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| Wyoming ends deal with private prison |
| By Advertiser |
| Published: 04/18/2005 |
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Wyoming will remove its women inmates from a privately run Mainland prison that also houses Hawaii women inmates, the same prison where staff members were accused of sexual misconduct involving Hawaii, Wyoming and Colorado inmates. Melinda Brazzale, spokeswoman for the Wyoming Department of Corrections, cited a recent series of problems at the prison in the decision to remove the Wyoming inmates from the Brush Correctional Facility in Colorado. Those problems included criminal charges filed against staff members and the former warden in connection with the sexual misconduct allegations, and revelations that the prison allowed five convicted felons to work there because their background checks had not been completed. "We just feel that it would be in the best interest of the inmates to move them out of Colorado," said Brazzale. The 38 Wyoming inmates at the Brush prison will be returned to Wyoming or sent to another private prison in Texas within the next 45 days, she said. Hawai'i has 80 women inmates at Brush, and there are no immediate plans to move the Hawai'i inmates out of the prison, said Michael Gaede, spokesman for the Hawaii Department of Public Safety. However, Hawaii's two-year contract with GRW Corp to house inmates at Brush ends on July 31. Gaede said Hawaii officials have been working closely with Colorado and Brush prison officials, and "we still feel satisfied that our 80 female inmates in Brush are safe and secure. We will continue to keep a close watch on the situation as we consider our options." Two former corrections officers at Brush have been charged with sexual misconduct with inmates, the former warden at Brush has been charged in connection with one of those cases, and prison officials said a prison counselor also is under investigation for alleged sexual misconduct. |
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