Four former prison inmates in Florida are suing the private company that runs the Citrus County jail, claiming two former officers put human waste in their food and drinks.

The lawsuit alleges the inmates were forced to eat food contaminated with urine and feces, and were subject to cruel punishment, torture and battery in 2004. They claim they suffered from "vomiting, stomach cramps and nausea."

A spokesman for the Corrections Corporation of America says the company fired three employees after hearing about the allegations.

According to transcripts of a hearing with the Office of Employment Appeals, a former supervisor said a corrections officer acknowledged putting human waste in an inmate's drinking jug.

The Corrections Corporation of America's Web site says it runs more than 60 facilities with about 60,000 inmates and is the sixth largest corrections system in the nation.