Gang members, procedural breakdown led to Delaware prison siege, report says
WILMINGTON, Del. — When inmates took control of a building at a Delaware prison in February, gang members were living among one another, safety policies were not consistently enforced and the building had too many inmates with too few correctional officers, according to a preliminary report released Friday.
Commissioned by Delaware Gov. John Carney shortly after the 18-hour siege at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center on Feb. 1, the 54-page report focused on issues within the state Department of Correction that may have contributed to the uprising that left one correctional officer dead and others injured.
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Among its major findings were the conditions of Building C, where policies and procedures appeared to have broken down in recent months because of a lack of correctional officers and the inconsistent enforcement of rules within the building. In the process, privileges like honor visits and work programs for inmates were removed, leaving prisoners idle and lacking incentives to behave, according to the report.
As programs were stripped from prisoners, Building C became a mixture of inmates with varying security classifications, all of whom were able to interact together, according to the report. Correctional officers were “largely uninformed” about gang members under their supervision in that building, according to the report.
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“Staff reported that in C-Building, gang members were not only housed in the same cell, but also in adjacent cells and across the hall from each other — making communication and planning much easier,” the report states. “This situation was compounded by the fact that since October, all three tiers of C-Building were in the yard for recreation together.”
The prison siege began on the morning of Feb. 1 as inmates were coming in from the recreation yard, when they overpowered correctional officers and took control of the building.
The review also found that Vaughn is “critically understaffed," creating an environment where correctional officers are physically and mentally exhausted because of sometimes 80 hours of overtime per two-week pay period. Correctional officers and the union that represents them have lamented the problem in the months after the siege and pointed to repeated attempts with state government to rectify the issue.
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These communication breakdowns — both within the Department of Correction and with the state — even played out during the siege, as the emergency response to the hostage situation resulted in three different command posts, according to the report.
Carney said in a statement Friday that he is reviewing the recommendations but plans to take actions on the dozens of recommendations included.
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"As I have said since February, we will take this report seriously," he said. "It will not collect dust on a shelf. We are committed to taking appropriate action that will enhance safety and security for Delaware’s correctional officers and inmates at Vaughn and at all of Delaware's correctional facilities. We owe that to Lieutenant (Steven) Floyd (Sr.) and all the victims of the February 1 incident.”
One of the main recommendations from the review committee was to create and implement a strategic plan for the future, as well as address the problematic institutional culture within Vaughn. In doing so, Department of Correction leadership also must tackle the understaffing issue at all state prisons immediately, according to the report.
Many correctional officers have reported mental health issues in the wake of the prison uprising, according to the report.
“An officer whose capabilities, judgment, and behavior is adversely affected by poor physical or psychological health may not only be a danger to her or himself, but also to other officers, inmates, and to the community she or he serves,” the report said.
To combat these issues, the report recommends completing a comprehensive staffing study to determine proper staffing levels, implementing a policy that helps with work/life balance, and creating a promotional career ladder coupled with competitive salaries and merit-based recognition.
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The criminal investigation is ongoing. No charges have been filed and there has been no timeline provided for when charges could be expected. The Department of Correction also is conducting its own internal investigation.
The report is the first major information released in the case since the days after the fatal uprising, though correctional officers and inmates have been speaking out and raising awareness about the conditions at Vaughn and other Delaware prisons since early February.
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