Gregoire appoints permanent prison chief

LACEY -- Gov. Chris Gregoire appointed veteran prison official Eldon Vail on Wednesday to run the often-embattled Washington Department of Corrections and defended her administration's record on public safety.

Gregoire's Republican challenger for re-election, Dino Rossi, took no issue with Vail's appointment to one of government's toughest jobs but said the administration has a weak record and that public safety will be a major campaign issue.

The prisons are overcrowded -- 1,200 inmates are housed out-of-state -- but have been fairly quiet. The governor helped develop a new "reoffender re-entry" program that provides inmates with drug and alcohol treatment, schooling, job training, anger-management and other services aimed at fixing some of the inmates' problems so they will be less likely to re-offend.

But it has also been a rocky time for the agency. In late 2006, ex-convicts, some released early, were implicated in the deaths of three police officers, and scores of parole violators were dumped on the streets. Prison chief Harold Clarke and Gregoire caught the blame for that, and critics complained about overcrowding and the quality of community supervision of ex-cons.

Clarke, who had been kept on a short leash by the governor, eventually left and is now head of the Massachusetts prison system.

Vail, who has worked at the department for 31 years, has been interim secretary since Clarke's departure in November. Vail had retired in 2006, but returned as Clarke's deputy in October when the department was in turmoil and faced labor unrest.

Vail emerged as the governor's choice for the permanent appointment after a national search.

Gregoire said Vail was recruited by a number of states and is viewed as "one of the best and brightest" in the country, but chose to stay in Washington.

"I think Eldon knows every nook and cranny in the Department of Corrections and knows where things need change and where things are going great," the governor said in announcement ceremonies at the Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs' headquarters.

Vail began his career in 1974 as a youth counselor and moved through a variety of top posts, including warden at the Washington Corrections Center for Women at Purdy and McNeil Island Corrections Center. He moved to headquarters in 1994.

Vail said his administration will stress improvements behind bars and in the community, including new prison construction, safety of inmates and employees, and the re-entry initiative.

"We will work to ensure that our prisons are safe now and that offenders in the community are held accountable for their actions," he said.

"We will implement programs that help offenders acquire the skills and self-control necessary to avoid criminal behavior later in life."

His appointment was praised by law enforcement and the labor unions that represent the 8,000 guards and community correctional officers.

"Vail understands the department and has a reputation as a strong leader willing to make the right choices, even when making the right choices is difficult," said Don Pierce, director of the sheriffs and police chiefs association.

Greg Devereux of the Washington Federation of State Employees and John Williams of the Teamsters union said Vail has a good record in dealing with workers' concerns and will improve the agency, including labor relations.

Gregoire strongly defended her record on public safety. In an apparent reference to Rossi, the former Senate budget chairman, she said she inherited "a bunch of budget cutting" that led to early release of inmates.

"We're on cleanup committee because of what was done," she said. "We're making progress and I'm very proud ... of the work of our 8,000 employees."

She said the best long-term strategy for cutting crime is education and all of the new prevention programs like drug treatment, mental health, job training, housing and community services.

Rossi, meanwhile, said Gregoire "threw Harold Clarke under the bus," rather than take responsibility for troubles at the agency, allowed early release of violent offenders and allowed sex offenders to register as homeless.

"It's hardly a record of fighting crime and keeping citizens safe," he said.

PRISON ADMINISTRATOR