EDITOR’S NOTE — Clallam County Sheriff Bill Benedict issued this statement on Tuesday:
I would like to respond to the recent allegations of sexual misconduct by Clallam County jail staff as a result of a survey conducted in May 2009 by RTI International under contract with the [federal] Bureau of Justice Statistics.
I can unequivocally state that the survey’s finding of 6.1 percent of survey inmates having experienced sexual misconduct by the jail staff is a complete fabrication by several inmates who intentionally misled the interviewers with false answers.
Shortly after the initial article, a former inmate came forward with the following statement via e-mail:
Inmate statement
“Sheriff Benedict,
“I’m writing you this letter against my better judgment.
Having been arrested by both the Clallam County Sheriff’s Department and the PAPD [Port Angeles Police Department] and incarcerated in your lovely jail for three months for something I didn’t do, I’d love to just blow this off, but I can’t.
“Regardless of my being ripped off while living in Joyce for about $30,000 of possessions and having the sheriff’s department refuse to even take a report or come downtown when I found some of my things in a antique shop, and forgetting about being locked up for five days in your jail on a $15,000 cash-only Jefferson County warrant that no one would bother to call Jefferson County about that turned out to be a $150 traffic ticket for tabs, and putting aside not being allowed to be a trustee because I was a female and thus spending more time in your jail then all the men trustees, I need to let you know that I was in your jail and participated in the survey.
“Not being inclined to lie, I answered the questions honestly.
“I was in S tank, along with all the other women who took the survey.
“There was a lot of laughter and talk after the survey was completed by several of the other woman inmates, saying they had answered the questions, giving the worst possible untruthful answers.
“They thought it was very funny.
“I find nothing about the sheriff’s department or jail even mildly funny, including this.
“It’s just another bunch of crap costing the taxpayers money and making life hell for all involved.
“If you need someone to truthfully address this with the FBI, I will do it because I think the whole thing is stupid.”
Benedict continues
I have reviewed the entire 91-page report [available at http://tinyurl.com/26yoosy] and am stunned by the lack of rigor and flawed premises used by the authors.
I can only conclude that the entire report is subject to the same systematic error that pervades the findings for the Clallam County jail.
Specifically, the study has no way to tell if an inmate is answering truthfully.
Although the survey methodology (see page 31) claims to have a check for inconsistencies to determine truthfulness, they are so unsophisticated that a child could see through them.
The check for inconsistencies is simply a question as to whether the person taking the survey answered truthfully.
There has been one verified report of jail staff sexual misconduct in the jail since it opened in 1980.
Stan Friese, a corrections officer, was criminally prosecuted in 1997 for providing contraband (marijuana) to a female inmate in return for sexual favors.
He was criminally prosecuted and served four months in the Jefferson County jail, in addition to having his employment terminated.
When it occurred, it made front page headlines in local papers. There was no attempt by the sheriff’s office to hide or downplay it.
It was then, as it is now, a criminal violation that will not be tolerated.
There has only been one report of inmate-on-inmate sexual assault in the past 10 years.
The complaint was dropped by the accusing inmate after a lengthy investigation by our detectives and the Washington Department of Corrections.
Keep in mind that inmates do not hesitate to make complaints of crimes, physical assaults, mistreatment and unfair treatment at a rate of about 100 incidents a year.
If a crime is alleged, a deputy will investigate it; otherwise, jail staff will document and investigate it.
These are public records and available for viewing by the public at any time.
Again, there have been no founded complaints involving sexual misconduct or assault in the past 30 years by jail staff, or 10 years for inmate-on-inmate.
For those who doubt the integrity of the corrections staff, allow me to point out that each corrections officer is subject to a thorough background check, including a psychological evaluation and polygraph examination before being hired.
If there is any inmate of the Clallam County jail that has been subject to sexual misconduct by any staff member, I urge them to report it to me, or the FBI.
The phone number of the FBI in Poulsbo is 360-394-8150.
The FBI takes such complaints very seriously and will thoroughly investigate any allegation of misconduct by our jail staff.
My personal opinion is that the survey was agenda-driven, poorly constructed, and will lead to conclusions not supported by facts.
It appears to be a good example of “garbage in, garbage out.”
The study is fatally flawed as shown by the e-mail from the former inmate.
As a law enforcement professional and elected sheriff, I am deeply offended that our fine men and women who work so hard in our correctional facility to provide safe and humane treatment to offenders are maligned by this study.
As a taxpayer, I am offended that our tax dollars are squandered so readily.
Bill Benedict,
Clallam County Sheriff
See main story: https://giftsnap.shop/article/20100915/news/309159982/ex-inmate-says-survey-alleging-jail-sex-misconduct-a-big-joke
