Avondale guard sexually abused inmate, receives prison sentence

A former Avondale security guard was sentenced to 13 months in prison for sexually abusing an inmate at a Phoenix correctional facility. He will also serve 10 years of supervised release. Morris Gary Hibbitt, 51, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the woman in her living quarters at the Behavioral Systems Southwest Residential Reentry Center. The facility, contracted by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, provides reintegration services. The abuse occurred in May 2023, with Hibbitt using his position to compel the inmate to sexual activity. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender.