From time to time we contact the press office at the Pennsylvania Department of Imprisonment. It's a large taxpayer-funded prison bureaucracy where we hope to get information about some of the evils of the prison system. We seldom make out very well. Their job is not really to inform the public. Their job is really to hide the system's evils and failures, and especially to protect state executives. Recently our publisher tried to contact Susan McNaughton, the prison department's press secretary. We wanted comment on an unsupported rumor about the sexual assault of a female prison guard by male guards. Not surprisingly, our publisher was told that Ms McNaughton was not available that day. She seldom is. Funny thing, nobody was available to give the public information. We keep in mind that, like most state employees, McNaughton's minions are pretty much drones. They're employed, but don't actually do much work. They're seldom even available to pretend that they're on the job. Days of restful relaxation are rewarded with grand state paychecks. Eventually our publisher was able to get in touch with a noble public servant named Sheila Moore. Ms Moore was billed as a "Deputy Press Secretary" and seemed giddy if not actually fatuous. She was pleasant, but less than forthcoming or informative. She laughed with convulsive mirth when our publisher questioned her about the sexual assault of the female prison guard. Ms Moore thought it was VERY funny. We don't share the view that rape or sexual assault is ever a laughing matter. Ms Moore seemed to have a different perspective. When she recovered from her jocular outburst, Ms Moore suggested that our publisher contact the Frackville state prison where the incident was supposed to have occured. We were frankly amazed that a functionary of the Department of Imprisonment would think that the possible sexual assault of a female prison guard was funny. It's a troubling insight into the mind-set of some persons at the Pennsylvania Department of Imprisonment; sexual assault is not taken seriously even when the putative victim is a guard. It also suggests that prison managers think that sexual assault by guards is both common and trivial. We've since been unable to confirm exactly what may have occurred about this particular assault - something, but we don't know what. It's been well covered up. Most of the women employed as prison guards have very little interest in men. While some of them are heavy drinking bar-butterflies, they aren't likely to get into sexual situations with their male coworkers. We urge the Department of Imprisonment to get a genuine Public Information office which will reveal the truth to the public. We urge a lot more openness and accountability with the prison system. More than two and a half million visitors come to our site each year. We'd like to tell them what's going on in the prisons. The department's flunkies shouldn't be covering-up or laughing..."just the facts, please." Rebecca's Bargain Antiques Collectible Vintage Photos Fine Prints - Old Maps Sheet Music - Old Books Elegant Antiques and Collectibles "Love conquers all things except poverty and toothache" Mae West (1892-1980) You are welcome to use or republish any of our material. Please give www.prisoners.com credit as the source. Return to the News Items Menu. Return to the Prison Rape and Sex Menu. Return to the Main Menu. Go to our site's Search Engine. Send us Your Comments, Questions or Input.