THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, September 18, 1996 TAG: 9609180513
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LAURA LAFAY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 87 lines
A member of the General Assembly's Legislative Black Caucus said Tuesday he wants the caucus to investigate allegations that the Department of Corrections has demoted and transferred some of its officials because of race.
Eight black officials have been ``unfairly'' demoted or passed over for jobs in the administration of DOC Director Ron Angelone, according to Del. Lionell Spruill, D-Chesapeake.
Spruill released a list of the officials, which he said DOC employees gave to him. The employees came to his home and asked him to publicize the matter, he said, because of a DOC rule that forbids employees to speak to the media without permission from Angelone.
``Something is wrong with the system, and we need to get to the bottom of it,'' Spruill said Tuesday.
``Why are employees being mistreated, and why are they not being allowed to talk to the press? I want to know what the Department of Corrections is hiding, and I want to know why.''
Some of the officials on the list were threatened and transferred after complaining about a faulty sewage treatment plant that dumped effluent from the St. Brides Correctional Center in Chesapeake into Indian Creek, Spruill charged.
DOC spokesman David Botkins dismissed Spruill's allegations as ``anonymous complaints by disgruntled employees'' that ``don't dignify a response.''
``DOC doesn't take race into account when hiring, firing, demoting or transferring,'' Botkins said in a written statement.
``Merit, or the lack thereof, is the litmus test - and everything is looked at on a case-by-case basis.''
More than 33 percent of DOC's ``leadership in institutions'' is black, Botkins said. A little more than 68 percent of the state's inmate population is black.
Del. Jerrauld C. Jones, D-Norfolk, leader of the Legislative Black Caucus, called Spruill's allegations ``a matter of grave concern.''
``Del. Spruill has asked us to conduct an investigation into the alleged discriminatory treatment of these employees on the basis of race,'' said Jones.
``I plan to take the matter up with the (caucus) members shortly.''
Several of the DOC employees named have filed grievances with DOC, Spruill said. One of them, former St. Bride's warden Patricia Edge, has hired Jones to represent her.
Spruill's list included the names of seven white DOC officials who were not demoted or transferred despite ``security breaches'' that occurred in their prisons.
Among those: the wardens of Powhatan, Baskerville and James River correctional centers.
Botkins confirmed that there have been escapes at each of the institutions. However, he said, the escape from Baskerville occurred in September 1986. The escapes from Powhatan and James River occurred this year. In all cases, the inmates were recaptured.
According to the list provided by Del. Spruill, the following DOC officials ``have been unfairly treated in the Virginia Department of Corrections:''
Ellis B. Wright Jr. Formerly the warden of the Greensville Correctional Center in Emporia, Wright was demoted to assistant warden of the much smaller Deerfield Correctional Center in Capron.
Charles Thompson. Formerly the warden of the Mecklenburg Correctional Center in Boydton, Thompson moved to the Staunton Correctional Center, which houses geriatric inmates. According to Spruill, this is a demotion ``in status.''
Eddie L. Pearson. Also demoted ``in status.'' Pearson was warden of the Indian Creek Correctional Center in Chesapeake before being reassigned to be the warden of the Buckingham Correctional Center in Dillwyn.
Patricia A. Edge. Formerly the warden of St. Brides Correctional Center, Edge was reassigned as one of three assistant wardens at the Greensville Correctional Center.
R. Keith Dent. A senior investigator with the department's Internal Affairs Unit, Dent was demoted after his job was abolished.
Daniel Lawson. Formerly the warden of the Southampton Correctional Center in Capron, Lawson was named acting warden at the Greensville Correctional Center, then passed over when he applied for the permanent job.
Wendy Hobbs. The warden of the Virginia Correctional Center for Women in Goochland, Hobbs was passed over for the job of warden of the new women's prison in Fluvanna.
James A. Smith Jr. Smith was director of the DOC's eastern region when he was demoted to a job as warden at the Indian Creek Correctional Center. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Del. Lionell Spruill says he will get the General Assembly's Black
Caucus to investigate racism charges against the Department of
Corrections.
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS DISCRIMINATION
RACISM by CNB