A former Huntingdon County prison inmate — who helped another inmate successfully file a suit against the county — has filed a suit against the Blair County Prison.
Mark Frailey, a former Tyrone Area School District police officer, is charging Blair County officials ignored threats made against him by another inmate while he was in that county jail in 2004.
Frailey, formerly of Spruce Creek and currently a resident of State College, said he filed the civil suit Feb. 28 in the U.S. District Court in Johnstown.
Frailey’s suit lists two corrections officers, two supervisors, two counselors, warden Donald Ott and the Blair County Prison Board as defendants.
Frailey said that on Sunday, March 1, 2004, he was threatened in front of corrections officers by three other inmates. He claimed one of the inmates said he was “going to kill” Frailey.
Frailey said that inmate had claimed that Frailey had arrested him when Frailey was a law enforcement officer.
The next day, Frailey requested use of the jail’s law library, and the threatening inmate was also placed in the library. Frailey, in his suit, said the two were left alone by officers, and Frailey was beaten severely.
“He beat me bad,” Frailey said.
Frailey said he was knocked unconscious and taken by sheriff deputies to an Altoona hospital for treatment.
He claims Blair County Prison officials failed to protect him. “The staff ignored threats.”
Frailey is seeking a jury trial and wants compensation and punitive damages. He also wants policy changes that would not leave inmates unattended, and wants “responsible parties dismissed.”
Frailey was in the Blair County Prison on charges including recklessly endangering another person. Those charges were later dismissed.
Frailey was at one time an inmate in the Huntingdon County Prison. While at the Huntingdon lockup, he assisted a mentally challenged inmate in filing suit against the county. Huntingdon County paid $14,000 to settle the claim. Frailey also made a number of charges before the Huntingdon County Commissioners about treatment of inmates at the county jail which forced the commissioners to order a “review” at the jail. (See related story.)
