Officials probe prison sex claims

[DeniseJJ]

Officials probe prison sex claims
02/13/04

CARLA CROWDER
News staff writer


Investigators are looking into allegations of illegal sexual contact between a female prisoner and a guard at the Louisiana private prison housing prisoners from Alabama.

This is the second such investigation involving an Alabama inmate and an employee or employees of Southeastern Louisiana Correctional Center, said Richard Harbison, general manager of LCS Corrections Services. The Lafayette, La., company runs the prison housing about 275 Alabama women.

"We do have the district attorney involved in it," Harbison said Thursday. "Which means we're taking it very seriously."

Harbison said the current investigation stems from an alleged incident that occurred about two months ago, but was reported only recently. He said it was not considered an assault.

Under Louisiana and Alabama law, sex between prisoners and guards is illegal. The laws are aimed at keeping guards from using their power to coerce or abuse prisoners.

The Alabama Department of Corrections pays LCS about $24 per prisoner to per day. DOC signed the contract with the for-profit company last April because of pressure to relieve crowding at Tutwiler Prison for Women.

Tutwiler Warden Gladys Deese and a DOC investigator visited the Basile, La., prison this week to look into the recent claim, Harbison said.

Deese's visit was already scheduled and part of her duties as warden, said Steve Hayes, an Alabama prison spokesman.

Hayes confirmed that Alabama authorities are investigating reports of an inappropriate incident at the Louisiana prison.

LCS has placed three guards on leave during the investigation. Harbison said not all of them are suspects, that some are suspected of observing improper activity and not reporting it.

Last year, officials at the Louisiana prison investigated another alleged sexual incident between an Alabama inmate and a prison employee or employees. "The first one we were unable to prove or disprove," Harbison said.

LCS had arranged for the inmate who made the first allegation to take a polygraph test. Before the test could be administered, the Alabama DOC transferred to the woman back to Tutwiler, one of a group of 30 inmates who returned last November, Harbison said.