Esteban Parra, and Brittany Horn

The News Journal

Amid the fallout from the deadly 18-hour standoff at Vaughn Correctional Center, 29 employees from the prison's contracted medical provider have resigned, according to state officials.

Eight registered nurses, 11 licensed practical nurses and three nurse practitioners have given their resignations to Connections Community Support Programs Inc., said Jayme Gravell, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Correction.

Seven other employees, including two clinicians, a health services administrator, a dental assistant, a psych tech, a certified nursing assistant and a certified medical assistant also have quit, she said.

Further details on their resignations were not released.

Last week, The News Journal reported eight correctional officers resigned in the days that followed the standoff, with three leaving immediately, Gravell said.

Another six officers have filed paperwork for early retirement in 2017, and one of those has already left the job, she said. Two additional officers who work at other DOC prisons have announced their retirement since the standoff.

Lawmakers, inmate families and those affected by the siege want to see action to prevent another dangerous incident from happening inside the prison.

On Wednesday, a day before a public hearing aimed at learning more about working conditions in Delaware's prisons, state Sen. Dave Lawson, R-Marydel, announced a proposal to increase pay across the board for Department of Correction personnel using existing overtime funds.

"It's time to do right by these corrections officers," said Lawson, a member of the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee and a retired Delaware state trooper. "We can use existing funds to pay these officers a more competitive salary, and in the process increase the quality and depth of the pool of new recruits."

Though the proposal still needs to be vetted by lawmakers, Lawson's $15 million plan would increase staffing by 180 new recruits, increase the starting salary of new corrections officers to $37,000 and increase pay for those in the Department of Correction by $4,000.

Currently, $22 million is budgeted for overtime because of staffing shortages, Lawson said. His plan allows for the remaining $7 million to $8 million to be used for overtime and other costs such as increased training hours.

Following the Feb. 1 death of Lt. Steven Floyd Sr. during the prison takeover, corrections officers and their union have spoken out about understaffing, low salaries and difficulties retaining staff.

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Working in prisons hearing

On Thursday, Sen. Robert Marshall, D-Wilmington, will hold a public hearing allowing present and former DOC employees and others an opportunity to discuss working conditions. The hearing, at 1 p.m. in the Senate Chamber at Legislative Hall in Dover, also will touch on how working conditions in the prisons can be improved.

The hearing will not focus on the Vaughn prison takeover as state police and the DOC continue their investigations, said Marshall, chair of the Delaware State Senate Labor Committee.

Gov. John Carney has commissioned an independent review by two former Delaware judges that will produce recommendations on how to make the prison safer. The review will not start until the criminal investigation concludes.

Need for fair representation

At a Joint Finance Committee hearing Wednesday morning, Delaware's Chief Public Defender Brendan O'Neill raised a legal question about Vaughn inmates being interviewed by investigators without legal representation. Because all 120 inmates housed in Building C, where the siege took place, are considered suspects, O'Neill said they should have a lawyer present if they are being interrogated. He said he's received only a few requests, but "our law says they're entitled to defense."

"We've had several requests," he said. "But I hope it doesn't mushroom into a lot more because we're going to be strapped to find lawyers to fill those needs."

In a story in the Sunday News Journal, Dover attorney Stephen Hampton, who has seven open cases against the DOC, said he is reviewing multiple accounts of inmate abuse, as well as denial of access to medical treatment, from inmates housed inside Building C during the takeover. He has since received more inquiries for representation, as well as many letters detailing abuse at the hands of officers.

DOC officials have previously said there were no reportable injuries among inmates that occurred when authorities breached the building in the early morning hours of Feb. 2.

Reporter Matthew Albright contributed to this story.

Contact Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299, eparra@delawareonline.com or Twitter @eparra3. Contact Brittany Horn at (302) 324-2771 or bhorn@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @brittanyhorn.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Earlier versions of this story had an incorrect number for the nurse practitioners who have resigned.

FULL COVERAGE: Vaughn prison uprising