FOREST COUNTY, Pa. (EYT) – A Clarion woman who was employed as a food service worker at SCI Forest is in hot water after an investigation revealed she was allegedly having a sexual relationship with an inmate. Court records show the Department of Corrections Bureau of Investigations and Intelligence filed criminal charges against 28-year-old Kimberly Rose Reid, of Clarion, on Friday, February 16, in Magisterial District Judge Daniel L. Miller’s office. A criminal complaint reveals that an investigation was initiated following a request from State Correctional Institute (SCI) Forest Security Captain Jason Kundick. He sought assistance from the Bureau of Investigations and Intelligence (BII) regarding allegations of an inappropriate physical relationship between Corrections Food Services Instructor Kimberly Reid and a known inmate. According to the document, Captain Kundick informed the agents of his suspicion that Reid and the inmate’s aunt were in contact through text messages and phone calls. His belief stems from the recorded phone conversations between the inmate and his aunt. During a call on August 26, 2023, the aunt referred to a woman the inmate calls “Kiara,” revealing her actual name to be “Kimberly.” The inmate quickly cautioned his aunt against using her real over the phone. The aunt also mentioned having a conversation with Reid that lasted approximately half an hour the previous day, as stated in the complaint. In a separate phone conversation documented in the complaint, the inmate’s aunt relayed a message advising him to refrain from making inappropriate physical contact with Reid, specifically in view of other inmates. SCI Forest’s Security Staff Office began monitoring Reid while she worked in the kitchen and reviewed the inmate’s recorded telephone calls, the complaint notes. On October 24, 2023, Reid and the inmate were spotted by two corrections officers entering a kitchen closet, as detailed in the complaint. The duration of their stay in the closet raised suspicions, as it exceeded the typical time one would spend there. When the officers proceeded to inspect the situation, their presence was loudly signaled by another inmate to alert those in the vicinity. Upon opening the closet door, the officers discovered Reid and the inmate inside. The inmate, visibly aroused, was found holding a picture collage, the complaint further elaborates. Subsequently, the inmate was detained with handcuffs and the picture collage was seized as evidence by the SCI Forest authorities. On October 25, 2023, around 11:20 AM, BII Agents conducted an interview with the inmate’s aunt at her home. The agents shared their suspicions that she had been in communication with a staff member at SCI Forest, and that her nephew might have been trying to convince this staff member, believed to be Reid, to smuggle drugs into the prison. The aunt presented her cellphone to the agents, which contained a picture of a woman identified as Reid vacationing in South Africa. According to the complaint, Reid had reportedly sent the aunt $2,000 to assist with her everyday expenses, comprised of $1,500 in cash and a $500 personal check. The complaint also notes that the aunt informed the agents about a gift package she had ordered online from Bath & Body Works, which she had sent to Reid. On October 26, 2023, at approximately 12:50 PM, agents conducted an interview with the inmate at SCI Forest’s security office, discussing his relationship with Reid. When asked if he knew Reid, the inmate affirmed that they worked together in the kitchen. He denied having any physical relationship beyond their professional interaction in the kitchen, and also refuted any claim that Reid was in contact with his family members, as stated in the complaint. However, BII Agents informed the inmate about their prior interview with his aunt, in which she had shared text messages and photos exchanged between her and Reid. Upon further questioning about his relationship with Reid, the inmate reportedly confessed to a closer bond. He admitted to hugging, kissing, and touching Reid inappropriately, but denied any further sexual contact, according to the complaint. The inmate clarified that they were always fully clothed during these interactions, and his inappropriate contact with Reid was over her clothing, the complaint further noted. On October 26, 2023, at approximately 1:10 PM, agents interviewed Reid at her home. She was informed of the ongoing investigation by BII Agents into allegations of inappropriate staff-inmate interactions involving her. After being advised of her Miranda rights, Reid agreed to cooperate with the investigation. According to the complaint, Reid shared that she had been employed at SCI Forest since October 2020 and that she believed the inmate started working in the kitchen with her “a year or two ago.” However, she affirmed that their personal relationship only commenced in the preceding month. The relationship, Reid shared, began innocuously with casual conversations about their lives and mutual support during difficult times. Reid was under the impression they were of similar age, as stated in the complaint. According to Reid, their relationship took a physical turn around August or September 2023, starting with hugs in the kitchen closet, which later escalated to kissing. Reid emphasized that all physical interactions took place within the confines of the kitchen closet. While denying any skin-to-skin contact on explicit areas, she did confess to performing oral sex on the inmate. The exact number of occurrences was uncertain, but Reid estimated it could be anywhere between five to ten times, the complaint elaborates. Reid also confirmed her communication with the inmate’s aunt via text messages and phone calls. She admitted to sending pictures of her vacation and a warning message to the inmate via his aunt, asking him to refrain from inappropriate behavior at work. Additionally, Reid confirmed the transfer of $2,000 to the aunt to aid with her daily expenses, split between a personal check of $500 and $1,500 in cash. While Reid stated she was never explicitly asked to smuggle drugs into the prison, she did share that the inmate mentioned his aunt sending her a package, possibly a teddy bear, which Reid suspected might contain drugs. However, she claimed to never have received any such item, as per the complaint. Reid categorically denied having any personal relationship with any other inmate. She acknowledged that her relationship with the inmate was inappropriate and violated the rules of conduct at SCI Forest, as per the complaint’s notes. Subsequent to the interview, investigators received a confirmation from the inmate, aligning with Reid’s admission of performing oral sex on him inside the kitchen closet, the complaint further details. Reid was arraigned at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 20, on the following charges in front of Judge Miller:
- Institutional Sexual Assault, Felony 3
- Off’l Oppression-Arrest Search Etc, Misdemeanor 2
- Obstruct Admin Law/Other Govt Func, Misdemeanor 2
She is currently awaiting a preliminary hearing.
