The three incarcerated men were not allowed to shower for an extended period of time after they were pepper sprayed, a report from the state ombudsman said.
Anchorage-based state correctional officers
The ombudsman’s investigation also found that the Department of Corrections’ employee misconduct investigation and disciplinary process was ineffective in holding staff accountable.On Nov. 21, 2017, the three men had been imprisoned at the Anchorage Correctional Complex’s west wing and were in the process of being transported to the east wing after reportedly assaulting another inmate, the ombudsman’s investigation said.
The officers backed away from the van after the door was closed and left the incarcerated men inside, removing them individually after seven to 18 minutes, according to the report. The department’s now-defunct professional conduct unit and human resources investigated after the incident, but the ombudsman’s report said “these processes did not result in meaningful accountability for all of the officers involved in the incident.”
Information about the department’s investigation was never provided to the three incarcerated men because it was considered confidential. All three men had filed grievance reports related to the incident.