Story by Reporter Eloize
Northern State Prison corrections officer Avril D. Richardson, 46, of Elizabeth, NJ, has been sentenced to three years probation for workplace misconduct. Richardson, who worked at the North State Prison in Newark, was arrested and charged after investigators revealed she had and maintained a relationship with an inmate.
Richardson was forced to forfeit her job and any future public employment after she plead guilty to a sexual relationship with an inmate while in her employment. The investigations revealed the relationship started in 2016 and continued until her arrest.
In June 2019, Richardson pleaded guilty to fourth degree criminal sexual contact.
“Any time corrections officers abuse their power and violate the public trust, the safety of our community is in jeopardy,’’ said Assistant Prosecutor Jeessiva L. Apostolou, who handled the case. “This case reflects the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office‘s continued diligent pursuit of the conviction of offenders of the laws of this state.”
