Groups rally outside Shakopee women's prison, allege history of abuse against inmates
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Minnesota Department of Corrections is being called out for what some say is a lack of action on allegations of sexual assault at the women's prison in Shakopee.
Several groups rallied Thursday, demanding justice. Demonstrators said the prison has a history of sexual violence and abuse between guards and inmates, which they say department officials have ignored.
"They are not above the law," said Jaylani Hussein, the executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. "They should be held to the same standard as every body else."
In a statement, the DOC said, in part, that they take allegations of assault seriously. However, officials said that the groups demonstrating Thursday didn't understand the legal process that must guide the department's actions.
Below is the full response from the DOC:
"We always have and always will take allegations of misconduct seriously. But the demands by this group reflect a lack of understanding of the legal process that must guide our actions. Any decision we make must be based on an investigation to establish facts based on evidence. And our actions are subject to review through the grievance and legal process. If we rush a decision, any action we take could be overturned – so it's in everyone's best interest for us to be thorough. While we have been informed the local prosecutor's office declined to file charges in this case due to insufficient evidence, our internal investigation is ongoing.
Body scanners are an important tool in our efforts to keep Minnesota prisons safe and secure. We currently have one scanner in the system, which is in use at the Shakopee prison. But the demand to fully replace all traditional body searches with this technology reflects a lack of understanding of the limitations body scanners present. While the scanner at the Shakopee prison is used in some circumstances, it is more powerful than the scanners in use at airports and the radiation emitted limits how frequently it can be used.
We urged the legislature to provide funding for body cameras during this past session to help investigations in situations like this because equipping corrections officers with body cameras would benefit both staff and the incarcerated population by establishing a complete record when allegations are made. Unfortunately, the legislature did not act on our proposal."
