Garner Inmate Arrested Following Assault On Social Worker

State police report an incident in the state’s high-security Garner Correctional Institution on November 30, after which a prison inmate was charged with third degree sexual assault, disorderly conduct, and unlawful restraint, following illegal contact with a female social worker.

State police arrested inmate Mario Stanford, 40, on those charges. He was scheduled for court arraignment on December 1.

On December 8, Stanford was being held at Northern Correctional Institution in Somers. He is serving a 15-year sentence on a conviction for second-degree kidnapping.

State Department of Correction (DOC) spokesman Edward Ramsey said December 7 said that the incident occurred after the unidentified female social worker had conducted a counseling session with Stanford. The woman was treated by medical personnel at an undisclosed medical facility, said Ramsey, who had no information on the nature of the woman’s injuries.

Another unidentified Garner staff member was injured in the course of trying to aid the woman, Ramsey said.

Ramsey said two other incidents occurred at Garner during the week of November 28.

On November 28, after refusing to get up off the floor, an unidentified inmate began fighting with correction officers, Ramsey said. The inmate injured two correction officers, according to Ramsey.

Also, on November 29, an inmate struck one officer and attempted to hit another officer, according to the spokesman.

“Correctional work is inherently dangerous,” Ramsey said.

 Garner held 577 male inmates on December 7. Much of the prison is reserved for inmates with serious mental disorders.