Governor Carney Releases Interim Report of DOC Special Assistant

WILMINGTON, Del.Governor John Carney on Thursday released an interim report of the Special Assistant at the Department of Correction. The six-month report publicly details progress in the Department of Correction’s efforts to implement recommendations made by the Independent Review into the events of February 1 and 2, 2017, at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center.

“We are serious about implementing the recommendations of the Independent Review, and improving safety and security across our correctional system,” said Governor Carney. “We have more work ahead of us. Making lasting change won’t happen in a few short months. But as this report indicates, we are making progress. Thank you to Claire DeMatteis for all of her hard work, to Commissioner Phelps, to all of our correctional officers, and to everyone at the Department of Correction for their work and dedication.”

“The public should be encouraged by the level of activity throughout the Department of Correction to address improvements identified by the Independent Review team,” said Claire DeMatteis, Special Assistant. “The men and women of the Department of Correction are an experienced, dedicated, motivated, and determined group of leaders.”

“Since receiving the Independent Review, we have moved quickly to take action and implement the review team’s recommendations,” said Perry Phelps, Commissioner of the Department of Correction. “Addressing the challenges we face will require our focus and attention over the long-term. But all the people of the Department of Correction are committed to this work. I want to thank Claire for her partnership and every officer and member of the leadership team for their contributions.”

The interim report details progress to strengthen officer safety and training; efforts to boost officer recruitment and retention; initiatives to modernize corrections operations to enhance intelligence gathering and intelligence sharing; work to improve services and programming for inmates; and, efforts to improve the daily interaction and communication between officers and inmates and between officers and their supervisors.

Citing progress, Phelps and DeMatteis noted:

  • Installation of dozens of cameras at JTVCC started last November;
  • Additional trainings for all officers in risk management, de-escalation, communication, leadership and cultural competency skills;
  • Initiatives at JTVCC to improve communication among officers, inmates and supervisors, including a new Inmates’ Advisory Council and Correctional Officers’ Advisory Council;
  • Renewed focus at JTVCC on services for inmates, including educational and job training opportunities, library and religious services and increased commissary offerings.

“The Independent Review team recommendations focus mainly on JTVCC. However, the DOC is implementing reforms across all Level V facilities wherever possible,” said DeMatteis. “And, wherever possible, DOC leaders are working to implement changes that go even further than the IRT report calls for, as the interim report details.”

Last summer, Governor Carney appointed Claire DeMatteis – a former senior counsel to then-U.S. Senator Joe Biden – as Special Assistant to work alongside Correction Commissioner Perry Phelps in implementing the Independent Review team’s recommendations. DeMatteis produced the six-month report released on Thursday, and will release a follow-up, public report at the one-year mark of her appointment. The reports are intended to publicly detail the state’s progress in implementing the recommendations of the Independent Review.

 

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Governor Carney Releases Final Report of Department of Correction Independent Review

WILMINGTON, Del. Governor John Carney on Friday released the final report of the Independent Review into the events of February 1 and February 2 at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center, and issued the following statement:

“Thank you to Judge Chapman and former U.S. Attorney Oberly for their hard work on this Independent Review. Their recommendations from June, and in this final report, will help us make real, lasting change. This much is clear: we have systemic issues within our correctional system that must be addressed, and we are committed to addressing them. We’ve already made progress, but there is more work ahead of us. In the coming days, we will review these final recommendations in more detail. And we will take appropriate action that will continue to improve safety and security for officers and inmates inside our facilities. As I said in June when we received the initial report of the Independent Review, we owe that to Lieutenant Floyd and all of the victims of the events on February 1.”

Learn more about Governor Carney’s actions since receiving the initial report in June.

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Governor Carney to Publicly Release Final Report of DOC Independent Review September 1

Extension requested by Independent Review team to fully consider influx of testimonials, documents

WILMINGTON, Del. –  Governor Carney announced on Friday that he will publicly release the final report of the Department of Correction Independent Review on September 1. He has extended the deadline for the Independent Review team to produce its final report from August 15 to August 31. The extension will allow the review team to fully consider an influx of testimonials from inmates and correctional officers, as well as a letter from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) documenting inmate grievances.

