Gregoire defends prison director
OLYMPIA – Gov. Chris Gregoire is backing her embattled prison director, urging upset parole officers to “buck up” and help make new prison reforms succeed.
It was the governor’s first comment on Department of Corrections chief Harold Clarke and the prison agency since union employees said they’ll consider a vote of no confidence. Some employees say Clarke is arrogant and ill-prepared to manage the department.
In a public meeting of her government accountability program on Wednesday, the governor conceded that the department is having major difficulties recruiting adequate staff just as the state launches new reforms and more stringent community supervision of ex-cons.
The agency is trying to hire about 2,000 workers over two years, but a recent seven-month advertising blitz netted only seven new qualified workers.
But Gregoire offered support for Clarke and said she expects the staff to work hard on new reforms.
Gregoire said she started her own career as a clerk in the probation and parole program and knows the pressure is tough. But she said the state needs big improvements.
“Their jobs are not easy,” she said. “I appreciate that. I understand that. … But I got to tell you, we’re not going to accept the status quo.”
She said Clarke is trying to make major changes and needs agency support.
“Buck up. It’s tough stuff, but we’re going to get it done,” she said.
Clarke said higher salaries could help him with recruiting, noting that the booming state economy is making it harder to find new hires. Current employees are under new pressure, too, he said.
“There’s a lot of new learning that’s taking place,” he said. “We don’t want people burning out.”
Clarke sent agency workers a letter Wednesday questioning the proposed no-confidence vote and urging them to take a long-range view of the situation.
The Washington Federation of State Employees will decide next month whether to hold the vote in August. About 1,500 would be eligible to vote.
Unions say it would help to raise salaries and reduce the workload.
“It’s a dangerous job and the danger is exacerbated by the inadequate staffing,” said Leonard Smith of the Teamsters union. “So people don’t apply and you’re got people with mandatory overtime. I’ve always been a firm believer that exceptional pay and benefits heals a lot of wounds.”
Meanwhile, state GOP Chairman Luke Esser scoffed at Gregoire’s “buck up” comment.
“Gov. Gregoire is once again displaying the utter lack of management skills that brought us the (Alaskan Way) viaduct debacle,” he said in a statement. “Corrections officers are so concerned about her administration’s policies they’ve nearly declared open rebellion.”
He said parole officers have to deal with a lack of adequate jail space, pressure to not send parole violators back to prison and mountains of paperwork.