SPRINGFIELD, Vt. (AP) -- A firefighter has resigned and a corrections employee has been placed on leave after officials discovered a scheme to trade nude photos of inmates for cigarettes.
Town officials ended their investigation of the matter, which allegedly happened while a crew of female inmates worked at the Springfield Fire Station,after the firefighter resigned May 14.
Officials found a disposable camera at the Springfield fire house containing nude pictures of female prisoners.
The pictures were taken while a work crew of six to 10 women inmates from the Windsor prison were painting the Springfield fire house as part of their community service. The women were supervised by one person.
Officials found the camera before any of the pictures were developed, said William Soule, the superintendent of the Southeast State Correctional Facility. He called the photos ``inappropriate.''
State officials refuse to identify the corrections employee who was placed on leave.
Deputy Corrections Commissioner Janice Ryan said her department's review of the incident is not complete. Ryan said it's not known if criminal charges will be filed.
After the Springfield firefighter resigned, Springfield Selectboard Chairwoman Mary Helen Hawthorne said poor supervision of the work crew led to the incident.
``You should expect public servants like firemen not to put themselves in such a situation,'' said Soule. ``But clearly on our part the level of supervision was not what it should have been. We have good procedures in place. They were not followed.''
Soule said work crew participants are now subject to random searches.
