RALEIGH — The superintendent at a Sampson County prison that was being investigated for ordering inmates to rub hot sauce on their genitals has announced he will retire. One of his officers has resigned.

Lafayette Hall was suspended with pay while the state investigated the inmates’ allegations at Sampson Correctional, which also included being forced to simulate sex acts on each other. Hall has made his retirement plans clear, said Pamela Walker, spokeswoman for the state Department of Public Safety.

Lead officer Anthony Jackson has resigned, and correctional officer David Jones remains under investigation, she said.

Hall’s salary is listed at $62,564 in the state’s database. Neither he nor Jackson could be reached Tuesday.

In July, six inmates at the Clinton prison wrote a letter to U.S. District Court asking for help. In it, they detail being made to drink and slather themselves with “exotic hot sauce” available only on the Internet, to kiss deadly snakes on the mouth and to fake sex acts while working on a road crew.

In their letter, they say they performed these acts in exchange for favors such as food and cigarettes, and for the chance to work for 70 cents a day.

A magistrate judge treated their letter as a civil rights complaint and dismissed it for not following proper legal procedures. But she left the door open for the inmates to file suit in the proper venue.

Hall was hired as superintendent in 2000, having served 10 previous years as assistant. Two other officers were transferred during the investigation. Its completion date is not yet known.

The investigation continues, and the State Bureau of Investigation is reviewing the case and consulting with district attorneys.

Shaffer: 919-829-4818