Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Office of Public Integrity & Accountability (OPIA) today announced that a former New Jersey Department of Corrections officer was sentenced to a three-year term in state prison after using excessive force and assaulting a resident of the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center (ADTC)’s Special Treatment Unit (STU) in Woodbridge.

Giuseppe Mandara, 55, of Brick, New Jersey, a 15-year veteran of the DOC at the time of the incident, was sentenced on February 21, 2025, by New Jersey Superior Court Judge Thomas K. Isenhour, presiding at the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth. The defendant was ordered to surrender in March to begin serving his sentence.

Mandara pleaded guilty during a hearing on December 3, 2024, to aggravated assault (3rd degree). Following his guilty plea, the court entered an order, consistent with the terms of a plea agreement reached with OPIA, directing that Mandara forfeit his public employment and be forever disqualified from any future public office or employment.

“This needless, unprofessional attack was inconsistent with the years of experience and training that this officer had. In a moment of rage, he lost sight of his responsibilities and his position and set out to simply inflict excessive physical harm,” said Attorney General Platkin. “This type of conduct undermines the good work done every day by other law enforcement officers to uphold the law and ensure public safety across New Jersey. My office is committed to ensuring that people who are in custody are not subjected to abuse, violence, or violations of their rights by those representing the State.”

“Rather than following his training and de-escalating this situation, the defendant enflamed a verbal dispute into a physical confrontation,” said Drew Skinner, Executive Director of OPIA. “He subsequently concocted a false narrative claiming that his actions were self-defense. Unnecessary and excessive uses of force against those in custody will not be taken lightly, and the defendant will now be held to account.”

Based on documents filed and evidence presented to the court in the case and Mandara’s plea allocution, Mandara assaulted the victim on August 23, 2019, inside the sally port area of the West Housing Unit in the STU.

After a verbal disagreement at Mandara’s desk, the victim was walking away to his assigned work location when Mandara continued the dispute, taking off his duty belt and following the victim. That utility belt included sensitive equipment including the keys to the facility and a radio. In arguing for the sentence, the State pointed out that the defendant’s anger had reached the level that “he simply did not care if he had left unoccupied for any resident to retrieve these critical pieces of security equipment.”

According to the investigation, Mandara cursed and threatened the victim while he followed him instead of following his professional training, which required him to deescalate situations. Another corrections officer attempted to block Mandara from proceeding as he stormed after the victim. The defendant engaged in a physical assault, and Mandara and the victim ended up on the ground, where the physical altercation continued. Mandara repeatedly punched the victim while he was on the ground. As part of his plea, Mandara acknowledged his actions were done with the intent to cause significant bodily injury and were excessive and without justification.

Several days after the altercation the victim suffered a fatal stroke. Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 52:17B-107(a)(2), a state grand jury received evidence and heard testimony from the state medical examiner about the cause of the stroke and manner of death. The grand jury did not initiate homicide charges in connection with the victim’s death.

Deputy Attorneys General Amy Knutsen and Peter Choy prosecuted the case for OPIA, under the supervision of OPIA Executive Director Skinner.

Defense attorney:

Stuart Alterman, Esq., Evesham, New Jersey