SOUTHEAST BOISE, Idaho — A former Idaho inmate says several correctional officers sexually abused her during her time in prison – and that her attempts to report the abuse were dismissed. In continued coverage of sexual safety behind bars, a former Idaho Department of Correction case manager is echoing her concerns, describing what he says is a broader culture of retaliation and silence.
Andrea Weiskircher spent 20 years incarcerated in Idaho. She told Idaho News 6 that “there's a lot of things that go on in the prison that shouldn't happen.”
Weiskircher says the abuse took place over a period of years. She described one incident in which she said an officer “flipped [her] around, started kissing [her] and put [her] hands on his genitals.”
WATCH: A former case manager says IDOC isn’t protecting victims who report abuse.
Her story was part of an InvestigateWest investigation that examined how sexual misconduct is handled inside Idaho’s prisons. The reporting prompted IDOC’s Board to publicly discuss sexual safety and how PREA complaints are reviewed. PREA refers to the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act.
Now, a former IDOC case manager is speaking with Idaho News 6, saying Weiskircher’s experience is consistent with what he witnessed while working inside the department.
Long before Weiskircher filed her own PREA report, Bryan McClure says he was fired after reporting another woman’s allegation of staff sexual misconduct. “It’s been tough. I was shocked when I was fired because I thought I was doing the right thing,” McClure said.
McClure was no longer working at IDOC when Weiskircher later contacted him about her own allegations. After hearing what she described, he says he reported her claims to IDOC’s Special Investigations Unit and to Idaho State Police. “As she went through the process, they considered her reports to be unfounded… and they also were considered to be unfounded too,” McClure said.
Weiskircher disputes that finding. “They ignored all the evidence. They didn’t report it,” she said. She says her evidence included photos, messages and admissions from officers involved, but that her reports were closed as “unfounded.”
McClure says her experience is not unique. He points to what he describes as a retaliatory culture that affects both incarcerated people and employees. “There are some really good staff out there… they are afraid. I have seen staff get fired for raising this issue,” he said.
Concerns about retaliation inside IDOC extend beyond sexual safety issues. As previously reported by Idaho News 6, former correctional officer Scott Amos filed a federal lawsuit this year alleging he was fired after reporting other operational issues inside the department, including the mishandling of inmate mail.
McClure says incarcerated people also face retaliation for speaking out. “Staff would come in and yell at these women. They would tell them that they're making stuff up. They're basically told that they were lying. Institutionally, phone lines that they had access to previously were cut off,” he said.
Weiskircher says she experienced similar consequences. “Retaliation escalated… I was blocked from calling PREA supports… my grievances were blocked for months,” she said.
McClure believes that pressure affects the accuracy of the data IDOC reports publicly, saying not all PREA complaints are documented or tracked consistently. He says real reform would require an outside reporting mechanism. “Victims should have a safe way of reporting… and it should be independent of all law enforcement,” McClure said.
Both Weiskircher and McClure say the real test will be whether current or future allegations are fully investigated, and whether both staff and residents can report without fear of retaliation.
IDOC has told Idaho News 6 it is reviewing Weiskircher’s case and is working with lawmakers on potential changes to Idaho’s legal definition of sexual contact. Conversations on the issue are expected to continue as some parties push for potential legislation.
Idaho News 6 will continue following developments.
