In a move stemming from accusations made in 2015, ten female inmates at Hawaii's Women's Community Correctional Center in Kailua, on the island of Oahu, have filed a lawsuit against five employees at the prison, for sexual harassment and abuse.
Among other incidents, the suit alleges that one of the female guards forced sex on a defendant in the prison kitchen, bathroom and janitor's closet, in exchange for hair care products, clothing and jewelry.
The attorney filing the suit, Myles Breiner, is quoted by Hawaii News Now saying, "It runs the whole gamut whether it's oral sex, intercourse, masturbation, you name it. The guards take pictures, they have cell phones on."
The defendants' names have been kept secret, as nine of the ten are still serving their sentences.
Kat Brady, coordinator for the Community Alliance on Prisons in Hawaii, said, "It's so disgusting that anybody could prey on somebody with no power. That to me is criminal."
The suit claims that prisoners were offered drugs, including methamphetamine, and the equipment required to prepare and inject it, as well as food bars, in exchange for sex in various locations throughout the prison.
The guards named in the suit have been relieved of their duties at the facility, but no charges have been filed against them.
The Department of Public Safety for the state of Hawaii has declined to comment on the proceedings, claiming that it has not yet viewed the court documents.
