Illinois Prison Guard Charged for Assaulting a Prisoner
On Monday, October 5, 2020, prison guard Chris Koziol allegedly severely assaulted an unnamed prisoner at the Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill, Illinois. The assault was investigated by the Illinois State Police’s (ISP) Division of Internal Investigation (DII).
On May 5, 2021, the Will County State’s Attorney charged Koziol with one count of aggravated battery.” In a video publicly released on July 15, 2021, Koziol is seen striking the unidentified prisoner on the head and, according to the charges, causing great bodily harm.
Koziol was arrested at the prison the very next day. He was booked into the Will County Jail. His bond was set at $50,000. It took him about two hours to raise the requisite $5,000, or 10 percent of the total bail amount, before he was released.
No comments were available from prison staff. On crowdfunding sites, Koziol had raised over $15,000 to use in his defense.
Source: patch.com
As a digital subscriber to Prison Legal News, you can access full text and downloads for this and other premium content.
Already a subscriber? Login
More from this issue:
- Mississippi Supreme Court Applies Pro Se Leniency in Reversing Dismissal of Prisoner’s Lawsuit Challenging Prison Disciplinary Action, by Matthew Clarke
- Nominal Representation Without Actual Representation: One Person, No Vote, by Edward Lyon
- Louisiana Bars Problem Doctors from Practicing Medicine in Most Hospitals. So They Treat Incarcerated People Instead., by Addy Baird
- California Female Prisoners Used as Honey Trap Bait for Rapist Guard, by Edward Lyon
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- Human Rights Defense Center Prevails in Censorship Lawsuit Against Napa County Jail, California, by Derek Gilna
- California State Auditor’s Report Faults Counties for Waste and Poor Oversight of State Funds Used in “Public Safety Realignment”, by Derek Gilna
- Modest Decline in Prison and Jail Populations in Spring 2021, by Matthew Clarke
- FCC Takes Further Action on Prison and Jail Phone Rates, by Chuck Sharman
- Seventh Circuit: PLRA Mandates Dismissal for Deceit on IFP Application, by David Reutter
- Federal BOP Overwhelmingly Denies Compassionate Releases During COVID, by Daniel A. Rosen
- HRDC Sues Florida DOC Over Censorship, for the Third Time in 18 Years, by Chuck Sharman
- Fourth Circuit: No Privacy Expectation Exists for Prisoner in Diagnosis and Treatment of HIV, by David Reutter
- Pandemic Medical Update: The Delta Surge, by Michael D. Cohen, MD
- These Meds Prevent Overdoses. Few Federal Prisoners Are Getting Them, by Beth Schwartzapfel
- Massachusetts Cop Indicted for Lying About Checking Cell of Prisoner Who Died of Drug Overdose
- New Clemency Rules Expected to Expedite Civil Rights Restoration in Florida, by Kevin Bliss
- Florida Files Environmental Lawsuit Against Phosphate Company Pollution, by Panagioti Tsolkas
- HRDC Sues Illinois DOC Under FOIA, Again, for GTL Contract Details, by Chuck Sharman
- The Fight Over Cellphones in Prisons Rages On, by Derek Gilna
- San Diego Jail Approves Free Phone and Video Calls
- Lawsuit Over Alabama Private Mega-Prison Leases Dismissed, by Daniel A. Rosen
- Eighth Circuit Holds Lack of “Clearly Established” Law Requiring Staffer to Notify of Prisoner’s Suicide Risk Prevented Damages, by Dale Chappell
- EPA Slams GEO Over Disinfectant Use at Private Prison, Federal Court Issues Preliminary Injunction to Stop It, by Dale Chappell
- $10 Million Settlement in Taser Death of Mentally Ill Man in South Carolina Jail, by David Reutter
- Criminal Justice System Encourages Racism According to MIT Study, by Kevin Bliss
- $750,000 Settlement in South Dakota Pretrial Detainee’s Overdose Death, by David Reutter
- US Marshalls Terminate Contract with GEO Snitch Camp at Queens NY Detention Facility, by Douglas Ankney
- Florida’s Brutal Prison System Will Continue to Subsidize Rural Economies, With No Meaningful Reform in Sight, by David Reutter
- California Begins Transfer of Prisoners to Facilities Consistent with Prisoners’ Gender Identity, by Douglas Ankney
- US DOJ Finds California Alameda County Jail in Violation of Constitution and ADA, by Matthew Clarke
- Report Shows COVID-19 Reduced Life Expectancy for Prisoners in Florida, Same Likely for Other States, by David Reutter
- Ohio Guard Added to Sex Offender List and Sent to Prison for Sex with Detainee
- $350,000 Settlement for New Mexico Pretrial Detainee in ‘Failure to Protect’ Claim, by David Reutter
- The Killing Fields: Three Alabama State Prisoners Murdered in Five Days, by Edward Lyon
- New Mexico Jail Sued For Allowing Woman Prisoner to Die of Infections, by Keith Sanders
