Idaho
Former Idaho inmate says staff sexual abuse was ignored as IDOC reviews safety policies
SOUTH BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho Department of Correction is taking a closer look at sexual safety inside its prisons at the request of Governor Brad Little, following allegations from a former inmate who says she endured years of sexual abuse by correctional officers.
Andrea Weiskircher, who spent 20 years incarcerated in Idaho, told Idaho News 6 that abuse became so common she no longer recognized how wrong it was.
“I came to prison when I was 19. I’m 43 now. So I’ve done 20 years… There’s a lot of things that go on in the prison that shouldn’t happen,” Weiskircher said.
WATCH: How one woman’s claims pushed IDOC to re-examine its policies on sexual misconduct
Former Idaho inmate says staff sexual abuse was ignored as IDOC reviews safety policies
Weiskircher wrote multiple letters to Idaho News 6 detailing her allegations, prompting renewed attention on how sexual misconduct reports are handled behind bars. This week, she returned to the prison complex for the first time since her release to attend an IDOC Board of Correction meeting on sexual safety.
“I think that I got exposed to a lot of very disturbing sexual activity inside the prison and it became like a normal mindset for me because I’d been there for so long,” she said.
In 2024, Weiskircher filed Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) reports, submitting what she describes as evidence. She said her case was marked “unfounded,” but after months of speaking out, IDOC has agreed to re-examine it.
During the board meeting – where phones and cameras were not allowed – IDOC officials outlined the department’s reporting system, which includes hotline numbers, intake screenings and mandatory PREA evaluations.
Weiskircher said the policies are not the issue. “They talked about their policy again that they don’t enforce,” she said, adding that retaliation and fear often prevent people from reporting abuse.
Department officials also acknowledged a gap in Idaho law. The current statute defining “sexual contact” only includes intercourse or genital contact – excluding other unwanted intimate acts such as groping or kissing. IDOC Direct Bree Derrick noted in the meeting, “I would think there are people who are already interested in taking this issue up and kind of closing the gap that exists there.”
According to data presented during the meeting, IDOC recorded 188 sexual-misconduct allegations in 2023 – 101 classified as sexual harassment and 87 as sexual abuse. IDOC says only 13 staff-on-resident allegations were reported, and none were substantiated.
Weiskircher said what she heard in the meeting didn’t reflect her experience. “It made me angry. They talked about their policy again that they don’t enforce… the data they just showed the board of directors was false,” she said. She believes her reports, and others she witnessed, were not captured in the numbers presented.
For her, returning to IDOC was about ensuring that future reports are taken seriously. “I’m not going to stop until it gets fixed,” she said.
IDOC says it is working with lawmakers to expand the state’s definition of sexual contact and will continue internal reviews along with required federal PREA audits.
We’re lucky to live in a place as safe as the Treasure Valley. Despite our growth, one of the things that makes our area so special is the way that we look out for one another–for our neighbors! That’s a principle that seems to have held on as Boise has boomed.
Despite low crime rates, there seems to always be one incident or so that makes us scratch our heads.
A recent string of fraud incidents in the Treasure Valley area is one of those.
Nampa Police initially warned the public of this because cases of fraud began to ‘mushroom’. Then, it took an interesting turn–people that HAD their credit cards were being ‘taken to the bank’, so to speak.
In a statement originally released on April 30th by the Nampa Police Department, officials advised the following:
We are not sure how the suspects are gaining access to the victim’s credit cards. There is a growing fraud scheme, “ghost tapping”, that scammers are using to access victims’ credit cards. This is possibly occurring in these instances. “Ghost tapping” uses stolen credit card details in Apple Pay or Google Pay, then remotely relays the tap signal over the internet to a ‘mule’ at a store, allowing them to make high-value purchases that appear completely legitimate. (We’ll share more information on ghost tapping in a later public service announcement that will also suggest ways to protect yourself.) The app used by these criminals obscures the actual credit card number, making it harder for investigators to link a victim to a particular crime. Keep in mind that victims still have their physical credit cards while suspects use the stolen card information to make purchases, which also affects how victims are alerted. So far, local investigators have not been able to identify a common theme among the victims (e.g., a specific bank, a website they visited, a gas pump they used, etc.) in the fraud cases we are investigating.
The investigation spans far and wide.
Authorities say that some suspects are in custody, others are being contacted, and others are still at large.
Now, a week later, the police are back to reaching out to the public–this time, urging people to check their bank accounts.
Nampa Police say that they have caught onto a pattern– there are fraudulent charges at Albertson’s to purchase gift cards, at Costco to purchase Apple products, and at Best Buy, also for Apple products.
Check those bank statements!
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Gallery Credit: Credit: Mateo, 103.5 KISS FM
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The USDA has issued a public health alert for various meat and poultry products containing FDA-regulated dairy that may have been contaminated with salmonella. The recall was originally issued on April 30th, but the contaminated product list could continue to grow as more products are identified.
The Food Safety and Inspection arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the public health alert and there have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of the products listed below, consumers are still advised to dispose of the items or return them to the place of purchase. Great Value and Pork King Good products sold at Idaho Walmart stores are included in the alert and recall.
Public Health Alert and Food Recall Issued For Pizza and Pork Rinds Sold in Idaho
As of right now, the food list includes pork rinds, breakfast pizzas, and chicken bacon ranch pizzas. The list could grow and the USDA advises consumers to check the list frequently. We will also update the list here when possible. The contaminated products carry a variety of ‘Best By’ and ‘Produced On’ dates, so check the lists carefully to make sure you don’t consume a contaminated product.
The nationwide brands to look for are Mama Cozzi’s from Aldi stores, Pork King Good, and Great Value at Walmart Stores.
Photo Credit USDA – 1
Photo Credit USDA – 1
You can also look through these label photos to see if you have the product in your freezer.
Photo Credit USDA Recalls
Photo Credit USDA Recalls
Photo Credit USDA Recalls
Photo Credit USDA Recalls
Photo Credit USDA Recalls
If you feel sick and have consumed a contaminated product, the USDA advise you to contact your health care provider.
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Gallery Credit: Shannon Buccola
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