Guarded by Predators

OCT. 12, 2025

Part 1: “Corporal Q”

The Idaho prison guard who preyed on women — and the system that hid his ‘predatory’ conduct

Key Findings: Staff sexual abuse in Idaho women’s prisons goes largely unchecked

OCT. 13

Part 2: “Failures on the Inside”

In Idaho women’s prisons, guards get away with sexual abuse and victims are blamed

OCT. 14

Part 3: “Police Ignore Evidence”

Case closed: Inside Idaho State Police’s handling of prison sexual abuse complaints

OCT. 15

Part 4: “Leniency of the Courts”

Idaho law challenges prosecutors seeking to penalize prison guards for sexual abuse

OCT. 16

Part 5: “A Movement is Born”

From one voice to many: Women speak out on Idaho prison abuse

Fallout from Our Investigation

— Nov. 6 Update: “Idaho leaders urged to address systemic failures following prison abuse reports”

Idaho’s governor has ordered a review of cases highlighted by InvestigateWest. The National Organization for Women condemned the state’s “shameful” failure to protect incarcerated women. A state lawmaker says he’s committed to improving prison policies and state law to protect inmates.

Meanwhile, the Idaho State Police have launched an internal investigation into at least one detective, and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office is reviewing a past police investigation, too.

Finally, Idaho’s first Prison Rape Elimination Act coordinator, who has since left to work for the National Institute of Corrections, says, “I want to come back there and clean house.” THE FULL STORY

— Nov. 20 Update: “7 reforms Idaho could make to address sexual abuse by prison staff”

We examine seven potential reforms to improve transparency and accountability for incarcerated victims of sexual abuse and violence:

1. Expand the criminal definition of sexual assault when the victim is in custody
2. Increase visibility in high-risk areas
3. Designate a corrections ombudsman who inmates can contact
4. Require state-level inspections
5. Partner with nonprofits and victim advocates who provide medical, legal and emotional support to inmates victimized behind bars
6. Limit segregated housing, closely monitor victims of abuse
7. Allow inmates to have a representative present in disciplinary hearings

THE FULL STORY

— Nov. 26 Update: “Idaho prison system reopens sexual abuse case, reverses finding after InvestigateWest reporting”

After previously dismissing evidence of staff sexual abuse, the Idaho Department of Correction said it reopened a case and substantiated the allegations. THE FULL STORY

— Dec. 4 Update: “Idaho prison system calls for strengthened sexual abuse law in response to InvestigateWest series”

During a four-hour meeting in front of the state Board of Correction, the director of Idaho’s prison system presented a series of proposed reforms in response to the “Guarded by Predators” series. Those reforms include: 

• changing state law to make it easier to prosecute predatory staff; 
• educating inmates about their rights and how to report sexual abuse; 
• improving transparency through a more responsive public records process; 
• updating the state’s prison sexual misconduct policies.

THE FULL STORY

— Dec. 18 update: “Idaho’s efforts to confront prison sexual abuse hampered by Trump cuts”

As Idaho reckons with revelations of widespread sexual abuse by women’s prison staff, the Trump administration has cut off support meant to help states combat that kind of abuse.

Trainings that once taught corrections staff in Idaho and across the country how to investigate sexual abuse behind bars have ceased. Guidance for detecting which inmates are most vulnerable to abuse and how to reduce that risk have not been updated. And grants that supported independent assessments of prisons and other efforts to increase inmate safety have halted. THE FULL STORY

— Jan. 28, 2026, update: “Two Idaho prison guards sexually assaulted her, witnesses said. Neither was charged”

Investigative files reveal allegations from several women weren’t enough for criminal consequences. THE FULL STORY

— February 17, 2026, update: “Idaho records exposed officer misconduct. Then the state decided to conceal them.”

Idaho’s prison system and the state agency that certifies law enforcement will now conceal information about officers’ employment histories, making it more difficult to scrutinize job candidates and ensure accountability for officers accused of misconduct.