- Beating Death in Oahu Jail Ends With Acquittal of Mentally Ill Killer, by Kevin Dayton
- $2.1 Million Awarded in Beating Ordered by Kentucky Jail Guard
- Fifth Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Federal Prisoner’s Bivens Action Challenging Due Process in 280-Day SHU Stay and Alleging Retaliation, by Matthew Clarke
- Ninth Circuit Reverses Summary Judgment in Lawsuit For CoreCivic Causing BOP Detainee’s Prolonged Detention Without Court Appearance or Attorney, by Matthew Clarke
- Lawsuit Filed Over Rodent Infestation at New Mexico Prison, by David Reutter
- Illinois Prison Guard Charged for Assaulting a Prisoner
- District Court Extends Armstrong Order to Five Additional California Prisons, by Derek Gilna, Douglas Ankney
- Decapitated Prisoner Shows CDCR Safety Standards Still Headed in the Wrong Direction, by Matthew Clarke
- The U.S. Department of Justice Creates Risk Assessment Tool to Help Determine Who is Eligible for Early Release Under First Step Act
- Fifth Circuit Reverses Dismissal of Texas Prisoner’s Failure-to-Protect Suit, by Matthew Clarke
- California Appeals Court Holds Habeas Action Over Censorship of Tattoo Magazine Mooted By Delivery, by Matthew Clarke
- Two Albuquerque Jailers Indicted for Killing Prisoner, by Matthew Clarke
- Attorney Fees Awarded Against CoreCivic After Defamation Suit Dismissed, by David Reutter
- Tenth Circuit Rejects Government’s Appeal Over Recorded Attorney Calls and Visits at Private Prison in Leavenworth, by Dale Chappell
- Prisoner’s Suicide in Sherburne County Minnesota Jail Results in $2.3 Million Settlement, by Keith Sanders
- $30,001 Jury Verdict Over Discriminatory ICE Notification Policy By Minnesota Jail, by Kevin Bliss
- Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Rules on Medical Parole Despite Death of Prisoners Who Sought Judicial Review, by Matthew Clarke
- News in Brief
More from these topics:
- Differing Judicial Outcomes for the New York Guards Who Killed Robert Brooks, Feb. 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Failure to Protect (Wrongful Death), Excessive Force (Wrongful Death), Pending Appeal/Sentencing.
- The New York Prison System’s Culture of Cruelty and Impunity, Feb. 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Racial Discrimination, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Restraints, Excessive Force (Wrongful Death).
- $404,000 Verdict for Ohio Prisoner Brutalized by Trio of Guards, Kept in Solitary for Two Years, Jan. 1, 2026. Retaliation for Filing Grievances, Retaliatory Segregation, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Pepper Spray/Tear Gas, Control Units/SHU/Solitary Confinement.
- Sixth Circuit Affirms Denial of Qualified Immunity for Michigan Jailer Accused of Retaliatory Assault, Jan. 1, 2026. Retaliation, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Qualified Immunity, 42 U.S. Code § 1983, civil action for deprivation of rights, Deliberate Indifference.
- One Guard Pleads Guilty, Another Receives Light Sentence in New York Prisoner’s Killing, Dec. 1, 2025. Guard Misconduct, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Excessive Force (Wrongful Death), Obstruction of Justice, Plea Agreements/Guilty Pleas.
- Record $42.75 Million Verdict in Louisiana Detainee’s Death in LaSalle Jail, Dec. 1, 2025. Guard Brutality/Beatings, Pepper Spray/Tear Gas, Contractor Liability, Failure to Train/Supervise, Deliberate Indifference.
- New Jersey Breaks Ground on New $330 Million Women’s Prison After Raid at Old Facility, Dec. 1, 2025. Staff-Prisoner Assault, Guard Misconduct, Prosecutor/Attorney General Misconduct, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Prison Rape Elimination Act.
- California’s Attorney General Is Suing Los Angeles County Jails Over “Inhumane Conditions”, Nov. 1, 2025. Jail Misconduct, Totality of Conditions, Food, Overcrowding, Exposure to Cold, Plumbing, Sewage, Sanitation, Hygiene Supplies, Vermin, Exposure to Heat, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Complaints, Consent Decrees, Failure to Treat (Mental Illness).
- $950,000 Awarded to Trans Maryland Prisoner Dropped on Her Face by Guards, Nov. 1, 2025. Guard Misconduct, DOC/BOP misconduct, Government Misconduct, Retaliation for Filing Grievances, Retaliation for Organizing, Retaliatory Segregation, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Restraints, Discrimination (Transgender), Failure to Protect (Transgender), Immunity - Absolute and Qualified, Damages - Compensatory, Wrongful Use of Force.
- How Nepotism in New York Prisons Cost Prisoners Their Lives, Oct. 1, 2025. Staff-Prisoner Assault, Staffing, Guard Brutality/Beatings.

