2 prison guards arrested in North Florida cases

Two North Florida prison guards were arrested Wednesday as the state Department of Corrections continues trying to crack down on misconduct among workers.

Demonds Jackson, an officer at Lancaster Correctional Institution in Gilchrist County, was arrested in a June 29 incident in which an inmate was beaten by other prisoners, according to a news release Wednesday from the department.

Jackson is alleged to have failed to maintain control of the prisoners and failed to report the incident, which in part caused a delay in medical treatment for the victim. The department said Jackson was arrested on charges of culpable negligence/exposing another to injury, depriving a crime victim of medical care and official misconduct.

Meanwhile Wednesday, guard Frank Brookins was arrested and charged with falsification of official state records in a June 15 incident at Suwannee Correctional Institution. That incident, which led last month to the arrest of two other officers, involved guards using force against inmates.

The allegations included an officer using chemical agents on two inmates without provocation.