The Indiana Department of Correction will conduct a "comprehensive review" of the Indiana Women鈥檚 Prison, according to an email sent to staff on Friday.
The department will examine the facility鈥檚 鈥渙perations, programs, treatment services, maintenance and situational readiness.鈥� The email says the decision to conduct the review follows complaints about the prison over the past couple of years.
The women鈥檚 prison has been the subject of several Side Effects stories during the pandemic, which included information from inmates and their relatives, as well as advocates and employees.
Last summer, the prison kept women , which have no toilets, running water or air conditioning. The administration after the conditions were widely reported in local media.
Current and former employees told Side Effects they to treat women inside harshly, that the staff culture was fueling turnover and that the prison was to prevent COVID-19.
Warden Laurie Johnson is currently on leave with an unknown return date. Meanwhile, the facility will be managed by Virginia Sampson, currently a deputy warden.
Department spokesperson Annie Goeller declined to be interviewed or answer emailed questions about the review. 鈥淲e have no comment, and we do not discuss personnel matters,鈥� she wrote in an email.
The email says the review will be led by Julie Stout, warden of the Rockville Correctional Facility, another state women鈥檚 prison.
This story was produced by , a news collaborative covering public health. Jake Harper can be reached at jharper@wfyi.org. He's on Twitter .
Copyright 2021 Side Effects Public Media. To see more, visit . 9(MDA5NTM4MTIyMDE0MTg3NDc2MTVlZjdmNQ001))