Prison Guard Found Not Guilty, Seeking Reimbursement

It’s been almost one year.
Cornelius Simpson has not had a job … just mounting attorney fees.
The father of four says it hasn’t been easy.

“Rough. A lot of sleepless nights. A nightmare,” said Simpson.

Simpson was accused of beating inmate Bobby Campbell with a baton in May of last year. Simpson was then fired from his job at Kilby Correctional Facility that he had held for 7 years.
Yet in February, a grand jury could not find any evidence he had done anything wrong.
“Inmate Bobby Campbell had the worst reputation in the DOC as far as we could tell for an inmate pulling con artists sort of tricks,” said Simpson’s attorney Julian McPhillips.

And now Judge James Jerry Wood recommends Simpson should be returned to his employment with the DOC with appropriate back pay and benefits from the past year.

“To mistreat their own correctional officers, in the case of Cornelius Simpson and others, it is causing a much lower morale and only making the problem worse,” said McPhillips.

Simpson’s advice for anyone going through a similar situation…

“Just stick to the truth. Do your job. The truth will set you free and make you free,” said Simpson.

And now that he is free, he says he’s glad to put the past behind him and move forward.

“Ready to get my life started back again… Ready. Ready to do that,” said Simpson.