the videos. SCPO McLaughlin admitted to having conversations with an incarcerated person’s girlfriend and to communicating with the incarcerated person via the JPAY systems. During an escort of the incarcerated person to his cell, SCPO McLaughlin deactivated his body worn camera. SCPO McLaughlin was issued a Final Notice of Disciplinary Action for removal on 5/6/25.