Several women from Pennsylvania's Luzerne County prison's work release center say a prison official grossly exaggerated problems with drugs at the lockup in an attempt to cover up the women's allegations that male officers have watched females shower.
Three females, all current inmates, disputed Deputy Warden Sam Hyder's statements that some women have been smuggling in drugs through their body cavities. They also say Hyder falsely claimed drugs have been found inside the minimal offenders unit where they had been housed, and that he made the allegations to support his case for building a new prison.
The women phoned the Times Leader last week in response to a front-page article in which Hyder said drug problems forced him to transfer all females who had been housed at the new, 76-bed wing opened in October.
“That's not true at all. We got moved from work release because the male correctional officers, there is a two-way mirror in the bathroom and they were looking in at the females while we were getting dressed and taking showers,” said one woman, who, like the others, asked that her name be withheld due to concerns of retaliation.
The inmate said the two-way mirror can be viewed through the control booth in the unit. She and other inmates have filed multiple complaints, but the problem persisted.
Hyder vehemently denied the allegations last week, saying it would be “suicide” for him or Warden Gene Fischi to allow such activity to occur.
“Absolutely not. We have a curtain up. That's one of the first issues we addressed,” Hyder said. “We assured them males would not be watching them through the security windows. That would be insane for the warden and I to sit here and let something like that happen.”
The women acknowledged a curtain was provided, but it was only after they filed a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. A week after the agency investigated, the curtain was removed, they said.