By Whitney Bryen and Sam Stecklow, InvestigateWest
Idaho’s prison system and the state agency that certifies law enforcement will now conceal information about officers’ employment histories, making it more difficult to scrutinize job candidates and ensure accountability for officers accused of misconduct.
The increased secrecy by the Idaho Department of Correction and the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council comes less than four months after InvestigateWest used the information to expose alleged sexual misconduct by dozens of Idaho prison guards — many of whom were allowed to resign and faced no other consequences.
Responding to journalists' findings in October, Gov. Brad Little called for a review of the prison system’s handling of public records requests, saying in a statement that “transparency and the public’s confidence in state government are top priorities.”