Lawsuit prompts prison changes

SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) - Changes in prison security are in the making following a lawsuit that accused a guard of raping an inmate and a warden of covering it up by trying to derail an FBI investigation

The allegations were made public last Tuesday. Now the State Secretary of Corrections addressed the situation.

"It will not, underscore, will not be tolerated in the NM Corrections Department," said Secretary Gregg Marcantel.

The secretary said he's disturbed by the allegations. In them a former inmate says he was raped repeatedly last year by Captain Kenneth Carrejo while he was locked up at the Central Correction Facility in Los Lunas last year. The suit also alleges that the then-warden Anthony Romero tried to cover it up.

Investigators believe he got tipped off from someone in the corrections department that an undercover FBI agent was coming in to investigate. Marcantel said -true or not- changes will be made.

"I could perceive, for example, having next to every telephone in every prison a 1-800 number to rape crisis center and a 1-800 number to Crimestoppers," he explained.
    
He wants both prisoners and correction officers to have outside sources to call for help, so they'll feel completely anonymous and protected.

Marcantel's also updating the prison's security cameras and checking for blind spots. Plus he wants the department to monitor any possible targets.

"Those (prisoners and officers) that don't hear well, those who don't speak well, I want to make sure if anyone sizes them up from a predatory perspective that we are taking an extra step to make sure we're tending to their safety," he assured.
    
Marcantel is also promising further protection for corrections officers who report abuse by co-workers and their bosses.

"Even though this didn't happen on my watch, I own it completely, and must own it completely because leadership defines culture," he said.  

Romero was promoted from warden to a deputy director job at corrections under Mercantel's watch in December of last year, months after the alleged incident. Secretary Marcantel is defending his decision not to suspend Romero, saying there's no proof he did anything wrong. Captain Carrejo has retired.

Meanwhile the Department of Corrections has also launched its own investigation following the lawsuit. The also plant to have an outside task force sweep through the state's prisons twice a year and report any problems.