Controversy over the Missouri department of Corrections' handling of abuse and harassment became a hot topic in 2016 leading to a change in leadership as department heads were pushed out amid allegations of cover ups and mistreatment of staff. This was when the corruption hit the fan and the department made national headlines. What people don't know is that the level of corruption and mistreatment of staff and offenders is far worse then the little bit that reaches the public. A former employee with over a decade of work behind the barbed wire fences of one of Missouri's largest prisons has come out with some additional information to further shed light on the dark corners of Missouri DOC. What follows is a sample of that report.
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When we look at the structure of Missouri DOC, it is clear that it is a business that exists to keep a small group of people wealthy with little-to-no concern for the safety and treatment of lower level staff and the general public. Department administration is filled with people holding fake positions and earning large salaries. Central office has staff with six paid "assistants" who were given jobs behind the scenes because of who they know. Jefferson City Correctional Center has four Wardens to run one prison. These are examples of created positions to payback political donors and supporters. What makes it worse is that when Anne Precythe was appointed as the new director of DOC, it was to clean up corruption but she has leaned hard into it instead. In late 2017 it was announced that an associate of Director Precythe's from the South Carolina Department of Corrections had taken the position of "Director of Research, Development and process improvement." for the Missouri Department of Corrections. This is a made up job with no purpose and a paycheck in the neighborhood of $100,000 annually. What is most disturbing is that While these department heads are rolling in the majority of the corrections budget for their own personal use they are endangering the lives of offenders and staff working in the prison system by not providing needed resources. Certain decisions made by the department are going to lead to unrest in the prison system in the near future which will likely result in the loss of life. Everyone working in the Missouri DOC is aware that the department has created the perfect storm and that it's about to erupt into chaos. The thing is, Administration will not do anything until after people get hurt because they can use it as a bargaining chip to get more money from the state which the people on the front line will never see. It's hard to understand if you haven't been there so read below for an example.
In 2015 a female staff member was nearly beaten to death at Jefferson City Correctional Center. This 60+ year old grandmother was in a housing unit wing with no back-up when an inmate punched her in the back of the head knocking her to the ground. He then got on top of her and punched her as hard as he could in the back of the head over and over again. He only stopped when other officers arrived. The victim of the attack was rushed out by ambulance and then taken by helicopter for immediate emergency medical care. She spent days in intensive care due to the injuries she suffered. Her coworkers collected money to help with her medical bills but Administration did nothing but cover the incident up. The public relations officer told local media that a staff member suffered "non-life-threatening injuries" even though she went out on life flight and was not guaranteed to survive the trip. While she was lying in ICU the institution held a fundraiser for a retired member of the 'good old boy system.' Staff members spoke out about the lack of assistance and compassion for an employee who was savagely beaten while performing her job duties. Staff speaking out resulted in personnel providing the victim with a Walmart gift card 3 months after the attack. Yes that's right..a Walmart gift card for almost getting murdered. So it's clearly established that the department does not care about staff but what about offenders?
Inmates in Missouri Prisons don't have it great because they are in prison after all. However, The general public probably doesn't know how many perks they do have. The old days of breaking rocks are gone. Today inmates don't have to work, but they get paid every month. Offenders in Missouri prisons have free healthcare (including expensive treatment that people on the outside sell their houses to afford,) free meals, free cable, movies, exercise equipment and musical instruments and coming soon free tablets for every inmate. All of their needs and many of their wants are provided free, but they receive a 'state tip' each month that they can use to purchase candy bars and sodas or even order food from the street on occasion. They also face no accountability for their actions while incarcerated. Female staff are subjected to sexual abuse by inmates on a regular basis and the offenders are not sent up for prosecution. The department allows it.
Missouri DOC is a rotting pit of corruption and will never change willingly. This is just the tip of the iceberg when we start talking about DOC. More information coming soon.
Kindle Unlimited Membership Plans
When we look at the structure of Missouri DOC, it is clear that it is a business that exists to keep a small group of people wealthy with little-to-no concern for the safety and treatment of lower level staff and the general public. Department administration is filled with people holding fake positions and earning large salaries. Central office has staff with six paid "assistants" who were given jobs behind the scenes because of who they know. Jefferson City Correctional Center has four Wardens to run one prison. These are examples of created positions to payback political donors and supporters. What makes it worse is that when Anne Precythe was appointed as the new director of DOC, it was to clean up corruption but she has leaned hard into it instead. In late 2017 it was announced that an associate of Director Precythe's from the South Carolina Department of Corrections had taken the position of "Director of Research, Development and process improvement." for the Missouri Department of Corrections. This is a made up job with no purpose and a paycheck in the neighborhood of $100,000 annually. What is most disturbing is that While these department heads are rolling in the majority of the corrections budget for their own personal use they are endangering the lives of offenders and staff working in the prison system by not providing needed resources. Certain decisions made by the department are going to lead to unrest in the prison system in the near future which will likely result in the loss of life. Everyone working in the Missouri DOC is aware that the department has created the perfect storm and that it's about to erupt into chaos. The thing is, Administration will not do anything until after people get hurt because they can use it as a bargaining chip to get more money from the state which the people on the front line will never see. It's hard to understand if you haven't been there so read below for an example.
