A civilian worker at Arizona State Prison in Tucson is suing the state in federal court after she was allegedly beaten and raped by an inmate while working in the prison kitchen.
The 23-year-old woman was working for a contract company that handled food and commissary services, according to the lawsuit filed in he U.S. District Court of Arizona. It says the woman was not supposed to work alone but that it happened on occasion due to understaffing.
The attack happened in September 2023 when the woman was working alone, and an inmate was left unsupervised in an area he should not have been, the suit says.
Prison staff was aware of the inmate’s prior prison infractions, and should have known he was a “high security risk” and required controlled movement throughout the facility, the lawsuit states. He’d received at least 18 disciplinary infractions, including stalking a staff member, disorderly conduct, fighting and indecent exposure since being sent to prison in 2019 for armed robbery and theft charges, the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit goes on to say the attack was premeditated, the inmate was high on synthetic marijuana and that he’d told other inmates about his intentions.
After the attack that occurred as the woman left a restroom, the inmate pleaded with her to remain quiet about the assault and threatened violence. He told prison staff who found the pair that he was helping her after a fall, according to the lawsuit.
In March, the inmate, Demarco Hines, was charged with kidnapping, sexual assault, sexual abuse and aggravated assault on a corrections employee. A trial is scheduled to begin in March 2025.
The woman is suing for physical, mental and emotional harm, as well as medical expenses, lost wages and other losses.
