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| Report Says Conn. Prison System Plagued by Sexual Harassment |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 02/14/2003 |
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State human rights investigators say Connecticut prison officials often ignore or downplay sexual harassment, which has become a pervasive problem in the correction system. Officials with the state Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities have written a draft report that says there are deficiencies in the Department of Correction's policies, investigative procedures, discipline and training related to sexual harassment. The report makes nearly 80 suggestions for changes, The Hartford Courant reported. The CHRO is expected to approve the final version of the report later this month. Commission investigators recommend that the Correction Department adopt a clearer definition of sexual harassment, conduct more timely investigations, put more emphasis on prevention and eliminate a policy requiring complainants to sign a statement indicating that they are also a subject of the investigation and may be punished. The investigation began late last year after a group of female correction officers accused prison officials of routinely mishandling or ignoring their complaints and retaliating against women for filing the accusations. The female officers, who are now suing the agency, testified that they were routinely being harassed by male co-workers. Correction Commissioner John J. Armstrong, who announced last week that he was not seeking reappointment this year, denied that he was stepping down because of the controversy. Armstrong has maintained that sexual harassment is not a pervasive problem in his department. He said that only about 20 complaints were filed each year in his agency, which employs about 7,000 people. But CHRO investigators say they have determined the number of complaints is low because confidence in the department's sexual harassment complaint process has eroded. Investigators found that correction officials frequently misunderstood and misapplied the legal standard applicable to sexual harassment, failed to adequately discipline individuals guilty of sexual harassment and sometimes punished or threatened to discipline complainants for failing to report an incident on the day it occurred. Correction officials also at times investigated complainants sometimes disciplining them for inappropriate banter. CHRO spokeswomen Lena Ferguson, who described the findings as ''troubling,'' said investigators were most surprised by the structural problems within the Correction Department's affirmative action unit, which is charged with investigating sexual harassment complaints. ''So many of the issues that were brought to our concern rose from the organizational deficiencies of that unit,'' said Ferguson. Affirmative action officers frequently delayed reviewing sexual harassment complaints, failed to maintain confidentiality, discouraged people from filing complaints and ceased investigations if a complainant also filed with the CHRO, the report says. Correction officials declined to comment on the report's details. The agency also has entered a memorandum of understanding with state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. The agreement came after Gov. John G. Rowland asked Blumenthal to investigate sexual harassment complaints within the Department of Correction and to evaluate the agency's affirmative action unit. Representatives of the women's group that has been following the issue said they were encouraged by the CHRO report. |
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