CARNAL NATION

Officials responsible for the Topeka Correctional Facility (TCF) are considering installing tracking devices on prison vehicles to monitor and curb sexual activity. It is alleged that guards have been driving the vehicles off prison property to engage in sexual activity with inmates. Two women who were recently paroled from the facility told The Topeka Capital-Journal that they had sex with officer Nathan T. Vandyke while incarcerated. Though Vandyke has not yet been charged, his last day on the job was October 17, 2009.

Allegations against Van Dyke include accusations from prisoners Rebecca Fleetwood and Heather Morales. Fleetwood, who was a participant in the TCF work-release program, told the Topeka Capital-Journal that the corrections officer approached her and offered to drive her to and from work. He exposed himself to her and instructed her to her perform oral sex in a state-issued Crown Victoria. She declined to report the incident for fear of jeopardizing her parole or inciting “sexual harassment, repetitive cell searches, frequent pat-downs or write-ups on fabricated rule infractions.”

Morales reported a similar incident. Van Dyke insisted on driving her to her prison industry job and forced her to have sexual intercourse in the vehicle. She also chose not to report the incident, as “she was uneasy about being the focus of an investigation by prison officials.”

Other sexual activity between prisoners and male staff at TCF includes prisoner Tracy Keith who became pregnant after having sex with a plumbing instructor, Anastacio "Ted" Gallardo. Gallardo also had sex with other inmates and last year pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual relations and trafficking.

The Governor of Kansas has commissioned an independent investigation into the matter and Bill Miskell of the corrections department reports that they are considering the possibility of installing tracking devices on prison vehicles. The automobiles, which are used to transport prisoners to work programs, are currently not equipped with GPS or monitoring devices.