The increased secrecy by the Idaho Department of Correction and the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council comes less than four months after InvestigateWest used the information to expose alleged sexual misconduct by dozens of Idaho prison guards — many of whom were allowed to resign and faced no other consequences. THE FULL STORY

— March 4, 2026, update: “Idaho lawmakers move to close gap in prison sex abuse law”

Spurred by InvestigateWest reporting that exposed sexual abuse by Idaho women’s prison staff, lawmakers are advancing legislation meant to close a gap in state law that makes it difficult to hold correctional officers accountable. THE FULL STORY

— March 17, 2026, update: “Idaho lawmakers order investigation of sexual assault in women’s prisons”

As a result of InvestigateWest reporting that exposed sexual abuse of women by Idaho prison staff, lawmakers ordered an independent probe into the state’s handling of those allegations. THE FULL STORY

— March 25, 2026, update: “Idaho Legislature passes bill to expand prison sex abuse law”

A bill making it easier for prosecutors to charge prison staff accused of sexually abusing inmates passed the Idaho Legislature. On March 26, Gov. Brad Little signed it into law.

How We Reported “Guarded by Predators”

InvestigateWest began reporting this series in 2024 after hearing accounts from several incarcerated women who said they’d been sexually abused by guards meant to keep them safe. In an attempt to understand how widespread the issue is, reporters interviewed more than three dozen current or former inmates — 25 of whom said they were sexually abused by staff —  and spoke to whistleblowers and former employees of the Idaho Department of Correction. The news organization made more than 100 public records requests from Idaho agencies and spent countless hours fighting for those agencies to produce them.

The Idaho prison system withheld reports of officer sexual misconduct and would not discuss disciplinary action taken against its workers. It could not provide a basic count of staff sexual misconduct allegations, which it is required by law to track. The result of InvestigateWest’s reporting represents the most thorough accounting of alleged sexual abuse in Idaho women’s prisons to date. Records from multiple agencies revealed 59 accusations against Idaho prison staff since 2020. Reporters identified many more accusations of staff sexual abuse through interviews with witnesses and victims who did not report it at the time for fear of retaliation. A database compiled by InvestigateWest of all Idaho prison workers in the last two decades and their terms of departure from the agency then shed light on how workers were treated when allegations of misconduct against them surfaced: 18 were allowed to resign with a clean record, eight were fired, and only three were charged criminally for sexual contact with an inmate.

How to Send Us Tips

The “Guarded by Predators” series was fueled by women who shared their experiences behind bars and by prison workers who exposed systemic failures that allowed the abuse to occur. And we’re not done. If you have information, documents or a story to share, we want to hear from you.

• Phone: Call or text 208-918-2458.
• Email: tips@investigatewest.org; or to reach the project reporters directly, email whitney@investigatewest.org and wilson@investigatewest.org.
• Mail: InvestigateWest, P.O. Box 266, Boise, ID 83701
• Signal: You can securely contact InvestigateWest reporters on Signal, the app with end-to-end encryption: Whitney Bryen at 208-918-2458; and Wilson Criscione at 509-999-8885.

The Reporters Behind The Project

• Whitney Bryen reports on injustice and vulnerable populations for InvestigateWest. A journalist since 2010, she is dedicated to raising marginalized voices and holding power to account especially at the intersection of mental health and criminal justice. MORE
• Wilson Criscione is InvestigateWest’s news and investigations editor. He’s spent more than a decade reporting and supervising major investigations that uncover corruption, misconduct and injustice in the Pacific Northwest. MORE

Publishing Partners

News outlets across the Pacific Northwest have republished articles in the “Guarded by Predators” series including: Idaho Statesman, East Idaho News, Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Lewiston Tribune, Boise Public Radio, Idaho Press, Spokane Public Radio, Range, The Inlander, Coeur d'Alene Press, Corvallis Gazette-Times, KHQ, Wenatchee World, NCWLife, Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, KING5, Times-News, Source One News, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, FOX 28, KIVI, KTVB, KNDU, The Columbian and many others.

MEDIA INTERVIEWS:

• Boise Public Radio appearance; listen here.
• City Cast Boise program; listen here.
• Idaho Statesman; watch here.
• Spokane Public Radio; listen here.
• Boise's 790 AM; listen here.