Ky. recommends ways to protect inmates from guards

[LeighAnn]

Source: Ft. Mill (SC) Times

Investigators from the Kentucky Department of Corrections called Monday for security improvements at a private Appalachian women's prison to protect inmates from being sexually assaulted by male guards.

State investigators looked into the handling of 18 alleged cases of sexual misconduct by guards in the past three years at the Otter Creek Correctional Complex in this tiny coal town some 150 miles southeast of Lexington. Investigators made 14 recommendations to protect the more than 400 female inmates, including basic strategies like assigning female guards to supervise the women in their sleeping quarters.

<snip>

Justice Cabinet Secretary J. Michael Brown said last week that the state won't renew a contract to house inmates at Otter Creek unless Corrections Corp. of America hires a female security chief and hires a security staff that is at least 40 percent female.

Brislin said sexual misconduct charges have been substantiated against only five corrections officers at Otter Creek since 2007.

"The rogue actions of a few bad apples has really led to a very unfortunate characterization of the entire work force at that institution," Owen said.


Read more: http://www.fortmilltimes.com/124/story/759060.html

[bertman]

1. You gotta watch out for those rogue bad apples. They are making all the incompetent

administrators all over America look even fucking worse than they really are.

On the other hand, this will be a major improvement, so that's very positive.

[heartlandheretic]

2. Protecting "Criminals" from the Guards?

Protecting "Criminals" from the Guards? Now, doesn't that speak volumes about our "Law Enforcement" community? You really have to remember, the inmates have an "out" date (they get to go home someday). The cops? Well, they've got a life sentence.

[Sinistrous]

3. Welcome aboard!

[green917]

4. There are certain industries that should be nationalized!

Prisons and health care are at the top of the list in my humble opinion. When you make incarcerating people a "growth industry" and let private companies with very little accountability for their actions reduce the "rehabilitation" of our nation's criminals to profit and loss, you've already lost the battle against crime. Stories like this one are why I am, essentially, a socialist.

[gopiscrap]

5. Thank so am I

add education to that list!!!

[Odin2005]

6. Gee, anyone with a brain would have realized that female inmates and male guards is a bad idea.

The type of men that go into such jobs are exactly the macho misogynist creeps that should not be near female inmates!

[paulsby]

9. bigotry noted

the types of men that go into corrections officer work as "macho misogynist creeps"

lol

[MadMaddie]

7. It's a privately owned prison

nuff said....these privately owned prisons have no incentive to keep prisoners safe. The states have brought this on themselves.

[lexington filly]

8. Oh my God! Won't renew contract??? Shut it down. Right now.

These male guards violated caged women. Violated is too antiseptic a word. The article called it sexual misconduct. A guy having sex with a sheep is sexual misconduct. Grabbing a female from a cage and (use you imagination) is robbing a female of a piece of her soul and all of her spirit. Can you imagine if your sister, or cousin, or mom was in there? Like a choice on the salad bar? An isolated incident wasn't reported but a pattern. And the For Profit corporate-prison spokesman calls them "a few bad apples?" And Secretary Brown says Kentucky won't renew the contract "unless. . ." As a Kentuckian, I'm horrified this happened but I'd be equally horrified no matter where this happens.

Here in KY, a lot of folks like lamb fries and calf fries. You all know what those are? Perhaps if a combo plate of Guard, Corporate, and Justice Fries were put on the menu as surely as these female inmates were, these guys wouldn't be so ho-hum in their attitudes. This population of females ought to be relocated to safety immediately. The place not re-opened unless and until all the protections are in place and proven.

A close friend of mine and her husband made a huge sum of money in prison stock. I'm talking Huge. Yes, prison stock is bought and sold just like any other. Do you suppose that making prisons profit centers has anything to do with the level of professionalism and quality of personnel and supervision? Do you think there's a connection between the ever growing prison population in this country and stock holders' demands for a good return on their money? Personally, I see it as degrading the individuals in our prisons---both inmates and employees---to nothing more than the herds in cattle pens for the commodity markets.