A year has hardly passed since the city of Hazard, Ky was last in the LGBT spotlight for the two developmentally disabled men being ejected from a public pool, and now the city is back in the news once again. And in another anti-LGBT light.
This time, it's the law enforcement under the microscope...Details below.
Just seen this come across my facebook feed from the regional coordinator or the Kentucky Equality Federation...
"The Kentucky River Regional Jail in Hazard, KY is ignoring a major problem that they are facing. There has been a growing trend of sexual assault and harassment against LGBTI inmates by straight inmates. What is more, Kentucky Equality Federation has contacted the jail repeatedly, but been hung up on each time even as the number of complaints registered by Southeastern Kentucky Regional Management have continued to go up...."
Emphasis on the "but been hung up on each time" is mine, because that level of "concern" I think is noteworthy to say the least.
In a Press release, the KEF published this...
"....Due to the lack of response by jail officials, a distinct lack of effort on their part to resolve this, and the increased number of complaints, Kentucky Equality Federation has filed complaints with the Kentucky Office of Attorney General and appropriate federal enforcement agencies.
"It really is quite disturbing that harassment and assault don't provoke a response," said Kentucky Equality Federation President Joshua Koch. "Inmates have rights. They are citizens and human beings. While they are incarcerated, they are especially vulnerable under confinement, and we owe it to them to make sure they are not subjected to criminal abuse, regardless of what they stand accused of.
"It is our opinion that jail officials have and continue to show a callous disregard for basic human decency by failing to protect its LGBTI inmates from abuse. I also remind the public that just because you are arrested for something does not make you guilty. We presume innocence until guilt is proven, and this principle is a fundamental American value." ...."
This is absolutely unacceptable for them to simply ignore complaints such as these! I mean really WTF?! Abuses and apathy of this magnitude cannot be tolerated, and certainly not from law enforcement.