Former Judge William L. Chapman, Jr. and former U.S. Attorney Charles M. Oberly III are leading the Independent Review into the conditions that may have contributed to the hostage incident on February 1 at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center. Since the release of the team’s preliminary report on June 1, Governor Carney has reached an agreement with the Correctional Officers Association of Delaware to raise starting pay for correctional officers by 20 percent to help recruit and retain officers; appointed a Special Assistant to oversee cultural turnaround efforts at DOC; added 50 correctional officer positions at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center; and worked with the General Assembly to make new investments in equipment and training, including $2 million to install cameras inside JTVCC.

Read more about the Governor’s DOC plan.

“I look forward to receiving the final report of the Independent Review later this month, and I remain committed to making the necessary, long-term changes to help us improve conditions inside James T. Vaughn Correctional Center, and across our correctional system,” said Governor Carney. “Working with members of the General Assembly, we have already made important changes, but there is more work to do. Thank you to the Independent Review team for their continued work on this important issue.”

Governor Carney and the Independent Review team will hold a general media availability on September 1 to discuss the findings of the Independent Review’s final report.

WHAT:        Media availability to discuss final report of DOC Independent Review

WHO:          Governor John Carney
Former Judge William L. Chapman, Jr.
Former U.S. Attorney Charles M. Oberly III

WHEN:       9:30 a.m., Friday, September 1

WHERE:    Governor’s Office, 12th Floor
Carvel State Office Building
820 N. French Street, Wilmington, DE 19801

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Commissioner Phelps Announces Selection to Lead Re-Entry Programs, Reduce Recidivism

Jim Elder, new Bureau Chief of Community Corrections, oversees re-entry programs at the Wilmington HOPE Commission

DOVER, Del. – Department of Correction Commissioner Perry Phelps on Thursday announced the selection of Jim Elder – the Director of Clinical Services for Re-entry Programming at the Wilmington HOPE Commission – to lead DOC’s efforts to help offenders successfully re-enter their communities, and reduce Delaware’s rate of recidivism.

As DOC’s Bureau Chief of Community Correction, Elder also will oversee mental health and substance abuse treatment programs for individuals under community supervision and in Level 4 correctional facilities.

“We have a responsibility to rehabilitate and treat the offenders who enter our custody,” said Commissioner Phelps. “I trust Jim’s experience and education will improve our current programs while also reducing recidivism in the long term. I look forward to working with him to return the men and women in our custody to the community better prepared to find success.”

The selection of Elder will place a new emphasis inside the agency on re-entry programming and efforts to reduce recidivism. The Bureau of Community Corrections oversees probation and parole, pretrial services, the community work release program and other supervision programs.

“We all have a stake in making sure that offenders successfully re-enter society, and have the opportunity to meaningfully contribute,” said Governor Carney. “It’s also imperative that we do everything we can to reduce our recidivism rate – to make sure that fewer Delawareans who spend time in our correctional system go on to re-offend. That’s a critical part of keeping our prisons safe, and reducing our prison population.”

Selection of a Bureau Chief of Community Correction with experience in re-entry programming was a crucial element of Governor Carney’s plan to reform the Department of Correction, following the Independent Review into the causes of the February 1 incident at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center.

Governor Carney on Wednesday announced the appointment of a Special Assistant at the Department of Correction who will focus on reform of management practices and training, and cultural turnaround – and report publicly on the state’s progress in implementing the Independent Review’s recommendations.

Last week, Governor Carney and the Correctional Officers Association of Delaware announced an agreement to raise salaries for Delaware’s correctional officers – including a 22 percent increase to starting officer pay. The agreement, which includes establishment of a Labor-Management committee to study additional staffing issues, will help the state recruit and retain officers across Delaware’s correctional system.

Governor Carney’s DOC plan also includes:

  • Investing $2 million in new cameras and authorizing 50 additional correctional officer positions at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center;
  • Investing $1.3 million in new equipment and training for correctional officers;
  • Directing the Delaware State Police and the Department of Correction to jointly conduct an after-action review of the February 1 incident;
  • And directing the to-be-created Department of Human Resources to implement a comprehensive staffing plan that eliminates the shortage of correctional officers.

Elder has an extensive clinical background in substance abuse treatment and mental health programming. He is currently the Director of Clinical Services for Re-entry Programming at the Wilmington HOPE Commission.

Elder is a Licensed Professional Counselor of Mental Health (LPCMH), a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDP), a board Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC) in the state of Delaware and a National Certified Counselor (NCC) under authority of the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC). He has worked in the correctional treatment field for 20 years in Delaware, across the country and abroad.

He earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Maryland College Park and a Master’s Degree in Community Counseling from Wilmington College.

Elder will begin work July 3.

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Governor Carney Announces Appointment of Special Assistant at Department of Correction

Claire DeMatteis, former senior counsel to U.S. Senator Joe Biden, will lead implementation of DOC plan

DOVER, Del. – Governor John Carney on Wednesday announced his appointment of Claire DeMatteis – a former senior counsel to then-U.S. Senator Joe Biden – as a temporary Special Assistant to the Governor at the Delaware Department of Correction.

DeMatteis will focus her efforts on reform of management practices and training, cultural turnaround, and implementation of Governor Carney’s plan following the Independent Review into the causes of the February 1 incident at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center. She will work alongside Correction Commissioner Perry Phelps, and report to Governor Carney on implementation of the plan. DeMatteis, a Delaware attorney, also will issue publicly-available reports – at six months and one year after her appointment – that detail the state’s progress in implementing the Independent Review’s recommendations.

“We’re serious about getting this right. Claire is tough, she is independent-minded, and she has the judgement and credibility necessary to work alongside Commissioner Phelps and help us make real change,” said Governor Carney. “Her experience inside and outside of government will serve our state well. She is a skilled lawyer who knows how to execute on a plan, and hold people accountable. I’m confident that Claire is the right person for the job.”

“We owe it to the correctional officers, inmates and citizens of Delaware to get this right and resolve past deficiencies,” said DeMatteis. “We have a clear road map and mandate to make the needed changes.”

DeMatteis will help ensure that Commissioner Phelps can seamlessly continue to lead agency operations, while the two work together to implement reforms that the Governor and Commissioner have prioritized.

“I look forward to working closely with Claire to directly confront many of the issues facing our correctional system,” said Commissioner Phelps. “Her experience in government, and in the private sector, will help us put management practices into place that will make a real difference over the long-term.”

Appointment of a Special Assistant was a crucial element of Governor Carney’s plan to reform the Department of Correction.

Last week, Governor Carney and the Correctional Officers Association of Delaware announced an agreement to raise salaries for Delaware’s correctional officers – including a 22 percent increase to starting officer pay. The agreement, which includes establishment of a Labor-Management committee to study additional staffing issues, will help the state recruit and retain officers across Delaware’s correctional system.

Governor Carney’s DOC plan also includes:

  • Investing $2 million in new cameras and authorizing 50 additional correctional officer positions at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center;
  • Investing $1.3 million in new equipment and training for correctional officers;
  • Appointing a new Bureau Chief of Community Correction with expertise in managing re-entry programs and reducing recidivism;
  • Directing the Delaware State Police and the Department of Correction to jointly conduct an after-action review of the February 1 incident;
  • And directing the to-be-created Department of Human Resources to implement a comprehensive staffing plan that eliminates the shortage of correctional officers.

DeMatteis, who will begin work in July, has a diverse professional background in government, corporate governance and healthcare.

From 2013-2016, DeMatteis worked as general counsel and senior vice president at Affinity Health Plan Inc., where she was responsible for all legal, regulatory and compliance matters for the $1.4 billion corporation. She worked in a similar role as executive vice president, general counsel, and chief privacy officer for Catalina Marketing Corporation, a digital media marketing company.

Previously, DeMatteis spent four years at Stradley, Ronon, Stevens & Young, a Mid-Atlantic law firm with offices in Wilmington. She was partner in charge of the firm’s Delaware office from 2007-2008.

During her decade working as senior counsel for then-Senator Biden, from 1994-2004, DeMatteis served as a member of a senior team on issues involving law enforcement, foreign policy, and constitutional matters. She helped guide campaign strategy, managed constituent communications and drafted legislation.

Most recently, DeMatteis served in a senior role at the Delaware Department of Labor, where she helped navigate resolution to the recent data breach at the department, keeping the media, public and legislators well informed on the state’s response and structural reforms to prevent future breaches.

DeMatteis earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware, and holds a law degree from Widener University Delaware Law School.

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Related news:
Governor Carney, COAD Announce Agreement to Raise Correctional Officer Pay
Governor Carney Announces Plan to Address Recommendations of DOC Independent Review
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