Two former Edna Mahan inmates suing state Department of Corrections

Two former inmates of New Jersey's only prison for women are suing the state Department of Corrections, alleging they were sexually harassed by prison guards.

The lawsuit, filed on Nov. 13, 2017 in Hunterdon County Superior Court, details the experiences of two plaintiffs, who are identified in the lawsuit by only their initials, while they were incarcerated at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Union Township, Hunterdon County.

M.D., one of the anonymous women bringing the lawsuit against the state, lives in Edison, according to the lawsuit. The other woman, identified as A.F., lives in Vineland. Their attorney is Joseph Grassi of the Wildwood-based law firm Barry, Corrado & Grassi.

READ: Edna Mahan inmates testify about sexual assault allegations to state Senate

READ: Edna Mahan guard charged with sexual assault

READ: Edna Mahan corrections officer faces fresh indictment

The two women were housed in Cottage A at Edna Mahan in May 2016. The lawsuit alleges that is where the two women were subjected to a host of sexual harassment and advances from a corrections officer, Jason Mays, who oversaw Cottage A.

In July 2016, Mays, of Hillside, began making inappropriate comments to M.D. of a sexual nature, according to the lawsuit. That same month, he began entering M.D.'s room in the early morning and would stand over her bed, allegedly telling her that he "wanted to have sexual intercourse" with her.

In August 2016, "Officer Mays came into M.D.'s room after she had gotten out of the shower and instructed her to show him her vagina," the lawsuit claimed.

In another instance, Mays propositioned M.D. to have sex with him and warned her that if she did not, he would discipline her. He cautioned her "not to slip up," according to the lawsuit.

In yet another alleged instance that took place in August 2016, "Officer Mays came into M.D.'s room while she was in bed, took out his penis, and began to masturbate," according to the lawsuit. He then took her hand and "placed it on his penis to force her to masturbate him for several minutes before leaving."

In September 2016, Mays began making sexual comments toward A.F., such as "commenting on her rear, telling her to take off her clothes, and telling her that she should have sexual intercourse with him."

He allegedly threatened to discipline A.F. if she did not go to her room and undress. After undressing, Mays came into A.F.'s room and "proceeded to take out his penis and masturbate while she stood there naked," according to the lawsuit.

Mays came into A.F.'s room while she was in bed on more than one occasion, the lawsuit claims.

In one instance, "A.F. was terrified and pretended to be asleep," according to the lawsuit, but "Officer Mays proceeded to grope her breasts and look and kiss her breasts and neck before taking out his penis and masturbating over A.F."

In October 2016, Mays again entered A.F.'s room while she pretended to be asleep and allegedly began groping her breasts until "A.F. began screaming at him to get out of the room."

The lawsuit said that both plaintiffs suffered permanent harm, "including, but not limited to a violation of their state constitution rights to due process and against cruel and unusual punishment" as well as loss of earnings, loss of activities, mental pain, psychological injury and embarrassment, among other claims.

In 2017, Mays was one five male corrections officers at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility indicted on more than two dozen charges of official misconduct and sexual abuse of women inmates.

Mays had a salary of $75,177, according to state records.

The other four indicted are: Ahnwar Dixon, 38, of East Orange; Brian Ambroise, 33, of Union (Union County); Thomas Seguine, 34, of Phillipsburg; and Joel Mercado, 36, of Lyndhurst.

Seguine has since been convicted of second-degree official misconduct and was sentenced to three years in prison, which he is serving in South Woods State Prison in Bridgeton, according to state records.

In February, former Edna Mahan guard Ronald Coleman Jr., 39, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged with seven counts of second-degree official misconduct, two counts of second-degree sexual assault, two counts of second-degree conspiracy to commit sexual assault, one count of second-degree pattern of official misconduct, and three counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact.

Joel Herscap, 55, of Alpha, a trade instructor from September 2003 until his arrest in May 2016, pleaded guilty to official misconduct on Oct. 31, 2016 and was sentenced to three years in prison.

Seven Edna Mahan employees have been charged with crimes, according to the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office, which has been handling the cases.

Hunterdon County Prosecutor Anthony P. Kearns III said misconduct by guards will not be tolerated.

"There is an expectation that public officials will faithfully perform their duties and will not turn a blind eye to any illegal activity," he said in announcing indictments against one of the guards. "This is an ongoing investigation and we will prosecute any further acts of misconduct we identify."

In February, he state Senate held a hearing on the abuse alleged by inmates at Edna Mahan.

The hearing was held by the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee, which is headed by state Sen. Linda Greenstein, a Democrat representing parts of Middlesex and Mercer counties.

At the hearing, Greenstein said that the problems at the Hunterdon County jail "go back many, many years."

"According to law and common decency," inmates, she said, are "incapable of consent."

Lydia Thornton, who served four years at Edna Mahan before being released in 2014, testified before the committee, recounting the experiences and observations she made while locked up.

During her time at the prison, Thornton said that she witnessed women gain or lose weight, as well as cut themselves, to appear less attractive to the guards so they would be safe from sexual assault.

Inmates at Edna Mahan were sentenced for their crimes to serve a period of time, Thornton said.

"They were not sentenced to be a commodity to be used at the will of those who are paid to guard them, not abuse them," she said.

Staff Writer Nick Muscavage: 908-243-6615; ngmuscavage@gannettnj.com