A woman who worked as a guard at Hamilton County’s Silverdale jail is suing her employer over sexual abuse by inmates for which which no corrective action was made.
By David Tulis / NoogaRadio 92.7
The resident of Bradley County file suit in U.S. district court over her placement among 60 male inmates at the CoreCivic-run facility at which she works from April 23 to Sept. 6, 2018.
Within a week after reports about her case, a report emerged from Morgan County Correctional Complex in Wartburg, Tenn., in which an inmate says women guards are routinely sexually harassed by inmates.
The following paragraphs are from Grenda Harmer, an inmate under punishment in “protective custody” for his numerous complaints, administrative notices and efforts to draw attention to prison system abuses and corruption. His letter to a Knoxville TV station news department is as follows:
MCCX is a male dominated facility where inmates expose their genitals female officers and nothing is done. A few months ago, two inmates had exposed themselves to Cpl. K. Morrison (now Sperling). These inmates were moved from cell No. 20 to cell No. 14 away from the security office. That was it. One of the inmates transferred to another facility. The other inmate, known as Kfat, remained in the cell. Eventually, another inmate was assigned to cell No. 14 with Kfat.
On 12-13-18, is other inmate exposed his genitals to third shift Officer Hamby. Even though Ms. Hamby complained, nothing was done. Sgt. Robert Martini and unit manager Brandon Robinson told the inmate if he exposed himself again that they would take his property. The inmate responded he was “horny” and will do it again.
Both of these inmates should have been locked up and permanently removed from the unit for the safety and security of the female staff. But they weren’t. There are policies prohibiting this type of conduct that are not enforced, that subjects female staff a hostile environment that, it appears, is acceptable by MCCX male staff.
Neysa Taylor, department of correction spokeswoman, says she “will look into this matter” in Mr. Harmer’s report, adding: “It must be noted that the lawsuit you cited is not a TDOC facility.”
