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W.Va. DNR Police To Help With Jail, Prison Staffing

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Division of Natural Resources police officers will assist with staffing challenges at West Virginia’s jails and prisons.

More than 60 DNR officers have finished training for support roles that will enable corrections officers to perform other duties, the state Department of Homeland Security said in a news release Thursday.

The topics during eight hours of instruction last week included staff and inmate interactions, dealing with contraband and restricted items, and sexual assault law. Additional training, including security checks, staffing facility control towers and hospital detail, will be provided once the participating officers are assigned to a facility, the statement said.

The support roles could start as early as this weekend. DNR police officers will work their regular schedules for their agencies and work at corrections facilities on overtime. The Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation will reimburse the DNR police for the staffing costs.

Currently there are 921 inmates and 231 jail and prison staff with positive coronavirus cases, according to state health figures.