A Santa Clara County correctional officer was sentenced to 45 days in jail after authorities said he opened a cell for a planned inmate beating, watched it happen, and later helped conspire to keep the attack from being reported. He was convicted of a misdemea
The emergency light outside the victim’s cell was supposed to bring help quickly. Instead, the notification was silenced—inside the same facility where a correctional officer is sworn to protect both the public and the people in custody.
Francisco Izayas Castillo, 42, of Morgan Hill, was sentenced Tuesday to 45 days in jail after being convicted in March of a misdemeanor for his role in a September 2022 jailhouse attack, according to authorities.
Prosecutors said Castillo knew about and authorized the beating by opening the victim’s cell, then watched from afar as two inmates carried out the attack.
“Correctional officers are sworn to protect the public and the inmates,” Santa Clara County Dist. Atty. Jeff Rosen said. “This officer betrayed the public, betrayed the inmates, and betrayed the badge. My office will hold corrupt correctional officers to account for their behavior.”
On the day of the attack, prosecutors said two inmates approached Castillo and told him they intended to beat up another inmate. Castillo, they said, approved the attack and told the pair to “handle it.”
Moments before the incident, one of the attackers took rubber gloves from Castillo’s desk and pointed toward the victim’s cell. Castillo then used a control panel to open the cell. Prosecutors said the attacker then yanked the door open, and he and another inmate punched and kicked the victim.
Afterward, the victim pressed his cell’s emergency call button. Prosecutors said the system turned on a green light outside his door and sent a series of pings to notify the guard on duty in the living area. Castillo silenced the notification and turned off the victim’s emergency light.
Prosecutors said that when the victim asked for help, Castillo approached him—but did not turn on his body-worn camera so there would be no record of the conversation. They also said he didn’t request medical aid or report the attack.
“Instead, he met with the attackers to concoct a plan to keep word of the attack from getting out,” prosecutors said in a news release.
As the investigation unfolded, Castillo fired the two attackers from their roles as jail trustees. Authorities said jail trustees are low-risk inmates given special privileges in exchange for jobs such as cooking, cleaning, and maintenance. Investigators learned of Castillo’s role, and he was fired.
The two inmates who carried out the beating and another inmate who stood guard were charged and convicted.
Francisco Izayas Castillo Santa Clara County correctional officer sentenced jailhouse beating body-worn camera jail trustees cover-up Morgan Hill