Prison scandal now subject of criminal investigation
Joe Jordan | Nebraska Watchdog
Nebraska’s prison scandal is now the subject of a criminal investigation—in other words people could go to jail.
Gov. Dave Heineman
Gov. Dave Heineman announced the state patrol’s criminal probe today, just hours after some members of the Corrections Department were suspended.
Corrections Director Mike Kenney won’t name names and won’t say how many employees are involved. He did note the suspensions are just the beginning.
Public documents recently released by the attorney general’s office — in response to an open records request by the Omaha World-Herald and Nebraska Watchdog – show several state corrections and attorney general’s office employees were aware corrections employees were miscalculating sentences.
The sentencing fiasco was heightened by the fact that correction workers apparently ignored rulings handed down by the Nebraska Supreme Court.
Heineman said today he’s sending an email to all Corrections Department workers demanding that they follow the law and if someone tells them to ignore a court ruling he wants to be contacted by them “within minutes.”
The results of the criminal investigation will be turned over to Attorney General Jon Bruning and Lancaster County Attorney Joe Kelly, who will determine if criminal charges will be filed.
Stay with Nebraska Watchdog for more on this developing story.
Contact Joe Jordan at joe@nebraskawatchdog.org.
Joe can be heard on Omaha’s KFAB radio every Monday at 7:40 a.m. and KHAS-AM in Hastings every Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. and 12:45 p.m.
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