Sometimes you just have to wonder what thought process is employed in the making of incredibly bad decisions.
Take, for example, recent events at the Union Parish Detention Center in Farmerville.
What transpired there in mid-April is incompetence at best and criminal at worst.
The Ruston Daily Leader reported on Tuesday, May 3, that a convicted rapist was admitted into an isolation cell where a 17-year-old girl thought to be high on meth was being held and that he raped the girl twice.
Demarcus Shavez Peyton, 28, of Homer, is being held in the detention center until his scheduled sentencing in Claiborne Parish after his conviction of aggravated rape in that parish.
Union Parish deputies confirmed that the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office had told them that Peyton is known as a serial rapist and that he had been convicted of aggravated rape.
Yet, on April 19, he was allowed inside an isolation cell with the teen after she was booked into the detention center, reportedly high on meth.
An arrest affidavit reported that Peyton admitted to authorities that a detention center staff member opened the isolation cell door for him to enter and again when he was ready to leave. He further admitted to twice having sex with the victim while inside the cell.
A detention center nurse confirmed that the girl was under the influence of meth both at the time of her arrest and when she was raped. And while the victim said she could not remember much of the incident because of the meth influence, she did say that at one time during the encounter, a female guard walked up to the cell and opened the door but did nothing. She said she did not cry out for fear of her life.
As if all that were not egregious enough, Union Parish detectives said that Peyton wrote a letter to the victim following the rape telling her that she could possibly be carrying his child.
The name of the detention center staffer who allowed Peyton into the isolation cell with the girl was not immediately provided.
The Union Parish Detention Center is a public-run facility overseen by an operation committee composed of District Attorney John Belton, Union Parish Sheriff Dusty Gates, the Union Parish Police Jury and the Farmerville Police Chief.
No employee of the sheriff’s office or the district attorney is involved in the day-to-day operations of the jail, the Daily Leader quoted officials as saying.
While this is old news in the strictest terms of current events, this entire episode warrants a thorough investigation—and not just by the local DA and the sheriff’s office. This is an inexcusable tragedy that should be investigated by the Louisiana State Police and the Louisiana Attorney General’s office.
Normally, the attorney general does not intervene in local matters but because the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s office is one of those charged with oversight of the detention center, Belton’s office should recuse itself from the investigation immediately—as should the sheriff’s office—and an outside investigation initiated.
This is far too serious a screw-up to be left to local officials. It would amount to their investigating themselves.
One issue not addressed by local media is the existence or non-existence of video surveillance cameras. There should certainly be surveillance cameras in place that might reveal who the detention staff member was who opened the door to the isolation cell to allow Peyton access to the helpless teenager. Surveillance video might even show if that person stood by the door until Peyton was ready to exit. Video, if it exists, should also reveal the identity of the female staffer who opened the cell door during the assault but did nothing. Was it the same person who allowed Peyton into the cell?
Too many questions to be left to the locals. It was a local screw-up of monumental proportions that screams out for an independent investigation.
Louisiana Voice 
According to its website, the facility is run by the Union Parish Police Jury – do they contract with somebody to run it, or what? I know a committee oversees it, but who is actually responsible for running it, hiring the correctional officers, etc.?
The focus of all reports I’ve found on this has been on the rapist, not those who enabled the rape. From the News-Star article: “Sheriff’s detectives said they are continuing the investigation and more arrests are possible.” POSSIBLE?????? Are you excreting me?
The sheriff just called me back and when I asked if any additional arrests had been made, he said one, an inmate. I asked how the second inmate was involved in the rape and he said he wasn’t; he was an escapee. Made me wonder if we were involved in the same conversation.
To answer your question, it is a public- not private-run facility.
This is just another example of how not having a competent Director of State Police to intervene in or independently investigate law enforcement misdeeds is putting citizens at risk.
I am familiar with this facility personally. I am furious this incident was allowed…even facilitated by the so-called “staff.” Former inmates told me some of the guards have been perpetrating crimes worse than those of the individuals they were supposed to be supervising. They are afraid to report further due to what they describe as dirty law enforcement and an apathetic judicial system in Union and Lincoln parish.
I sincerely hope this young woman’s family secures the best attorney possible and destroys this cancer.
This facility houses individuals who are being penalized for minor rule infractions, in court ordered drug treatment programs, holding for whatever reason, in addition to chronic and violent offenders. It’s staff has also been accused of smuggling in illegal drugs and paraphralia for sale or trade to inmates.. Take a good look people at what your tax dollars pay for…
Tom, why not get a report of how many inmates at the Union jail and DC have died, had seizures or other medical emergencies from substance use while in the care of these facilities…better yet, find a report where anyone in charge took any action.
This report is very disturbing!! Why is a convicted rapist placed in a detention center? Why does any prisoner have access to a juvenile? If the juvenile was arrested and under the influence of a serious drug, why was she not placed on medical watch? Since the victim is under the age of 18 then OCS has to investigate at some level. Was the victim treated for the rape? Did she receive counseling? How did the rapist get her information in order to send her a letter? Was a DNA test conducted? Way to many unanswered questions.
I pray the victim in this story receives the proper care due to her.
Visit their website:
http://www.unionsheriff.com/unionparishdetentioncenter.htm
On paper this facility looks like the best thing since sliced bread. Note that they have inmates working there in addition to incarcerating certain classes of inmates, so maybe that’s why the rapist was there with free range. Note also that they have a work release program. They educate and rehabilitate according to the web page.
I know they are reportedly publicly funded, but how? Taxes? Grants? I still have to also wonder at the governance of this and other such facilities. I know a committee in the local jurisdiction oversees it, but who does so from an objective remove?. DOC? U. S. Justice Department? Nobody? Is there an objective performance evaluation report anywhere attesting to the fact they do what it says on the website, or are we all expected to believe it without question?
Anybody know any answers to any of these questions?
Yours are all good questions, Stephen. I don’t know the answers, but I certainly intend to follow up on this story and get the answers to these and other questions.
I usually do not drop many responses, but after reading through a few of the responses here, how did convicted rapist gain access to isolation cell in the Union Parish Detention Center to rape teenage girl…twice?
LouisianaVoice. I actually do have a couple of questions for you if you do not mind:
Is it simply me or does it give the impression like a few of these responses
come across as if they are coming from brain dead people?
And, if you are posting on other online sites, I’d like to keep up with you.
Could you list of all of all your public sites like your Facebook page, twitter feed, or
linkedin profile?
This is the only site on which I post. I do not do social media other than putting my posts on Facebook for readers to share. I do not personally do Facebook or any other social media. I’m something of a technological dinosaur; they lost me when they switched from Beta to VHS.
Has there actually been a follow up report on an investigation or any disciplinary action taken against any of the employees that were present? Its like this story just “disappeared”.
That’s something I need to check out. Thanks for reminding me.
Thank you, Tom…There is a growing concern as private interests are allowed to
take over business of operating detention centers. No one seems to know the
chain of command and final authority.
The legal homework has not been done.