A Missouri House subcommittee that will investigate reports of harassment within the Department of Corrections has been formed.
An article on Pitch.com outlined multiple cases in which, it said, court documents showed some Corrections employees were the victims of harassment by other employees. Some were retaliated against after reporting incidents. Some cases led to lawsuits that have cost Missouri millions of dollars in legal settlements, with more pending.
Earlier story: Missouri House to investigate reports of harassment within Department of Corrections
The new House Subcommittee on Corrections Workforce Environment and Conduct will be chaired by Frankford Republican Jim Hansen.
He said the committee’s greatest focus will be on the Department’s procedures and how it follows up on complaints.
“I have taken several complaints to different levels of the Corrections Department and always got an answer but it was always in favor of the Department, basically. I’m not saying it was wrong or right,” said Hansen. “I think we just need to review who are making these decisions when it comes to policy, when it comes to harassment, when it comes to workplace environment.”
The House’s investigation comes as the administration of new Governor, Eric Greitens, is taking over from the administration of former Governor Jay Nixon. Hansen says that means some of the people who bore responsibility for continued harassment, or who had knowledge of it, could have already left the Department or be on the way out.
“From what I’ve looked into, some of my information, I think we still have people employed in our Corrections Department, in our system, that are still employed after a lot of these things have happened, and those are people that we need to interview,” said Hansen. “I think it’s good that we’ve got a new director. Clean slate, no opinions one way or another, a background in corrections. Could be good timing, too.”
Hansen said the committees’ recommendations could include actions against employees connected to the harassment, if its members feel that is necessary. Hansen said supervisors of those employees could also be called in front of the committee.
Entry-level corrections officers in Missouri are paid less than their counterparts in any other state. Hansen said that makes it more difficult to keep the best people. That could also be reflected in to the committee’s investigation and recommendations.
“We need to create the work environment to attract the good employee with the right compensation for the type of job that needs to be done,” said Hansen. “You can’t brush everybody with the same brush in this deal. I don’t want people out there working in our institutions thinking they all fall under the category of some of the things we’re dealing with. There’s good people in there doing good work.”
Hansen’s district includes the state prison at Bowling Green. Prior to the Pitch article he had been looking into unrelated complaints at the Corrections Department.
The committee will prepare recommendations for House Speaker Todd Richardson (R-Poplar Bluff).