Morristown, NJ - Morris County correctional officers rallied for more than an hour at the Morris County courthouse on Monday morning, protesting alleged poor treatment at the hands of jail administrators.

More than 200 marchers peacefully walked the three blocks from the Knights of Columbus hall on South Street to the county complex. They circled the courthouse three or four times, stood in a ring around the front of the building for about 30 minutes and then marched back to the Knights of Columbus hall.

They carried signs reading "Cease county corruption" and "Stop union bashing," and shouted "McGrane must go"-- referring to Undersheriff Ralph McGrane, who oversees the jail --as they marched around the complex. The group included many supporters from out of state, other New Jersey counties and some local police departments. Most of the group wore white Morristown rally T-shirts which, in many cases, covered their own shirts declaring a PBA union affiliation.

McGrane has been one of the chief targets of recent union complaints over civil rights, freedom of speech, union issues and alleged mistreatment of corrections officers that have resulted in six federal lawsuits. Sheriff Edward Rochford and jail warden Frank Corrente are also targets of the suits.

The rally followed last week's call by the county freeholders for a federal magistrate to release an internal affairs report written by Newark police officer Jon Shane, who observed conditions at the jail earlier this year. County Counsel Ronald Kevitz said previously the report could only be released by a judge. Both sides of the dispute have asked for the report's release.

Corrections officer Ronald Flammer, president of PBA Local 298, which represents about 145 jail officers and who has filed one of the lawsuits against the jail administration, said the out-of-district officers came to Morris County to support the efforts of the local officers because they, too, have battled administrative abuses.

"I thought it was effective,"Flammer said. "We showed people the displeasure we have by getting unfair treatment. Professionalism should start at the top."

Flammer said the rally was not about his lawsuit, but about gaining respect for his fellow officers. He said he tried to arrange a meeting in the past with the sheriff to settle the union's complaints about McGrane, but the county did not respond.

Undersheriff John Dempsey said Monday the rally would have no effect on issues involving the dispute because they are related to civil lawsuits and before the state's Public Employees Relations Council. He said the event was, as expected, peaceful.

He said McGrane will be deposed by outside counsel on the issues raised in the Shane report.

The big issue in dispute, Dempsey said, is the use of sick time. There is no problem with an officer taking all the time needed to recover from an injury or illness, he said, but the county has raised issues with employees who combine sick days around long weekends, for example.

Marchers claimed the sheriff's office stationed some senior officers near the courthouse to take down names of march participants. Dempsey said there were officers there, but they were checking the participation of corrections officers who were out sick last week, or who had called in sick for the day or for days this week.

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