Published: Friday, December 21, 2007
Reforms pledged for state prisons
SPOKANE -- With rising complaints by female prison inmates of sex abuse by guards, the state Department of Corrections said it will hire more female staff members, increase the number of surveillance cameras in prisons and have the State Patrol investigate complaints.
The state has received scores of complaints about sex abuse in recent months, and a class-action lawsuit has been filed against the state by four current or former inmates.
The Department of Corrections on Wednesday announced reforms to battle the problems.
"There is no excuse for sexual behavior between correctional staff and prison inmates, and we will pursue criminal prosecution and termination of any employee engaged in such behavior," Interim Department of Corrections Secretary Eldon Vail said in a statement.
Separately, a new report issued Wednesday by the state found numerous security problems at the three women's prisons.
Using Pine Lodge Corrections Center for Women, near Spokane, as an example, the report found short staffing, deficiencies in the buildings, technological failures and poor security practices.
"It could be argued if a planned sexual assault was the objective, the perpetrator would have a reasonably high possibility of completing the act without being detected, thereby placing the institution at high risk," the report said.
The report was written by the superintendent of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, Donald Kelchner. It repeatedly noted that guards spent too little time patrolling the prisons, often doing desk work instead.
"Not being out and about in a correctional facility significantly limits your knowledge of what is occurring within your facility," the report said.
The state runs two additional prisons for women: The Washington Corrections Center for Women at Purdy, near Tacoma, and the Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women, southwest of Bremerton.
According to the DOC, from January 2005 to June 2007, there were 202 allegations of sexual misconduct, and 46 percent involved staffers. Twenty-six of those cases were substantiated.
In some of the cases, seemingly consensual sexual relationships developed between guards and prisoners. But is against the law for a corrections officer to engage in sex with an inmate.
The state has received scores of complaints about sex abuse in recent months, and a class-action lawsuit has been filed against the state by four current or former inmates.
The Department of Corrections on Wednesday announced reforms to battle the problems.
"There is no excuse for sexual behavior between correctional staff and prison inmates, and we will pursue criminal prosecution and termination of any employee engaged in such behavior," Interim Department of Corrections Secretary Eldon Vail said in a statement.
Separately, a new report issued Wednesday by the state found numerous security problems at the three women's prisons.
Using Pine Lodge Corrections Center for Women, near Spokane, as an example, the report found short staffing, deficiencies in the buildings, technological failures and poor security practices.
"It could be argued if a planned sexual assault was the objective, the perpetrator would have a reasonably high possibility of completing the act without being detected, thereby placing the institution at high risk," the report said.
The report was written by the superintendent of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, Donald Kelchner. It repeatedly noted that guards spent too little time patrolling the prisons, often doing desk work instead.
"Not being out and about in a correctional facility significantly limits your knowledge of what is occurring within your facility," the report said.
The state runs two additional prisons for women: The Washington Corrections Center for Women at Purdy, near Tacoma, and the Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women, southwest of Bremerton.
According to the DOC, from January 2005 to June 2007, there were 202 allegations of sexual misconduct, and 46 percent involved staffers. Twenty-six of those cases were substantiated.
In some of the cases, seemingly consensual sexual relationships developed between guards and prisoners. But is against the law for a corrections officer to engage in sex with an inmate.
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