The Bluegrass State is currently embroiled in a scandal related to its prison systems after numerous cases of sexual misconduct came to light.
Sixty-two employees across thirteen-stage prisons have been implicated and face various penalties for sexual misconduct, ranging from sexual assault to organizing orgies.
The investigation revealed 59 cases of employee-on-inmate sexual offenses in the past five years, with 35 cases worthy of criminal charges.
Over thirty workers with the Kentucky Department of Corrections were caught having sex with inmates for 16 months.
Aside from sexual infractions, other issues involved trafficking firearms and drugs.
Some claim that the behavior is not all that out of the ordinary, given the environment.
Being a correctional officer is a very challenging job,’ said Judah Schept, an associate professor in the School of Justice Studies at Eastern Kentucky University.
“In the popular imagination, we think of these jobs as being exposed to extreme forms of violence, and of course, that can happen,” he said. “But more often, I think what you’re dealing with are mundane daily tasks and being unappreciated and underpaid and feeling isolated and overworked. Given where you’re working, this can lead to some problems.”
One notable case among the many identified was of a crooked Chaplain, who had his way with an inmate as the authorities turned a blind eye.
Todd Steven Boyce, 56, was accused of sexually abusing an inmate in multiple ways at the Eastern KY Correctional Complex between March and July 2022. Allegedly, prison officials were aware of his behaviors but made no effort to stop him.
“Boyce bragged to plaintiff that he had been previously accused of sexual abuse by other inmates and nothing happened to him, so no one would believe plaintiff if he reported him,” the legal complaint read.
Less than 47 percent of the 1,955 slots in the Kentucky Correctional system are staffed, leading to long hours, subpar working/living conditions, and a lucrative environment for corruption.
“Our inmates are pretty keen observers of the environment that they’re living in. They know when we’re short-staffed in a severe way, as we are now,” said Justice and Public Safety Secretary Kerry Harvey. “And of course, some of them are going to try to take advantage of that in nefarious ways.”
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