VT. WANTS TO SEARCH CORRECTIONS OFFICERS

Safety Measure: Guards Say State's Proposal Is Intrusive And Targets The
Wrong People

BURLINGTON, Vt. - Prison guards will be subjected to random searches
under a new state Corrections Department policy being developed that
guards say is intrusive and targets the wrong people.

The department said the procedure is used across the country and is
needed to keep the state's prisons and jails safe.

"We need to deter the very small percentage of folks who could
jeopardize the safety of our staff and of offenders," said Corrections
Commissioner Rob Hofmann. "We're trying to strike a reasonable balance
to accomplish that."

Under the proposal, correctional facilities would conduct random
pat-down searches monthly on 30 percent of guards, volunteers and
contractors.

The goal is to keep weapons, drugs, tobacco, money, tools, alcohol,
unauthorized clothing and tattooing equipment out of the correctional
facilities, according to the proposal.

The searches must be "reasonable," according to a draft obtained by
the Burlington Free Press, and can be used "to discover and suppress
'trafficking' between inmates as well as between inmates, contractors
or volunteers."

For those who are searched, all items carried into the prison,
including food containers, must be checked, and searches must be down
by colleagues of the same sex, the draft said.

But Dave Bellini, chairman of the Corrections Bargaining Unit of the
Vermont State Employees Association, said the policy is insulting and
targets the wrong people.

"If you're trying to stop the problem of contraband coming into a
facility, this is not the first step," said Bellini, who worked for 10
years as a correctional officer. "Ninety-nine percent of contraband
that comes into a facility comes from visitors."

Hofmann said visitors also would be searched. He added that fewer than
1 percent of Corrections employees cause problems but said the risks
for trouble increase in prison.

"We have a responsibility to the 99-plus percent of trustworthy,
honest employees, as well as inmates," Hofmann said.