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Abstract: 

A consolidated federal lawsuit brought by a group of women imprisoned at the Clark County (IN) Jail alleged rape, harassment, and systematic failures of the sheriff’s office leading to civil rights violations. The claims directed against an officer of the jail, David Lowe, allege that Lowe sold keycards giving access to the female pod to a group of male inmates. Lowe was allegedly paid $1,000 to look the other way when the male inmates took the keycards. When the male detainees gained access to the women’s pod, the lawsuit alleges, two male inmates entered, masked with towels and blankets, followed by more men who exposed their genitals, yelled obscenities, groped the women, and threatened to kill the women if they alerted the officers. This article reviews the facts presented at trial.

Keywords: Jail Rape; Coomer v. Noel

Affiliations:  1: John Jay College of Criminal Justice.