3 guards fired for tough-guy posts

LINCOLN Three Nebraska corrections officers have lost their jobs after posting comments on a Facebook page about roughing up inmates.

While investigators concluded that the three guards hadn’t actually abused prisoners, there is no tolerance for inappropriate conduct, even if it occurs during off-duty hours, State Corrections Director Bob Houston said Thursday.

“It takes away from the department’s credibility,” Houston said.

The World-Herald first reported on the Facebook comments last month, after former State Sen. Ernie Chambers received an anonymous tip.

Caleb Bartels, who identified himself as a state corrections officer, wrote on his Facebook page that a “good day is getting to smash an inmates face into the ground. ... for me today was a VERY good day.”

Supportive comments were then posted by Shawn Paulson and Derek Dickey, who were also state corrections officers in Lincoln.

Dickey, for instance, responded: “very satisfying isnt it!!!”

Investigations by the department and the State Patrol confirmed that there was a Feb. 8 incident involving an inmate but concluded that it was not a case of abuse or excessive force.

Houston said he watched the video of the incident.

“We never want to use force, but sometimes we have to,” he said. “If there’s a right way to do that, it was done that day.”

Houston said it would be hard to expect inmates to treat guards with “respect and dignity” if corrections officers treated them with a lack of respect and dignity or reflected a lack of respect off the job.

Even though the investigations concluded there was no abuse, the reports will be forwarded to the Lancaster County Attorney’s Office for review.

Houston said he is also using the Facebook incident as a reminder to staff.

The corrections officers have not responded to requests for comment.

Contact the writer:

402-473-9584, paul.hammel@owh.com

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