By MURALI BALAJI
The News Journal
03/05/2005
Management problems and security failures played a role in last July's abduction and rape of a counselor at the Delaware Correctional Center, according to a report released Friday by an independent corrections research and training agency.
The Washington-based National Institute of Corrections concluded in its 95-page report that staff at the Delaware Correctional Center near Smyrna used outdated security protocols and ineffective communication, which in part led to the July 12 attack on prison counselor Cassandra Arnold by an inmate. The seven-hour ordeal ended when a Department of Correction sniper shot and killed serial rapist Scott A. Miller, who held Arnold at knife-point.
The report echoed the tone of Gov. Ruth Ann Minner's task force report released last month, which blamed the incident on management and called for an overhaul of security measures.
Friday's report praised prison officials' handling of the hostage situation, but reiterated the task force report's assertion that the facility needs more corrections officers. The depart- ment's 286 officer vacancies have also hindered security efforts at the prison, both reports concluded.
The National Institute of Corrections said the center had "a large number of operational and management problems," but added those were long-standing issues. The institute called staff communication, especially among the leadership of the center, "dysfunctional."
The report added that Department of Correction staff were using antiquated "post orders" for security at the center, which has had several additions built since it opened in 1971.
Like the task force report, the institute praised Arnold for "her courage, her humanity and her commitment to see positive changes with the Department of Correction." The institute also blasted the depart- ment for not quickly paying Arnold's medical bills incurred as a result of the ordeal.
The report said "if there is ever a situation in which high-level intervention is called for to make sure that worker's comp is quick in responsive, this would be the case."
Arnold is suing the state, alleging that "shockingly unsafe conditions of employment" led to her abduction and rape. Arnold's lawyer, Jeffrey K. Martin, said the report "substantiates the allegations that we make in the complaint."
"They started with the premise that the hostage situation should have never occurred," Martin said. "There really were not procedures in place to respond to this."
Corrections department spokeswoman Beth Welch said the report released Friday is similar to the governor's task force report in that it "outlines ... some points where we need to take some action." She said corrections officials would create a master list of recommendations based on both reports and implement as many as possible.
Welch refused to give a timetable on when the list would be completed or when security overhauls at the correctional center would be implemented, but said the state is already beginning to assess its reform options.
"We don't want to rush through both reports and miss something important, but we also understand we need to act expeditiously and efficiently," she said.
Contact Murali Balaji at 324-2553 or mbalaji@delawareonline.com.
