State Police Visit Jail on Friday

STATE POLICE VISIT JAIL ON FRIDAY

The Weekly Recorder
March 30, 2008

As part of the on-going investigation into both former District Attorney John Pettit’s alleged sexual encounters with inmates and the Washington County Jail, plain clothed State Police visited the Washington County Jail on Friday. The State is believed to be pursuing a separate but related investigation into the alleged wrong-doings of Pettit and county employees that either participated or allowed these alleged sexual acts.

Of the county officials, only Commissioner Diana Irey has come forward and stated that something should be done regarding the problems that are likely facing the county jail. County solicitor Lynn DeHaven is still keeping secret which county employees are being investigated in spite of the fact that the county has taken no formal action to investigate internally the alleged wrong-doing.

Pettit is alleged to have taken inmates out of the jail for sexual encounters, sometimes in exchange for being driven to crack houses. Some county employees are believed to have been aware of these activities, but did nothing.

Other possible investigations according to well placed sources are that some jail employees also had sexual encounters with prisoners. One alleged incident happened according to our source happened when a jail official came in drunk and had sex with a prisoner. This same prisoner is one of the petty criminals connected to former District Attorney John Pettit. Pettit has been alleged to have sexual encounters with a series of young ladies, most notably Tiffany Ryan. Ryan is not the female that is connected to the above incident.

Prison beatings, an alleged cover-up of at least one inmate death and sexual encounters with prisoners have plagued the jail, but the official response has been to do nothing.