WV Prison System Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

W.Va. National Guard Assistance For Corrections Vacancies Fall Short Of Need

In declaring an emergency over low staffing levels at West Virginia’s corrections facilities, Gov. Jim Justice called on the National Guard to fill the gap. However, the number of vacancies and the number of soldiers and airmen involved in the mission are quite far apart.

In declaring an emergency over low staffing levels at West Virginia’s corrections facilities, Gov. Jim Justice called on the National Guard to fill the gap.

However, the number of vacancies and the number of soldiers and airmen involved in the mission are quite far apart.

After signing an executive order sending guard members to work in state prisons and jails, Justice said in a coronavirus briefing this week that the problem would be handled.

“The National Guard will absolutely handle this situation, until the regular session, if we want to wait that long,” Justice said.

In published reports, Homeland Security Secretary Jeff Sandy said state correctional facilities currently have more than 1,000 job vacancies, most in the correctional officer entry level position.

West Virginia Adj. Gen., Maj. Gen. Bill Crane said 93 guard volunteers are now being trained to assist jail and prison staff. He said they will work in administrative roles like control center management and camera operations, having no direct contact with inmates

“That was one of the stipulations that I put in,” Crane said. “I just don’t want to put any of our folks at that high of a risk when you have fully trained corrections officers that are able to do that mission.”

Crane admitted most guard members don’t figure on prison work as part of their mission statement, but said some do.

“With our military police, we have a mission set that actually is detainee operations,” Crane said. “We have folks that are trained to do this anyway, on the Army side.”

Justice said with every neighboring state paying more to its corrections workers, West Virginia must significantly change its wage structure to solve the problem.

He said with a 60 percent vacancy rate in the Eastern Panhandle, raising pay regionally is something to consider, but said the downside is that the rest of the state corrections workers making markedly less, might feel slighted.

“Then, you got a food fight going on,” Justice said. “Then the next thing that happens is, you may be in a situation where you bump everybody up significantly.”

In 2018, the National Guard provided corrections department assistance for six months. Crane said these missions cannot go more than one year without financial consequences.

“So we’re going to do it for 364 (days),” Crane said. “Our hope is at that point, there will be enough new corrections officers that we’ll be able to back out of that mission set.”

West Virginia Public Broadcasting contacted the West Virginia Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and Homeland Security for information on efforts to fill the vacancies but received no response from repeated requests for interviews.

Mock Prison Riot receives accolades

The world-renowned Mock Prison Riot, held every spring at the decommissioned West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville, has received the Innovative Approaches Award for 2013 from the International Association of Correctional Training Personnel (IACTP).

“All who contribute to the success of the Mock Prison Riot are honored that this award has been bestowed upon us by the IACTP,” said Jim Rubenstein, Commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Corrections (WV DOC). “This award is a testament to the far-reaching effectiveness, uniqueness, and longevity of the Mock Prison Riot program.”

The Mock Prison Riot is a four-day law enforcement and corrections tradeshow and training event, which is comprised of a technology showcase and demonstrations, tactical training scenarios, workshops, and a Skills Competition. The Mock Prison Riot is a program of the WV DOC and the West Virginia Corrections Training Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Practitioners and technology developers come from all over the world to participate in the program.

In August, Mock Prison Riot staff members submitted an application for review by the IACTP’s Awards Committee, which is comprised of members of the organization’s board of directors. The committee announced its decision on October 21, 2013.

“We ask applicants several questions regarding their programs and contributions to the field of corrections training,” said IACTP President-elect Pete Norris, who also serves as the director of training for the Wyoming Department of Corrections. “One very important question involves applicants describing how their programs or contributions represent a creative departure from standard or previous practice. The Mock Prison Riot stood out for several reasons. The use of an actual penitentiary for training combined with role players and emerging and existing technology integration are characteristics that definitely set it apart from other applicants.”

The IACTP is an international professional association of trainers, training administrators, and educators representing all aspects of the field of adult and juvenile justice. Based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, IACTP was established in 1974 to enhance public safety and the fair and humane treatment of offenders by promoting organizational and individual excellence in training.

The IACTP’s Awards of Excellence Program strives to identify and celebrate the accomplishments of outstanding individuals and programs in the field of criminal justice training. The Innovative Approaches award is given for training which is considered state-of- the-art.

“Upon review, the committee also learned that the Mock Prison Riot is 100 percent on target for achieving its goals and fulfilling its mission statement,” Norris said. “The Mock Prison Riot works, and it works well. It is very unique and effective training.”

“Realistic training is difficult to come by, especially in the corrections industry,” said Terry Rusin, a member of the West Virginia Corrections Training Foundation’s board of directors. “The realism of the Mock Prison Riot venue and scenario-based training fill that void.”

“We are always striving to make each event better and more relevant than the last,” said Rusin. “The unique circumstances of our venue and the relationships we have and continue to build throughout the world allow us to offer innovative hands-on training that is extremely difficult to find elsewhere. It is our privilege to continue offering these training and technology opportunities to our attendees.”

W.Va. looking to out of state prisons to help reduce overcrowding

West Virginia’s Division of Corrections Commissioner Jim Rubenstein told lawmakers the state is considering sending inmates to out of state facilities to curb overcrowding issues.

So far, two facilities are interested in taking inmates, one in Tennessee and one in Texas.

Rubenstein assured legislators on the Legislative Oversight Committee on Regional Jails and Correctional Facilities Monday while the state does have a Constitutional provision that bans sending inmates out of state involuntarily, it is within the law if they volunteer to be transferred.

Rubenstein said sending inmates who should be in prison, but are held in regional jails to these out of state facilities will give them earlier access to the rehabilitation programs they need.

“I’ve just always looked at it as a temporary solution which is again the belief being that if an individual can take advantage of programming and treatment right off the bat, see the parole board for the first time, have that met that they have a very good chance of being paroled,” he told lawmakers.

Out of state prisons that bid on the contract with West Virginia must be able to provide all of the same programming to inmates they would receive in state.

The bids will be opened November 5 for out of state locations looking to take in populations from West Virginia. From there, Rubenstein said the state will decide if it’s fiscally possible to move forward with the plan.