A whistleblower at the Arizona Department of Corrections who claims she faced retaliation for her part in raising safety concerns over lock issues at Lewis prison will have her punishment rescinded.
Sgt. Gaby Contreras leaked video of inmates at Lewis prison in Buckeye storming out of cells with broken locks and fighting with corrections officers.
The video prompted a state investigation into prison safety. Close-custody inmates at Lewis prison were also moved to other state prisons as officials worked to address the lock issues at the facility.
At a news conference last week, Contreras said she went a week without pay and lost a promotion after prison officials discovered she released the video.
In response to the allegations of retaliation, ADC said it launched an investigation which resulted in officials throwing out disciplinary action for five correctional officers, including Contreras. The disciplinary action included two 40-hour suspensions, two 16-hour suspensions and a letter of reprimand, ADC said.
The officers will have the disciplinary action removed from their files and will be reimbursed for any lost wages. They will also be eligible for promotional opportunities, ADC said.