Marquet Johnson is a former private prisoner transport officer from West Memphis, Arkansas, who pleaded guilty to a federal civil rights crime after sexually assaulting a female pretrial detainee during a prisoner transport. In April 2024, he was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, five years of supervised release and sex-offender registration.
The case drew attention to the private prisoner transport industry, where private contractors move detainees between jurisdictions on behalf of law-enforcement agencies.
Employment
Johnson worked for Inmate Services Corporation, a private company that transported people arrested on out-of-state warrants to the jurisdictions that issued those warrants.
The United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico described this work as a government function, because Johnson had custody of pretrial detainees while transporting them between jails and jurisdictions.
2019 Assaults
According to the Justice Department, Johnson admitted that on 4 November 2019 he sexually assaulted a female pretrial detainee while transporting her from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to Delta County, Colorado.
The plea materials also stated that Johnson admitted to sexually assaulting multiple other female pretrial detainees during prisoner transports in 2019. Federal officials said the women were in his custody and under his control during those journeys.
Guilty Plea
Johnson pleaded guilty in December 2023 to violating a female pretrial detainee's civil rights. The plea was announced by the United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico.
The prosecution said the case was investigated by the FBI's Albuquerque Field Office with assistance from the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office.
Sentencing
On 16 April 2024, the Justice Department announced that Johnson, then aged 45, had been sentenced to 30 years in prison. The sentence also included five years of supervised release and a requirement to register as a sex offender.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said the sentence highlighted abuse risks in the private prisoner transport industry and the need for accountability when officers abuse people in custody.
Wider Significance
Johnson's case is significant because it involved sexual abuse by a private transport officer rather than a jail or prison guard working inside one facility. The victims were moved across state lines and had limited ability to seek help while restrained and dependent on the transport officers.
The case is also an example of federal civil rights prosecution where an officer acting under colour of law abused a person in custody.
References
Discussion log
Use comments for sourcing notes, corrections, and disputed details.
No comments yet.