By PETER HUSSMANN
Violations of state rules concerning tobacco use by prison inmates lead to the demise of Jasper County's work release program, resulted in the termination of employment for two county maintenance department employees and lead to a simple misdemeanor criminal charge being leveled against one of the dismissed employees.
In March, county officials were notified that the Newton Correctional Center would discontinue its inmate work release program in Jasper County pending an investigation of alleged misconduct. Prison officials at the time were mum on the reasons behind the program's termination until an internal investigation could be completed but the decision forced Jasper County to release the program's administrator, Homer Dickey, due to his services no longer being needed.
Rulings by administrative law judges on unemployment appeals by two former county maintenance workers outlined the findings of the internal investigations of the county's work release program that indicate the program was terminated after tobacco products were found on at least one inmate working in the program.
Gaylin Duryee and David Purvis appealed decisions that they were not qualified to receive unemployment benefits after an initial review found they both had been discharged for disqualifying reasons.
In rulings issued in July, administrative law judges found that both county maintenance workers had provided cigarettes to inmate workers, a violation of state rules and policies.
In the Purvis ruling, the judge found that he had "violated the tobacco policies on several occasions by smoking with the inmate; providing tobacco products to the inmate; and taking money from the inmate both to purchase tobacco and keep for himself."
The Purvis ruling goes on to note that he admitted the terms of employment violations to Jasper County Sheriff's Department Detective Brady Lewis, Dennis Simon, the county's human resources director, and Doug McClun, the county's maintenance department director at the time.
During testimony during the appeal hearing, Purvis denied smoking with the inmate or taking money and buying tobacco products. The administrative law judge found the testimony "not credible" and rejected unemployment benefits.
The Duryee appeal hearing found similar violations of the tobacco policies, but in addition found that she had taken $60 from an inmate in order to buy him a money order. After the work release program shut down, the court found she used the $60 for her own personal use.
In denying unemployment benefits, the administrative law judge noted the "evidence shows the claimant intentionally violated the employer's rules when she made several tobacco purchases for an inmate on a work release program. The claimant had no explanation as to why she bought tobacco products for the inmate when she knew she was violating the employer's rules and was putting her job in jeopardy."
The taking of the $60 money order lead county prosecutors to file a fifth degree theft charge against Druyee, to which she plead guilty and was fined $332.75, including a $60 restitution payment, online court records indicate.
Jasper County Attorney Mike Jacobsen said today that the investigation into the work release program has now concluded. No other individuals were involved, he said.
The county attorney said county maintenance department director McClun's Nov. 10 placement on paid administrative leave by the Jasper County Board of Supervisors and his subsequent decision to retire from the position effective at the end of the year is not related to the investigation of tobacco use by inmates in the county's work release program.
Jacobsen said he was unaware of citations issued to McClun in October for violations of state wild game provisions, to which he subsequently paid nearly $400 in fines, online court records indicate.
County officials previously said they were unable to comment on the issues pertaining to McClun's placement on administrative leave. Earlier this month, the board of supervisors voted unanimously to place him on leave pending an investigation by the human resources director.
The board of supervisors are scheduled to discuss the vacancy when it meets on Tuesday.
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