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| Union opposes plan to replace officers with counselors at ECI |
| By Salisbury Daily Times |
| Published: 02/16/2004 |
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A union that represents some corrections officers at the Eastern Correctional Institution opposes a plan by prison officials to replace officers with counselors, saying the switch puts the safety of workers in jeopardy, according to a statement released last week by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 92. The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services announced recently that a new program would replace 49 corrections officers at ECI with counselors. The program, called Project Restart, is designed to build a prison staff of professionals whose skills can aid the rehabilitation of inmates, said Mark Vernarelli, spokesman for the state prison system. A staff analysis in 2003 also found the medium-security prison in Westover was overstaffed by about 24 correction officers, Vernarelli said. State prison officials have not decided how overstaffing will be addressed, though Vernarelli said it was doubtful there would be a layoff of correction officers. AFSCME officials said in a statement that workers lack confidence that safety would be maintained with a reduction in the force of corrections officers. "The workers at ECI have no confidence that Warden (Robert Kupec) and his assistant can create an atmosphere in which the officers can do their job in a professional and safe manner," Sally Davies, president of AFSCME, said in a prepared statement. The AFSCME is one of at least two unions that represent some ECI workers, Vernarelli said. ECI has 570 corrections officers who guard 3,000 inmates, though it is unclear how many are represented by the AFSCME, Vernarelli said. |
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