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Lawsuit: Guards Forced Juvenile Inmates To Fight Each Other

BRIDGETON, N.J. (AP) — A lawsuit filed this past spring claims that inmates of the now-closed Cumberland County Juvenile Detention Center were forced to fight each other for the guards' enjoyment.

Edward Scanlon IV initially filed the complaint in Cumberland County Superior Court in March. The case was moved to federal court in July.

Scanlon says he was subjected to "physical and physiological abuse" during the three days he stayed at the Bridgeton jail as a 15-year-old in March 2012.

According to the lawsuit, Scanlon suffered serious injuries when he was forced to fight other inmates by corrections officers. He also was allegedly refused medication for his diagnosed mental and behavioral disabilities.

The detention center was closed in 2015 to cut costs.

Attorneys representing several county officials named as defendants declined to comment.

(© Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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