At least 30 Kentucky prison guards had inappropriate relations with inmates in just 16 months — with one female staffer becoming pregnant by a prisoner — while another 14 smuggled in drugs, according to a report.
After a protracted battle with state officials over records access, The Herald-Leader newspaper obtained a trove of internal reports that offered a rare glimpse into official misconduct behind prison walls.
The documents pertained to cases that arose over 16 months, ending in November 2023.
In one incident, Trista Fox, 39, was charged with third-degree rape in December 2022 after fellow guards walked in on her having sex with a Kentucky State Penitentiary inmate in Lyon County.
Another female guard who resigned after being confronted about her relationship with an inmate told investigators that she was vulnerable to her jailed pursuer’s romantic advances.
“He just caught me at the wrong time one day. I mean, I don’t know what else you want me to say,” she said, according to the Herald-Leader.
The inmate was more philosophical about the union during an interview with prison officials.
“I’m saying that I just live in the moment,” he said.
In another instance, an Owensboro probation officer became pregnant by a convict out on parole last year.
A female corrections officer was terminated from the Sandy Correctional Complex in Elliott County in 2022 after a staffer saw an inmate meet with her 25 times in a matter of hours in different prison dorm areas.
In addition to sexual misconduct, the Herald-Leader reported that 14 other prison employees obtained drugs and contraband for inmates and were, in some cases, paid to do so.
Of the 140 prison staffers probed, 62 were fired or resigned. Others received warnings or training to make amends.
“We handle every piece of information the same, whether that be contraband or a relationship or whatever. The truth of the matter is, if we were not handling these situations in a very aggressive manner, the numbers would not be what they were,” Scott Jordan, deputy commissioner of adult institutions, told the Herald Leader.
Experts told the outlet that prison guards work in challenging environments and are often overworked due to chronic understaffing across the country. Those conditions can often lead to feelings of isolation and underappreciation.
“Given where you’re working, that can lead to some problems,” Judah Schept, an associate professor in the School of Justice Studies at Eastern Kentucky University, told the Herald-Leader.
Cases of sexual relations between guards and inmates have surged in recent years, with cases being prosecuted across the country.
Akira Jones, 20, a corrections deputy with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office in Memphis since May, was taken into custody this week after an internal investigation, officials said.
Two female South Dakota prison employees — one guard and one nurse — are currently facing charges for having sex with inmates.
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