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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Department of Justice Announces Indictments Arising From February Incident at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center

Sixteen Inmates Charged with First Degree Murder

The Delaware Department of Justice announced indictments against 18 individuals — including charging 16 individuals with first degree murder – in connection with the February 1-2, 2017 incident at the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center that resulted in the murder of Lieutenant Steven Floyd, injuries to Correctional Officers Winslow Smith and Joshua Wilkinson, and the kidnapping of counselor Patricia May. The indictments were handed up Monday by a New Castle County Grand Jury and initially were sealed by the court.

The defendants are all currently incarcerated in Delaware correctional facilities and have been since Feb. 2. The indictments were initially sealed for security reasons, so that Department of Correction personnel could ensure that necessary security precautions were taken within correctional facilities to process inmates on the indictments.

Sixteen individuals have each been charged with: three counts of Murder 1st Degree (intentional murder, felony murder, and recklessly causing death of a correctional officer); two counts of Assault 1st Degree (a count each regarding C.O. Smith and C. O. Wilkinson); four counts of Kidnapping 1st Degree (a count each for Lt. Floyd, C.O. Smith, C.O. Wilkinson and counselor May); one count of Riot; and one count of Conspiracy 2nd Degree (for conspiring to commit Riot):

1. Jarreau Ayers, age 36 – currently serving a life sentence for Murder 1st Degree and other charges
2. Abednego Baynes, age 25 – currently serving 18 years for Murder 2nd Degree
3. Kevin Berry, age 27 – currently serving 14 years for three counts of Robbery 1st Degree and other charges
4. John Bramble, age 28 – currently serving 40 years for Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, Assault Second Degree, Possession of a Firearm by a Person Prohibited, Possession of Ammunition by a Person Prohibited, and Home invasion
5. Abdul-Haqq El-Qadeer, aka Louis Sierra, age 31 – currently serving a life sentence for Murder 1st Degree
6. Deric Forney, age 28 – currently serving 11 years for Possession of a Firearm During Commission of a Felony, Possession of a Firearm By a Person Prohibited and drug charges
7. Kelly Gibbs, age 29 – currently serving 24 years 9 month sentence for Murder 2nd Degree
8. Robert Hernandez, age 36 – an inmate from New Mexico serving a 16-year sentence for Murder 2nd Degree in that state
9. Janiis Mathis, age 25 – currently serving 15 years for Assault 2nd Degree and other charges
10. Lawrence Michaels, age 31 – currently serving 19 years for Kidnapping 1st Degree, Attempted Robbery 1st Degree, Possession of a Firearm during Commission of a Felony and other charges
11. Obadiah Miller, age 25 – currently serving 10 years for Manslaughter and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony
12. Jonatan Rodriguez, age 25 – currently serving 40 years for Manslaughter and other charges
13. Alejandro Rodriguez-Ortiz, age 27 – currently serving 40 years for Manslaughter and other charges
14. Roman Shankaras, age 30 – currently serving 7 years for Riot and two counts of Robbery 1st
15. Corey Smith, age 32 – currently serving 14 years for a Violation of Probation for Possession of a Deadly Weapon by a Person Prohibited, Violation of Probation for Carrying a Concealed Deadly Weapon, Attempted Robbery First Degree, Assault Second Degree, Promoting Prison Contraband
16. Dwayne Staats, age 35 – currently serving a life sentence for Murder 1st Degree

Two other individuals were each charged with: four counts of Kidnapping 1st Degree (a count each for Lt. Floyd, C.O. Smith, C.O. Wilkinson and counselor May); one count of Riot; and one count of Conspiracy 2nd Degree (for conspiring to commit Riot):

1. Pedro Chairez, age 42 – an inmate from Arizona serving a 43-year sentence for Murder 2nd and other charges committed in that state
2. Royal Downs, age 52 – an inmate from Maryland serving a life sentence for Murder 1st Degree and other charges committed in that state

Attorney General Matt Denn expressed his gratitude to Delaware State Police Sergeant David Weaver, Deputy Attorneys General John Downs, Brian Robertson and Nichole Warner, the Delaware State Police Homicide Unit, Delaware State Police Criminal Investigation Units, the Delaware State Police Evidence Detection Units, and the Delaware Department of Correction for the extensive work that resulted in Monday’s indictment.

“This was an extremely important and time-consuming investigation that involved unique challenges.” Attorney General Denn said, “I appreciate the police and prosecutors’ focus on ensuring that justice is done for the victims in this case and their families.”

Because the investigation into this incident is ongoing, and because of court rules that restrict prosecutors’ ability to publicly discuss criminal matters prior to the time of trial, police and prosecutors will have no further comment about the indictments at this time.

 


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, COAD Announce Agreement to Raise Correctional Officer Pay
Governor Carney Announces Plan to Address Recommendations of DOC Independent Review
Governor Carney Releases Initial Report of Department of Correction Independent Review


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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Related news:
Governor Carney Announces Appointment of Special Assistant at Department of Correction
Governor Carney, COAD Announce Agreement to Raise Correctional Officer Pay
Governor Carney Announces Plan to Address Recommendations of DOC Independent Review
Governor Carney Releases Initial Report of Department of Correction Independent Review