In 2015 a female staff member was nearly beaten to death at Jefferson City Correctional Center. This 60+ year old grandmother was in a housing unit wing with no back-up when an inmate punched her in the back of the head knocking her to the ground. He then got on top of her and punched her as hard as he could in the back of the head over and over again. He only stopped when other officers arrived. The victim of the attack was rushed out by ambulance and then taken by helicopter for immediate emergency medical care. She spent days in intensive care due to the injuries she suffered. Her coworkers collected money to help with her medical bills but Administration did nothing but cover the incident up. The public relations officer told local media that a staff member suffered "non-life-threatening injuries" even though she went out on life flight and was not guaranteed to survive the trip. While she was lying in ICU the institution held a fundraiser for a retired member of the 'good old boy system.' Staff members spoke out about the lack of assistance and compassion for an employee who was savagely beaten while performing her job duties. Staff speaking out resulted in personnel providing the victim with a Walmart gift card 3 months after the attack. Yes that's right..a Walmart gift card for almost getting murdered. So it's clearly established that the department does not care about staff but what about offenders?
Inmates in Missouri Prisons don't have it great because they are in prison after all. However, The general public probably doesn't know how many perks they do have. The old days of breaking rocks are gone. Today inmates don't have to work, but they get paid every month. Offenders in Missouri prisons have free healthcare (including expensive treatment that people on the outside sell their houses to afford,) free meals, free cable, movies, exercise equipment and musical instruments and coming soon free tablets for every inmate. All of their needs and many of their wants are provided free, but they receive a 'state tip' each month that they can use to purchase candy bars and sodas or even order food from the street on occasion. They also face no accountability for their actions while incarcerated. Female staff are subjected to sexual abuse by inmates on a regular basis and the offenders are not sent up for prosecution. The department allows it.
Missouri DOC is a rotting pit of corruption and will never change willingly. This is just the tip of the iceberg when we start talking about DOC. More information coming soon.
Oh that's not even close to the tip. Try firing someone that worked over 20 years without one claim against him for sexual harassment on an investigation that was unsubstantiated because as the Director of Adult Institutions put it....why would they lie and well I must have substantiated something. And yet. The woman who accused this man has been charged several times with sexual harassment and one being sexual assault on male employees and female employees alike yet she still has her job. and She is notorious for filing false claims as payback for something she doesn't like and brags about it. So much for DOC's no tolerance policy. This happened just as the changing of the political arena and all those claims of corruption hit the fan publicly. Now this man is paying for it by losing his livelyhood, his friends, family in the prison and future earnings and promotions for which he has amassed student loans to get a master's degree for. Humiliation, depression, PTSD, you name it. Someone has to make them pay for their hypocrisy. want more.....I have lots more.
ReplyDeleteIf you have more, we would love to hear it. If you have stories that need to be told, please go to the Corrections Voices page and send a message. https://correctionsvoices.blogspot.com/
DeleteThank you!
Also how about the fact that at, at least one prison, night shift officers are being MANDATED to work 12-16 hour days 5 days a week and the other shifts are working 12-16 shifts 2-3 days a week which is still ridiculous! We have absolutely no home life and have been hearing for the past 4-5 years "It'll get better" only for it to get substantially worse! On night shift we have 2 officers per housing unit, 1 in the Bubble, and one wing officer for 200+ offenders! That means technically no back up... it will only get better when they realize we'r need a substantial raise... not something that equals out to an extra tank of gas a month!
ReplyDeleteAnd there is lots lots more you an find without even looking hard. Staff is horredously mistreated mostly by other staff "the good ole boys ass kissers and nut huggers. But you can get nothing done about them they run more good staff off than anything else. And there are still lots of good people there who deserve better and they need the state to increase the wages so they get more staff hired to relieve the overtime and then get rid of the good ole boys so that staff will stay. It is ugly and I"m only suprised that there hasn't been a major blow up riot or escape yet. But I gaurantee it's coming.
ReplyDeleteAll good points. thank you for commenting. If you have anything else you think needs to be put out in the open, please go to the Corrections Voices blog or Facebook page and send a message so more information can be delivered to the public. https://correctionsvoices.blogspot.com/
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I got denied FMLA because the baby we were expecting wasn't mine until she gave birth, it was a complicated pregnancy and we almost lost her several times. In the end (after I quit) my 4th child was born 2 months early and spent a month in neonatal intensive care before we finally took her home. At the time we were also fostering a baby girl that had several health issues due to the drugs in her system from when she was born. Also was denied FMLA for this even though I had all the doctors notes. I was put on an attendance plan, failed it, and put on another because of these issues with my children. I never once called in sick for myself. I watched several officers get granted FMLA for made up reasons and only show up to work a couple times a week. It made me sick. I was also there during the assault of the female officer in JCCC and remember well how it hit me watching her get stretchered out o the helicopter only to hear that it was "non life threatening" such corruption. I was one of the good ones who left because of the terrible things being done there and I'll never go back.
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