Idaho DOC Director calls for strengthened sexual abuse law following non-profit watchdog report

Content Warning: The following article discusses themes of sexual abuse and assault.
For the first time since InvestigateWest exposed widespread sexual abuse by Idaho prison staff, the director of Idaho’s prison system laid out plans to increase protection for inmates and accountability for those accused.

Those plans include the Department of Correction working with lawmakers to change a state law that makes it difficult for prosecutors to criminally charge prison workers who take advantage of inmates. Department of Correction Director Bree Derrick also said the department will review its public records process, implement ways to ensure inmates know their rights, and update its prison sexual misconduct policies — though she did not give specifics about what those policy changes would look like.