Former prison officer accused of sexual contact with inmate

BY ALAN RIQUELMY - ariquelmy@ledger-enquirer.com --

A former Muscogee County Prison correctional officer faces charges after an investigation revealed she had inappropriate sexual contact with an inmate at Bull Creek Golf Course, authorities said.

Tashala C. Johnson-Ashley, 33, was arrested 1 a.m. Tuesday and charged with sexual assault against a person in custody and violation of oath by a public officer. Johnson-Ashley, who had been with the Muscogee County Prison for eight months, is accused of having contact with an inmate around April 5 while she was off duty and he was on a landscaping work detail, said Muscogee County Sheriff's Maj. Troy Culpepper and prison Warden William Adamson.

She appeared in Municipal Court Tuesday morning and made her $2,000 bond that afternoon.

The warden said Johnson-Ashley had fallen in love with an inmate.

"She let those feelings evolve to a point that was totally unacceptable," Adamson said. "He's certainly not on a work detail in this city."

Adamson heard anonymously about the alleged contact shortly after it occurred. He contacted the sheriff's office around April 11, asking for an investigation.

When Adamson asked Johnson-Ashley around April 23 to speak to investigators, she resigned, he said.

"Our investigation concluded that she had inappropriate sexual contact with an inmate on a detail outside of the work camp," Culpepper said.