A Milwaukee judge sentenced a former county jail correctional officer to two years of probation after authorities said he abused two inmates in 2024.
Corrections officer Marques T. Reeder was charged in January 2025 after prosecutors said he and a former sergeant repeatedly struck restrained inmates, rubbed pepper spray in an inmate’s face and, in one case, pulled an inmate’s dreadlocks.
On June 25, Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Jorge Fragoso sentenced Reeder to 18 months in prison and 18 months of extended supervisions ‒ but stayed that sentence and instead placed him on two years of probation, according to online court records. A stayed sentence means a sentence is not imposed as long as certain conditions are met.
Reeder, 25, faced two counts of abuse of an inmate and two counts of misconduct in public office in his initial charging.
In May, Reeder pleaded guilty to the latter two counts, while the other charges were dismissed but allowed to be considered at his sentencing, according to online court records.
As part of his sentencing, Reeder will be required to go to anger management, perform 50 hours of community service and is ineligible for employment that requires care for another person. Reeder’s sentence is eligible for expungement if his probation is successful, according to online court records.
Former Sgt. Rafael Gomez III was the supervisor at the time of one of the incidents. He was charged with abuse of a resident of a penal facility and two counts of misconduct in public office.
Gomez’s case remains on pace for a jury trial, according to online court records. His next hearing is July 15.
Prosecutors charged the two men based on an incident in September 2024, which they later lied about to investigators, according to the criminal complaint. Reeder was also accused of abusing a second inmate by prosecutors.
The charges against Reeder and Gomez came as Milwaukee County’s jail has faced scrutiny for its conditions and deaths at the jail. Between 2022 and 2023, there were six in-custody deaths reported at the facility, including two confirmed suicides.
An audit underscored a range of issues, including dangerous suicide watch practices, problems with administering mental health care and poor leadership oversight, along with ongoing critical staffing shortage and inmate crowding.
David Clarey is a public safety reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at dclarey@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Former Milwaukee County Jail officer sentenced to two months of probation
Reporting by David Clarey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By David Clarey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
