WEST LIBERTY, Ky. (LEX18) — The wife of an inmate at the Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex is speaking out about alleged racism, violence, and corruption inside the facility.
Jeanette asked LEX 18 not to identify her husband by name, which is why we will not be using her last name, as she fears it could put him at greater risk inside the facility. She said her husband has been incarcerated at the complex for the last two years on a second-degree assault charge.
"He had gotten into an altercation with someone trying to protect his family, and he was the only one who got in trouble," Jeanette said.
Jeanette told LEX 18 she decided to reach out and share her husband's story after seeing our reports on the facility.
"I'm scared. I don't want him to be - I'm going to cry- another person that something like this happens to," Jeanette said.
She described her husband's experience at the facility as horrible, citing violence and racism.
"There was an instance where two other inmates were walking to lunch, or something, together and he happened to be the only person of color. He was stopped and told it was too early to go," Jeanette said.
According to letters LEX 18 obtained through an open records request, one officer was suspended without pay for one day in 2025 after being found to have referred to another staff member using a racial slur.
Jeanette said her husband has asked her to call the facility to get his medication or request a move, but his requests go unanswered.
"I was mad. I was very upset, like that's my husband. He's not a caged animal, like he's a human being. He needs his medication. He needs something to sleep on," she said.
Beyond alleged racial targeting, Jeanette said her husband reported corruption between staff and inmates.
"So there was an instance once where I had called down there, and he was being threatened. I guess someone took all of his stuff. They robbed him," Jeanette said.
According to one of the letters LEX 18 obtained, a correctional officer was suspended without pay for five days after allegedly allowing an inmate into another inmate's cell to rob them following an altercation. The theft was valued at more than $900.
Jeanette said she has sent emails to the warden, the commissioner, and the Department of Corrections since June 2025 but has never received a response. She fears for her husband's life while he remains at the complex and hopes the people who run the facility will do better.
"I think they should listen more instead of ignoring inmate requests or calls from family. They need to investigate a little better and prevent things from happening. So if they had listened to the families that were calling and complaining or trying to talk to these people, those five people may not have died," Jeanette said.
