ELMORE, Alabama – A 22-year-old inmate, Daniel Williams, died after being subjected to days of beatings, torture, and sexual assault in an Alabama prison, just two weeks before his scheduled release, according to his family. Williams, a father of two infants, was nearing the end of his one-year sentence for second-degree theft when he was found unresponsive on October 22 at Staton Correctional Facility. Prison officials confirmed the incident as a “possible inmate-on-inmate assault,” with Williams eventually passing away in a hospital.
Disturbingly, Williams’ family claims that they were not informed of his condition until October 25, three days after he was found brain-dead in the hospital. According to Williams’ stepmother, the prison warden, Joseph Headley, initially blamed his condition on drugs. However, upon seeing his beaten and bruised state, the family disputed this claim and called it an assault. They later discovered that Williams had been kidnapped and raped, or “tied up, beaten, and rented out for two to three days” by another prisoner, according to sources inside the prison.
Williams was taken off life support on November 5 and passed away four days later. Upset and seeking justice, his father and stepmother have hired a lawyer to hold someone accountable for their son’s death and to prevent future attacks. The warden, Joseph Headley, has not responded to requests for comment on the incident.
The Alabama Department of Corrections confirmed that Williams was the victim of a potential inmate-on-inmate assault, leading to his unresponsive state at Staton Correctional Facility. He was transferred to a hospital for further assessment and treatment, where he remained until his family decided to remove him from life support. The DOC Law Enforcement Services Division is currently investigating the incident, but it is unclear whether any charges have been filed.
This tragic incident comes as the Department of Justice is suing Alabama for its failure to prevent inmate violence and abuse within the state’s prisons. A federal trial is expected to take place next year.