Pennsylvania DOC, Prison Abuse, Pennsylvania 2011

Pennsylvania DOC Officials Face Scrutiny Over Prison Abuse

The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PDOC) has been at the center of a federal investigation into prison abuse allegations at the State Correctional Institution – Pittsburgh. The probe, which began in December 2011, was initiated after local authorities prosecuted seven prison officers for assaulting and sexually abusing vulnerable inmates.

According to sources, the investigation was conducted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania and the Civil Rights Division's Special Litigation Section. The probe found that the PDOC had already taken significant measures to address the misconduct, but more needed to be done to ensure the safety of its prisoners.

In May 2013, the U.S. Attorney's Office notified Pennsylvania officials that the department would continue to monitor the situation and work with the state to improve security practices. Since then, the PDOC has made substantial progress in addressing the concerns, including implementing statewide reforms to oversight and accountability measures, abuse and misconduct investigations, prisoner screening procedures, and the grievance system.

The Pittsburgh prison has also improved its monitoring of inmates and secured its physical plant. The U.S. Attorney's Office has praised the PDOC for its commitment to improving security policies and practices, noting that these improvements will help ensure the safety of prisoners in their care.

As part of the agreement, the PDOC has assured the U.S. Attorney's Office that by no later than December 1, 2014, it will have the prison audited and deemed fully compliant with the National Standards to Prevent, Detect, and Respond to Prison Rape, as promulgated under the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA).

The investigation was conducted by Special Litigation Counsel Avner Shapiro, Trial Attorneys Kyle Smiddie and Aaron Zisser, Analyst Gary Graca of the Special Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division, and Amie Murphy with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania. Secretary John Wetzel and his staff at the PDOC have fully cooperated with the investigation.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-closes-investigation-prison-pittsburgh-pa-after-pennsylvania-department