Denver, Colorado – An inmate at the Colorado Department of Corrections has reached a notable $1.1 million settlement with state employees, marking one of the largest settlements made with an incarcerated individual within the department.
John Snorsky, currently serving a 30-year prison sentence for an attempted kidnapping in Aurora back in 2013, alleged in a federal lawsuit that DOC employees failed to protect him from a violent prison gang. He claimed that after cooperating with investigators looking into a 2015 murder within the prison system, he was left vulnerable to a series of assaults and attacks by fellow inmates.
According to Denver attorney Erica Grossman, Snorsky was brutally attacked by three inmates in 2017 at the Colorado State Penitentiary, resulting in 43 stab wounds. Grossman stated that the attack was a direct consequence of Snorsky’s cooperation with investigators on the inmate’s murder, making him an obvious target for violence.
In the handwritten federal lawsuit, Snorsky alleged that DOC employees knowingly exposed him to the violent inmates, despite his pleas for protective custody. The lawsuit detailed an incident where Snorsky refused to leave his cell out of fear of assault, only to have all cell doors in his hall opened, leading to a brutal attack witnessed by numerous prison staff members.
Despite the significant settlement, it remains unclear how the $1.1 million will be distributed to an inmate who is still serving a lengthy sentence within the same system he sued. Snorsky’s kidnapping case in 2013 garnered local media attention, ultimately leading to his 30-year sentence without parole eligibility for another 10 years.
The case highlights the challenges faced by inmates who cooperate with authorities within the prison system and the importance of ensuring their safety while incarcerated. The substantial settlement serves as a reminder of the need for accountability and protection of all individuals within the correctional system.