Former correctional officer, meeting notes give insight into Wyatt work environment
By Alana Cerrone
acerrone@abc6.com
@Alana_Cerrone
A former correctional officer at the Wyatt Detention Facility who wanted to remain anonymous tells ABC6 that officers have been forced to work overtime 3 or 4 nights a week- a sentiment echoed in minutes from a September meeting of the Central Falls Detention Facility Corporation.
The warden says the main issue at the facility remained staff retention, and behind that issue mainly pay scale and excessive overtime due to officers leaving their jobs.
By the following month’s meeting three more officers had resigned all going to work at Fort Devens.
In September there were 98 active correctional officers out of an authorized 140.
Wyatt spokesperson Christopher Hunter later said in an email that 140 were only needed if all housing units were open, and two are currently closed.
Hunter also said Wyatt currently has 102 officers. 29 were on duty the evening of Morales’ escape to handle more than 500 detainees.
He didn’t comment on how many officers were supposed to be on duty or how many of those 29 were working overtime shifts.
Morales was gone for at least 3 hours on Saturday night before it was discovered he had escaped.
The warden said in a statement that the facility is conducting a top to bottom investigation which will include interviewing all officers on duty and all the prisoners in Morales’ block.
Hunter says their full incident report won’t be available until the investigation is complete. Meanwhile, the board of directors at Wyatt scheduled an emergency meeting for Wednesday night to discuss security matters and investigative proceedings.
© WLNE-TV 2017
