If they’re true, prison tales awful

The group claims women are routinely punished for reporting sexual abuse or trying to speak up about it.

A former inmate’s claims to the AP are troubling: “You’d see a woman get up and go into the bathroom and a guard go in after her and another one stand watch,” 31-year-old Stephanie Hibbett said.

“Nobody would say anything. A lot were too scared.”

Many of the women in that prison are there because they’ve done awful things. Karri Willoughby, of DeKalb County, is there after admitting to the murder of her stepfather earlier this year.

But nothing they’ve done merits the kind of treatment that has been alleged.

The state says it offers multiple ways for inmates to report sexual misconduct, which includes any sex act, even consensual, between a prison staffer and inmate. (Even consensual acts were made a felony here in 2004.)

“This is a matter of grave concern to me,” said Kim Thomas, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Corrections. “Sexual misconduct of any kind, including custodial sexual misconduct, is not tolerated by this Department.”

That’s the right approach to take. The state should do everything it can to ensure the Justice Department investigation is thorough.

We hope it turns up no wrongdoing, but if it does, we hope it will be dealt with swiftly.

Our View is the opinion of the Times-Journal’s editorial board, which includes Publisher David Clemons, Managing Editor Jared Felkins and Sports Editor Lew Gilliland.