When a woman sued New York State, alleging that a guard routinely sexually assaulted her when she was in prison, the state claimed it couldn’t find the guard and filed a motion to dismiss her lawsuit. Reporters at New York Focus and Hell Gate easily located the guard – and, as a result of their reporting, the state withdrew its motion, and the woman’s lawsuit is moving forward. Hers is one of more than 1,600 new cases alleging sexual abuse by state prison employees in New York; with support from the Fund, the team at New York Focus and Hell Gate has been investigating the state’s aggressive response to the lawsuits.
State reverses course on prison sex-assault case after grantee locates alleged abuser
