The Corrections Department has dismissed 11 prison wardens found guilty of serious misconduct, eight of them losing their jobs without pensions or benefits.
Of the three “retired” with pensions, two were found to have been absent from work for 15 consecutive days and the other had let an inmate receive a package from a relative that contained a SIM card for a cell phone.
The more serious charges against the other eight include smuggling in opioid pain relief medication for inmates, peddling a large quantity of cough medicine, being middlemen in drug deals, cooking the books to pocket extra cash and absconding with inmates’ earnings.
Others abetted the smuggling of phones inside, failed to report the discovery of phones to spare inmates punishment, and rented prison property without departmental permission.
Narat said the department was emphatic about its officials strictly following rules, but some continued to engage in wrongdoing.
The “heavy” punitive action was intended to deter others from doing likewise and to shore up public confidence in the department’s integrity.
