The inmate who was convicted of a raping a female clerical worker at the State Correctional Institute at Rockview is appealing his case to the Pennsylvania Superior Court, according to new documents filed in Centre County Court.
Omar Best, 36, was convicted of numerous felonies – including rape, aggravated assault and sexual assault – after choking a female prison worker unconscious and raping her in her office in July 2013. In September Best was sentenced to three life sentences with no possibility of parole.
The victim was a no-contact employee who worked away from inmates, though her office was located near a housing unit. Before the July attack, the victim reportedly told coworkers and superiors that Best had approached her several times and asked her personal questions, making her feel uncomfortable. Best was serving a prison sentence for previous convictions of robbery, aggravated assault and rape at the time. He had also reportedly assaulted a female worker at a different correctional facility.
The victim suffered numerous injuries during the attack, and later filed a lawsuit against the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, the State Correctional Institution at Rockview, Rockview Superintendent Marirosa Lamas, Rockview Supervisor Sharon Clark and Rockview Correctional Officer Kenneth Shilling.
She was awarded a $3.3 million settlement in November.
The lawsuit alleged that the victim’s supervisors were aware of Best’s prior rape conviction and history of assaulting prison workers, but did not take adequate steps to ensure the victim’s safety. A subsequent investigation reportedly found numerous failings in security procedures and prison staff duties, including a lack of staff training, regular inmate cell inspections and documentation of security issues.
Lamas has been removed from the superintendent position, and new security policies have been put in place at the prison to prevent similar situations in the future.
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