Former Prison Guard Sentenced for Injuring Inmate

A man who was employed at a southern Illinois prison will now be going to prison.

According to the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, 31-year-old Dustin A. Fleming of Du Quoin was sentenced Monday to four months in prison for violating an inmate's civil rights. The sentencing took place at the Federal Courthouse in Benton.

Fleming plead guilty July 18 to choking, punching, kneeing and kicking a handcuffed inmate without any legal justification. The assault happened October 15, 2016 at the Pinckneyville Correctional Center.

In addition to the prison sentence, Fleming was ordered to pay fines and special assessments totaling $200 and was placed on a two-year term of supervised release after parole. Fleming’s employment with the Illinois Department of Corrections was terminated following his guilty plea.