ST. MARY PARISH - A corrections deputy was arrested Thursday afternoon for the battery of an inmate.

According to Sheriff Blaise Smith, 20-year-old Abreante Jacole Harris "entered a dorm and struck an inmate several times." After an investigation by SMPSO detectives, the deputy was booked on charges of simple battery and malfeasance in office and fired.

Chief Deputy Gary Driskell said in a statement about the incident:

"I am disappointed in this deputy's actions. She violated her training, the policies of the Sheriff's Office, and the laws of the State of Louisiana. We hold the men and women of our agency to high standards of professional conduct, which means holding them accountable when they violate the boundaries of their authority."