Prison officer charged with sexually assaulting inmate she supervised

NEWARK — A senior officer at a state prison has been charged with having a year-long sexual affair with an inmate.

Tasheena Majors, a 42-year-old correctional police officer at Northern State Prison, is facing a second-degree charge of sexual assault.

Prosecutors said Majors engaged in sexual activity with a male inmate under her supervision. The activity occurred at the jail between November 2019 and this month, officials said.

New Jersey 101.5 did not know Tuesday whether the city resident had an attorney who could speak on her behalf.

Majors becomes the latest in a long list of correctional officials charged with sex crimes.

Since 2017, numerous officers at the state's women's prison have either pleaded guilty or have been convicted of sexually assaulting inmates. A federal Department of Justice report released in April faulted officials at Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women for failing to protect inmates' constitutional rights, investigate abuse complaints or protect victims from retaliation.

In February, a Monmouth County probation officer admitted sexually assaulting a 23-year-old woman he was supervising during a two-year period. Last year, a Monmouth County corrections officer was charged with having sex in the jail with a woman he had previously dated.

Sergio Bichao is deputy digital editor at New Jersey 101.5. Send him news tips: Call 609-775-9793 or email sergio.bichao@townsquaremedia.com.