Another prison officer was fired and the warden and assistant warden were relieved of their duties Wednesday in the wake of the apparent beating of an inmate at Hendry Correctional Institution in South Florida a week ago.

On Tuesday, four correctional officers had been fired by the Department of Corrections. An internal investigation concluded the officers were involved with what appeared to be choking and beating an inmate into unconsciousness at the Immokalee prison after taking the man from his cell to an area where there were no security cameras. The internal investigation was turned over to prosecutors to determine if criminal charges should be filed.

On Wednesday, department Secretary James McDonough fired Hendry's colonel, William Avant, and relieved Warden Carol Starling and Assistant Warden Jim Tridico of their commands pending reassignment.

McDonough told The Sun, "There is no question I am disappointed in much of the leadership at Hendry and for that reason I have decided to relieve the warden and an assistant warden of their command. Happily, the other assistant warden has shown the strength and shown the wherewithal to lead the institution back where it needs to be."

This is the second time McDonough has removed Starling from a warden's post.

Starling was warden at Lowell Correctional Institution in Marion County, the state's largest women's prison, until last summer.

McDonough removed her from that job and assigned her to the warden's job at Hendry after a review by an outside management team found significant, chronic problems at the women's prison.

McDonough said late Wednesday that he relieved Starling of her duties at Lowell because "I felt there were issues that needed to be addressed and that we needed new blood. I thought that by moving her to Hendry, she would find herself in a new place and reinvigorate her approach. Unfortunately, I did not see that happen."

McDonough's new management team for Hendry includes promoting Hendry's remaining assistant warden, Vickie E. Langford, to warden. Langford's assistant wardens will be James Blackwood, who was promoted from colonel at Okeechobee Correctional Institution, and John Palmer, who was promoted from colonel at Santa Rosa Correctional Institution.

Palmer spent time on unpaid leave last summer while an internal investigation was conducted into allegations about his off-duty behavior. He was subsequently demoted and transferred from his post as an assistant warden at Union Correctional Institution to the colonel's job at Santa Rosa.

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