Officials laud newly opened Salem Correctional Center

The state converted the former West Virginia Industrial Home for Youth into a minimum- to medium-security prison for men after a judge ordered the juveniles moved to other facilities as the result of a lawsuit.

Warden David Jones said the transition has gone  smoothly.

“The staff has worked very hard to make the transition possible. Morale is very good, the best it has been in years,” Jones said.

Tomblin said the recidivism rate is the biggest problem in the state’s prison population, noting that 70 percent to 80 percent of inmates are serving time for drug-related crimes.

The state’s recently passed Justice Reinvestment Act addresses those issues, the governor said.

“We want to involve the Department of Health and Human Resources, all three court systems, WorkForce West Virginia and the Housing Development Authority,” Tomblin said. “Inmates need training and education to be ready to leave the corrections system.”

Jones told the prison staff, local and state dignitaries and other guests at Wednesday’s opening ceremonies that he wants to make a difference in the lives of people and is grateful for the opportunity to do that in Salem. He said he plans to use a culture of change so inmates leave different than when they came to the prison.

Division of Military Affairs and Public Safety Secretary Joe Thornton said the Division of Corrections is about change.

“We treat them (inmates) with respect and hope they become productive members of society,” Thornton said.

House of Delegates Speaker Tim Miley, D-Harrison, explained that the governor made four commitments regarding the transition from a juvenile facility to a community corrections lockup.

The first was employment for all, which the state was able to accomplish by placing some of the Industrial Home educators in other positions.

The Division of Corrections staff totals about 200, with about 140 of those uniformed correctional officers.

The second commitment was placing the juveniles in other facilities that were more suitable. The third was to reuse the Salem facility, and the fourth was to ensure the safety of the community.

Miley said Tomblin has kept all of those commitments with the opening of the Salem Correctional Center.

Military Affairs and Public Safety Commissioner Jim Rubenstein said the transition was seamless, and he applauded those on the inside who made it happen.

He commended the educational and vocational component of the prison, as well as the long-term, intensive substance abuse treatment unit.

Community service is another way the new correctional center is working to be a good neighbor. Inmates have assisted with projects at Salem City Hall and with the Division of Highways, according to officials.

The Salem Correctional Center campus consists of six buildings, including two schools, a residential substance abuse facility, a men’s facility and a vocational shop.

Staff writer Darlene J. Taylor-Morgan can be reached at (304) 626-1403 or by email at dtaylor@exponent-telegram.com.