Updated, 5:40 p.m., with statement from Core Civic.
CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – A former corrections officer from Clarksville was arrested by the FBI Tuesday and charged with federal civil rights and obstruction of justice offenses after allegedly assaulting an inmate in 2019 at the Trousdale Turner Correctional Facility in Hartsville.
Kenan Lister, 42, of Clarksville was arrested by FBI agents at his home Tuesday morning, according to a news release from David Boling, public information officer for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee.
The federal indictment unsealed Tuesday charging the former supervisory corrections officer was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Mary Jane Stewart and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
Lister is charged with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law for using unlawful force on an inmate; one count for being deliberately indifferent to the inmate’s medical needs; and one count of obstructing justice, Boling said in the news release.
The indictment alleges that Lister assaulted an inmate in a holding cell on Aug. 30, 2019, at the Trousdale Turner Correctional Facility in Hartsville, where he was on duty as the prison’s security threat group coordinator, the news release continued.
While the inmate was sitting in a holding cell and not resisting, Lister punched the inmate in the head, knocking him to the ground, and then kicked, punched and struck the inmate multiple times in his head, chest and torso after he was on the ground, according to the release.
The news release added that the inmate sustained bodily injury as a result of the assault, and despite Lister’s knowledge that the inmate needed medical attention, he failed to provide medical care or to make the necessary notifications to get the inmate medical care. Lister then allegedly obstructed justice by submitting a false report that omitted his use of force on the inmate entirely.
When reached by Clarksville Now, Core Civic representatives said Lister was fired after the incident happened.
“The safety of our staff and the inmates entrusted to our care is our top priority, and we have a zero-tolerance policy for any form of violence against inmates. The employee in question was terminated immediately following the incident, and we cooperated fully with the investigation,” said Ryan Gustin, director of public affairs at Core Civic.
If convicted, Lister faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for the civil rights charges and up to 20 years in prison for the obstruction charge, as well as a maximum of three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Beth Myers and Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Michael J. Songer.
Trousdale Turner Correctional Facility is operated by CoreCivic. Clarksville Now has reached out to CoreCivic for comment.