Wasn't there a correctional officer that killed himself, because 2 escaped criminals left a note that implicated him?

Was the suicide as a result that he felt that the authorities wouldn't believe him - he had nothing to do with it and would be made the 'fall-guy'?

The culture or bulling that must go on in the correctional department must be bad if a correctional officer who deals with criminals everyday can handle that, but not the management and any of their tactics. Don't they provide counselling for staff and operate professionally with an 'innocent until proven' philosophy for staff.

The widow, if married should sue.

JAIL PROBE
Freeholders move to investigate 'bias' in discipline cases

Saturday, January 12, 2008
By EARL MORGAN
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise has agreed to hire a law firm or some other entity to investigate allegations of racial bias and abuse of policies and procedures at the county jail in Kearny.

During Thursday night's Hudson County freeholders meeting, County Administrator Abe Antun read a list of initiatives that DeGise will undertake as a response to complaints by jail employees outlined in The Jersey Journal.

DeGise's office will form a committee with the freeholders to hire an investigator to determine whether discipline or penalties are motivated by bias.

A policy of audio and video taping of disciplinary hearings has already been established and the jail's personnel officer has been barred from also acting as a hearing officer.

Other suggestions from DeGise's office include: Establishing a tracking system of all disciplinary actions to try to ensure equal treatment and creating an internal review process of all disciplinary decisions made by hearing officers.

The initiatives were announced following pressure from Freeholder Bill O'Dea and Freeholder Chairman Jeff Dublin, both of Jersey City, and Jersey City NAACP President Kabili Tayari, who have been pressing the county administration to investigate complaints raised by corrections officers and other jail employees.

Several corrections officers were on hand Thursday night to address the freeholders, including Jovonda Jackson, who picketed the county Administration Building on Pavonia Avenue in November to protest a three-week "fitness for duty" suspension she claims she was hit with after complaining of a hostile work environment.

Jackson said she is speaking for her fellow officers who are too frightened or intimidated to voice their complaints.

"If I hear anyone who speaks to this board has been retaliated against I won't wait for someone to be appointed to investigate," said O'Dea. "I will go outside the county and take the matter some other agency."