Recently a former Pocatello corrections officer was accused of having sexual relations with an inmate. http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=9956466 This happens to be a felony that carries a maximum penalty of 50 thousand dollars and life in prison. What’s wrong with our court system when they want to put a man in prison for life for having consensual sexual contact with another person (albeit an inmate), yet when it comes to child molesters, rapists and even murderers the maximum penalties are much lighter? How can our judges hand out basically a slap on the wrist for somebody committing rape or taking away our children’s innocence and than turn around and sentence a man to life in prison for something that was consensual? Granted I understand it’s against the law for a corrections officer to have any type of intimate contact with an inmate, but life in prison? Seems to be completely backwards to me. What are your thoughts on this & what can we do to change the penalties on certain crimes?
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It WAS all he had to say about it!
:@:)
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The courts can sure do some crazy stuff from time to time. It’d be interesting to see a list from judges of the convictions and sentences given for crimes from each judge.
Simple. It’s a power issue. “Consensual” when you’re talking about someone in state custody is difficult to establish (even if the inmate claims consent, they could be intimidated or extorted). The law *should* protect those whose liberty has been taken away from state officials who would take advantage of them.
The statute covers everything from purely consensual to forceable rape. At the original post indicated, the maximum penalty is “not to exceed” life in prison. Seems appropriate to me given the range of potential behaviors.
Corrections officers know the rules. They should remain professional.
Its not always about corrections officers “abusing” their power. Frequently its also inmates scamming the system to get out. I don’t defend corrections officers who do this type of thing at all but the whole picture needs to be looked at.
For instance, there was a Bonneville county jail deputy who got charged and fired in the last ten years for getting oral fellatio from a female inmate. It happened many times before the female inmate came forward with the demand “Drop my charges or I’ll sue.” The whole time this was going on she was carefully spitting out the semen, saving it, and then provided it as evidence to what was going on. This was no victim, this was a woman who tried to take advantage of the system. Certainly the deputy deserved to be fired but it also clearly wasn’t a case of him using his authority to abuse a prisoner.
I agree with you that maximum sentences don’t always make sense but that is something that we all can do something about. I believe it is the State Legislators that make laws for our state, maximum sentences include. Write to your representative if you would like them to change.
I am a Correctional Officer who works for the Idaho Department of Correction and I have worked at the Pocatello Women’s Correctional Center and so I feel that I have some qualifications in saying this – If a Correctional Officer has sexual relations with someone who is under the custody of the Department of Correction then they are wrong and should be punished for their actions.
It has been many years since I went through the academy but I still remember being told on my first day – sexual contact with an inmate is a felony. Regardless if that contact was consensual, it is still a felony. I have encountered many things happen concerning this; I’ve known of some Officers who ‘fall’ for an inmate resign so that they may pursue a relationship, and I’ve also known some Officers who did have ‘consensual’ sexual relations with an inmate resign to avoid the Department bring charges against them.
Dear Jeremy,
Me too. I think it’s real bad crap when a law person has any kind of sexual relations with an incarcerated person.
Just so happens I have an extra pair of extra sharp scissors, Jeremy. You can have them. When any of your buddies mess with any enslaved individuals?
You just go snip snip snip.
That aught to fix the problem, quick.
If you have an extra heavy rock then I’ll take that too… if they even think it, I’ll hit them over the head until they stop thinking it!
Wull, let’s not hurt their little heads.
They’ll make a work comp claim, and the State is out of funds. We need them on their feet and thinking, even when their big heads have been cut off.
Use my scissors, Jeremy.
snip snip snip
Wendyjo, you are creepy as hell…
Coming from you, Marcus, that’s quite a compliment.
OH SNAP!
LOL
For some reason all I can think of is salad fingers.
It was a compliment Wendy
.
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