Tag: Secretary Jeff Sandy

Prison Substance Use Treatment, Juvenile Justice System Receive Federal Money

More than three quarters of a million dollars is coming to substance use treatment and juvenile justice system programs under the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security.

More than three quarters of a million dollars is coming to substance use treatment and juvenile justice system programs under the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security.

The Department of Justice’s Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Program, which supports programs in 10 facilities statewide, will receive $302,965. The national program helps provide treatment and recovery to those with substance use and other mental health disorders.

The remaining $457,500 comes from the DOJ’s Title II Formula Grants Program. The program helps support job training, mental health treatment and community programs to help prevent truancy.

Cabinet Secretary Jeff Sandy said in an email that this portion of the funding “will be presented to the Juvenile Justice Commission.” It will be up to the commission to make recommendations on how to use the grants.

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin said in a statement that “providing substance use disorder treatment options across the state is crucial” to combating the state’s drug epidemic. U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said the funding supports programs that “meet individuals where they are, and provides the tools needed to help them contribute to their communities and lead a successful life.”

W.Va. Officials Give Update On Nazi Salute Photo — But Names, Unredacted Photo Not Yet Released

West Virginia officials have announced that three individuals have been fired and 34 others have been suspended without pay as a result of an investigation into a photo of corrections trainees giving the Nazi salute. However, the governor’s office and the agency in charge of the state’s corrections’ program isn’t yet releasing the identities of those involved or the original photo in question. 

A blurred version of the photo, released Thursday by state officials, shows 31 people involved in the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation Basic Training Class #18. 

The Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety said in a Friday news release that the three terminations include two correctional academy trainers and one of the class cadets in the photo. 

The release also states the other trainees in the photo remain suspended without pay, according to a policy that does allow them to apply any earned annual leave during such a suspension.

Investigators have conducted more than 50 interviews at the Glenville academy — where the training took place between Oct. 21 and Nov. 27 —    and other facilities. Department secretary Jeff Sandy estimates that the investigation — which is being reviewed by himself, corrections commissioner Betsy Jividen and their leadership teams — is nearing completion. 

Sandy also says that — until the investigation is complete, and because of personnel rules and protections outlined in West Virginia’s civil service system — the release of names and disciplinary status of the individuals in the photo as well as an unredacted version of it remains pending. At a news conference, Sandy and Gov. Jim Justice cited legal concerns over the release of such information.

Rabbi Victor Urecki of Charleston’s B’nai Jacob Synagogue said he and other faith leaders in the community were shown an unredacted version of the photo Wednesday. 

W.Va. Officials Announce Suspensions Over Photograph Of Corrections Trainees Giving Nazi Salute

Updated: Thursday, December 5, 2019 at 11:18 p.m. 

The West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety is opening an investigation into an offensive photo depicting state corrections trainees giving a well-recognized Nazi hand signal. State officials announced that suspsensions related to the photo have taken place.

In a photo released Thursday, 31 members of the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation Basic Training Class #18 are seated in rows. Nearly all of them are giving a Nazi salute. All of faces in the photo have been blurred. 

According to a caption, the class was conducted Oct. 21 through Nov. 27.

The photo is also captioned “Hail Byrd!” A Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety spokesman said the caption refers to a training instructor for the class.

In a statement, Gov. Jim Justice says he condemns the photo. The governor also says he has directed DMAPS Secretary Jeff Sandy to investigate the incident and fire all of those involved in the conduct. 

Secretary Sandy issued a letter Thursday calling the photo “distasteful, hurtful, disturbing, highly insensitive, and completely inappropriate.”  Sandy also announced that suspensions related to the photo have taken place.

Repeated requests for additional information — including context surrounding the taking of the photo, a list of names involved and a copy of the original photo — were not returned as of late Thursday night. 

In a Twitter thread, Rabbi Victor Urecki of the B’nai Jacob Synagogue said some faith leaders in Charleston were notified earlier this week about the photo. He said those leaders “were asked to come, see the photo before it was released, and were given a breifing of what was known at the time about this ugly situation.”

This is a developing story and may be updated.

 

 

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