Jeffrey Staff Was One of Seven Lackawanna County Prison Guards Charged for Using His Position of Authority to Manipulate and Abuse Inmates
HARRISBURG — Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced that former Lackawanna County Prison Guard Jeffrey Staff was sentenced to nine months’ probation and barred from ever seeking employment in a correctional facility or law enforcement for sexual abuse and his role in perpetuating a pervasive culture of institutional abuse of female inmates over many years. The Defendant today pleaded no contest to one count of Official Oppression (M2).
Staff was one of seven guards charged on February 14, 2018 following the Office of Attorney General’s year-long investigation into Lackawanna County prison guards who used their positions of authority to sexually abuse and assault female inmates at the prison. Staff’s arrest stemmed from sexual contact he had with a Lackawanna County Prison inmate in 2010 while she was out on furlough.
“My Office is taking action against the sexual abuse and assault that extended for years at the Lackawanna County Prison,” said Attorney General Josh Shapiro. “The Defendant will never hold a job in law enforcement again, ensuring that he will not be able to abuse his power in this way. As Attorney General, I will not allow sexual abuse to take place at any correctional institution in our Commonwealth. This investigation is ongoing, and we believe that there may be other victims or witnesses. I’m asking anyone with information about abuse at the prison to call our Special Hotline at 570-846-4074. We want to hear from you.”
The case was prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Rebecca Elo. The plea was entered before the Honorable Judge Corbett.
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