TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division says it has reached a settlement with Kansas that aims to protect women prisoners at the state's Topeka facility from sexual abuse. The deal announced Friday in a news release resolves allegations that women held at the Topeka Correctional Facility are subjected to sexual victimization by jailers and other prisoners. The Justice Department found in 2012 several systemic failures that led to a pattern of sexual abuse. U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom says that the settlement will go a long way toward reducing the harm to women held at the prison. He also commended Kansas for working with the Justice Department. The Kansas Department of Corrections says the agreement cements reforms that have been completed at the Topeka facility during the past four years.
