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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

Idaho one of four states rejecting federal guidelines designed to prevent prison rape

All but four states have either met or are working toward meeting federal guidelines intended to prevent prison rape, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, but Idaho’s one of the four that hasn’t. AP reporter Rebecca Boone writes that Idaho, Arkansas, Alaska and Utah continue to reject the federal rules under the Prison Rape Elimination Act.

The requirements include increased staff training; screening new inmates for assault risk; providing a way for inmates to report prison rapes without threat of retaliation; and investigations and possible criminal charges when prison rapes are substantiated. Boone reports that officials in Idaho and Arkansas contend that their states have a zero-tolerance policy toward sexual abuse behind bars, but will follow their own rules, rather than the federal ones. You can read Boone’s full report here. Two other states, Texas and Indiana, that had previously rejected the rules have now agreed to work toward compliance.



Betsy Z. Russell
Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

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