DOVER — Gov. Ruth Ann Minner's prison task force got what it asked for Friday as Delaware correctional officers, one after another, came to the microphone to air deep-seeded complaints about the Department of Correction and the administration that runs it.
Although the panel offered anonymity, most of the officers did not hesitate to give their names as they spoke of critical understaffing, morale and procedural problems throughout the statewide prison system.
"You have to get us an administration that allows us to do our jobs,'' Sgt. David W. Phillips said. "You have to get us an administration that cares about its staff, because now we are just numbers. If we keep going like this, I don't know what you're going to do to guard the inmates because we won't be here.''
The task force, created by executive order, is charged with reviewing the July 12 incident at the Delaware Correctional Center near Smyrna in which inmate Scott A. Miller abducted and raped prison counselor Cassandra Arnold.
Miller was shot and killed by a correctional officer after a seven-hour standoff. An initial report by DOC found security doors had been left open and that some security equipment did not work. The report did not affix blame or include major recommendations for improved security.
Ms. Arnold, 27, attended Friday's session at the Dover Downs Hotel and Conference Center with her attorneys. She sued Gov. Minner and top correction officials in federal court after the incident, claiming lax security, inadequate staffing and poor supervision contributed directly to her ordeal.
Members of the task force say they want to interview Ms. Arnold but acknowledged they have not done so yet.
The panel, which usually meets in Wilmington, arranged Friday's session Downstate to accommodate correctional officers who live here.
Mike Lenigan is secretary of the Correctional Officers' Association of Delaware and works at DCC. He said overtime — volunteered and forced — is taking a tremendous toll. He said that as many as 400 or more overtime positions are normal each week at DCC because of short staffing.
"It just keeps growing every week, that is the cycle we are in,'' Mr. Lenigan said. "Our staff is tired and our staff is worn out.''
According to DOC, there were 342 correctional officer vacancies, including 49 on military leave, as of Dec. 14. COAD insists the number is higher.
Sgt. Dino Garrnett works at DCC in maximum security, where death row inmates and offenders considered most dangerous are housed. He said approximately 20 officers work each shift in the unit and that last week 14 overtime positions had to be filled, including five that were involuntary.
"I see it only getting worse, to a point where a fatality is going to occur,'' he said. "I don't know how many times we can take chances before we come out to a final run.''
Among the most outspoken officers was George Coventry. He works at DCC in the area where Ms. Arnold was abducted and said he knew Miller.
Mr. Coventry said DCC administrators had knowledge that Miller was upset and possibly more dangerous at least a week before Ms. Arnold was assaulted.
Mr. Coventry said Miller had written three lengthy letters and given them to another officer for delivery to administrators. He said Miller told him he wanted Mr. Coventry to know about the letters "in case anything happened.''
"They were aware he was upset but they failed to move him to higher security,'' Mr. Coventry said. "One of the letters was addressed to Warden Tom Carroll, another was to Deputy Warden Betty Burris and the other was to the security chief.
"We have a warden who was never a correctional officer and we have a deputy warden who started as a secretary. They have not walked in our shoes.''
Sonja Rios works in the secure housing unit at DCC. She said she's been ordered to work involuntary overtime so often, including back-to-back, 16-hour shifts with only eight hours off, that she feels she can no longer do her job properly.
"People are tired,'' she said. "They're falling asleep. I'm one of the ones that's looking elsewhere (for a job.)''
Ms. Rios said she was on duty when the task force toured DCC in early November. She said administrators "dressed things up'' for the panel to give the impression of a more secure prison environment and larger workforce.
"A lot of us were afraid to talk that day,'' she said. "They added more people. There was more administration popping up, trying to make it look nice. You don't hardly ever see those people. You need to see what our world is like when they don't know you're coming.''
Sgt. Kennard Demby agreed. He said the Maximum Housing Unit was overstaffed by at least 10 officers the day of the visit.
"You got a dog and pony show when you came,'' he said. "The MHU was very overstaffed when you came.''
Ms. Rios said morale is poor and slipping. She said supervisors are to blame.
"I want to be respected when I come to work,'' she said. "I want to be proud of that badge but I'm not. It's an embarrassment. Sometimes I'm embarrassed to say what I do for a living.''
Sgt. Phillips spoke of the void between top supervisors and rank-and-file.
"This administration is nowhere to be found,'' he said. "You don't see them in the tiers. You don't see them in the buildings. You don't see them anywhere. They do not care.
"DCC and the Department of Correction is a ticking time bomb. I just hope that we don't go off first, but if things don't change, we will.''
Panel members thanked the officers for their input and said they hope to wrap up interviews in the next couple of weeks because a final report with recommendations to Gov. Minner is due by Jan. 31.
Chairman Grover C. Brown said the task force still needs to interview Ms. Arnold and would spend the latter part of January drafting the report.
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Senior writer Tom can be reached at 741-8212
or teldred@newszap.com.
Department of Correction Sgt. Dino Garnett listens to a response from a panel member at Friday's prison task force session. Officers spoke of critical understaffing, morale and procedural problems throughout the statewide prison system.
Delaware State News/Daniel Korup
Reprinted with permission from newszap.com
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