(AP) — A former caseworker at a juvenile correctional facility has been arrested for using “undue force” against a student, officials said.
Malcolm Mackey was charged with aggravated assault after an investigation by the Mississippi Department of Human Services, department officials wrote in a news release Wednesday. If convicted, Mackey could face a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
Officials did not release additional details about the incident at the Oakley Youth Development Center in Hinds County.
“This type of behavior by our employees will not be tolerated,” Mississippi Department of Human Services Executive Director Bob Anderson said in a statement. “We remain committed to the mission of helping children and families transition from a state of crisis to a state of self-sufficiency. Any individual operating contrary to that mission will not be employed at MDHS.”
The Investigations Division is a subset of the Mississippi Department of Human Services Office of the Inspector General, which was created in August 2018 and tasked with detecting, preventing, and deterring fraud, waste and abuse within the agency.
After the Investigations Division handled its initial investigation into Mackey, it was handed over to the Hinds County District Attorney’s Office. Mississippi Department of Human Services Inspector General Hadley Eisenberger said the department will continue to work with the District Attorney’s Office as the case moves through the justice system.
It was not immediately clear whether Mackey had an attorney who could comment on the charge.