New Mexico inmates outline abuse in civil rights lawsuit

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN
Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — More than a dozen inmates who were transferred following a riot at a New Mexico lockup in 2020 were allegedly abused and terrorized by state correctional officers. The allegations are outlined in a lawsuit filed Tuesday by a watchdog organization and a civil rights attorney. The inmates claim their rights to due process and to be free from cruel and unusual punishment were violated by a deputy warden and others at the Central New Mexico Correctional Facility. The state Corrections Department said it will investigate the allegations. The case comes as the federal government faces more pressure to reform its own prison system and as advocates push for more oversight at the state level.