Story Archive

A Tough Job

A teacher was administering a high school equivalency exam in a prison outside Phoenix, Ariz., that houses approximately 1,300 convicted sex offenders. After the exam, when all the other inmates left, Jacob Harvey asked the teacher if she could open the bathroom. He then allegedly stabbed her in the head with a pen, forced her to the ground, and raped her. The teacher screamed, but nobody heard her, because no guard was present and all she had was a radio set to an incorrect channel. Harvey eventually allowed the teacher to use a phone to call for help, and Harvey was charged with the assault. Even though the woman was left alone with inmates, with no security guard and no video cameras in the room, the prison is denying any responsibility. “This is an assault that reflects the fact that inmates in our system often act out violently, and it is the inmate suspect who is responsible for this despicable act,” a spokesman said. He also indicated that not having a guard present is a standard practice. Prison officials also said the assault is a risk that comes with the job of overseeing violent prison inmates. (MS/AP) ...The inmate’s despicable act doesn’t excuse the officials’ despicable attitude.