A Mississippi inmate has been sentenced to 30 more years for sexually assaulting a prison employee.
Ernest Mayfield had only been at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Rankin County for three days when, on Sept. 17, 2021, he broke into a female employee’s office and sexually assaulted her.
The case went to trial on April 20, 2024. During the two-day trial, the state of Mississippi called the victim, multiple forensic experts, and several witnesses to stand before the jury delivered a guilty verdict. Circuit Court Judge Steve Ratcliff sentenced Mayfield to a day-for-day punishment of 30 years behind bars – the maximum allowed.
“I appreciate all the hard work from both my office and multiple law enforcement agencies to secure a guilty verdict in this matter,” District Attorney Bubba Bramlett said. “We are glad to put this lifelong habitual criminal in prison for the next 30 years.”
According to Bramlett, Mayfield was originally incarcerated on two prior convictions of methamphetamine possession.
