Governor Names Eldon Vail to Lead DOC

Photo by: Weldon Wilson
Governor Gregoire congratulates Eldon Vail on appointment as DOC Secretary

Gov. Chris Gregoire announced Eldon Vail’s appointment as Secretary of the Washington Department of Corrections on Jan. 9, 2008. 

Vail is a 31-year veteran of the Department who briefly served as Interim Secretary following Harold Clarke’s departure in November to become the new head of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections.

Vail began his career at DOC in 1974 as a youth counselor and moved through a variety of positions, including Deputy Secretary and Superintendent at the Washington Corrections Center for Women and McNeil Island Corrections Center.

Vail’s top priorities are public safety and creating safe environments for staff and offenders.  He said he is dedicated to continuing the Department’s focus on reducing future criminal behavior by adequately preparing offenders to live crime-free lives after release from confinement or community supervision.

Another top priority for Vail is building better relationships with communities and criminal justice partners. To help achieve those goals, he appointed Scott Blonien to the newly created position of Assistant Secretary of Government, Community Relations, and Regulatory Compliance.

Blonien, a Senior Assistant Attorney General who heads the Attorney General’s Criminal Justice Division, has served as DOC’s senior legal advisor for the past 21 years.  As Assistant Secretary, he will report directly to Secretary Vail and will oversee the Department’s legislative activities, Communications Department, Risk Management Department, investigations and hearings unit, and policy office.

One of Blonien’s top priorities will be to assist DOC in continuing to build the culture of openness and accountability that is so crucial to public trust in the Department. He will begin his new duties on March 17, 2008.

GOAL Provides Clothes for Female Offenders Preparing for Release

GOAL Founder Tracy Waring fitting Holly Hoyt for a professional outfit

When Holly Hoyt leaves Pine Lodge Corrections Center for Women (PLCCW) this month, her chances for success may be even greater if she’s not wearing clothes that remind her of prison.

Thanks to a program called GOAL, Hoyt’s wardrobe will help her think about the future, not the past.
GOAL—which stands for Great Opportunities for a Lifetime Clothing Closet recently visited PLCCW to provide releasing offenders with street clothes and a professional outfit for job interviews—items they will need to increase their chances of successfully re-entering society.

Hoyt, who will be released this month, had the opportunity to meet with GOAL recently and was very excited to have the opportunity to receive their new outfits.

“When I came to prison I lost everything and if I had to leave in state-issued clothes, I would feel like I was still in prison,” said Hoyt. 

The new clothes will add to the feeling that she is making a fresh start, she said. They will lessen her chances of being targeted by drug dealers and will help her stay out of trouble.

GOAL now serves approximately 20 women per month. As the program becomes better known, it is receiving larger numbers of applications weekly.  In addition to the two outfits, GOAL provides releasing women offenders at PLCCW with undergarments, shoes, a coat, purse, hygiene pack, and a duffel bag or small suitcase they can use to carry their belongings as they begin their new lives. 

Women who qualify for assistance from GOAL must be 4-6 weeks from release and must not have received a quarterly package or own clothing of their own.  Applications are available to offenders in the living units. The applications must be filled out and routed through their community corrections officer for verification and then sent to GOAL for processing. Once this process has been completed and approved, GOAL volunteers schedule a fitting with the offender.

GOAL is a collaborative effort between Spokane Catholic Detention Ministries and the Episcopal Diocese of Spokane. It is the brainchild of former PLCCW resident, Tracey Waring.

Waring, who is now an Eastern Washington University student, designed the clothing program as a school project.  It mirrors Washington Correction Center for Women’s Clothing Closet Program. Waring drafted the proposal and submitted it to PLCCW where it was presented, tweaked, accepted, and titled GOAL Clothing Closet.

GOAL receives generous support from the community and always accepts donations such as: duffel or overnight bags, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, facial cleanser, body wash, soap, body lotion, brushes, combs, toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, feminine hygiene products, gallon-size zip lock bags, etc.

The GOAL Clothing Closet can be contacted by writing to PO Box 1223, Spokane, WA 99210-1223, emailing goalproject@q.com or phoning 509-868-7235.

U.S Department of Justice Recognizes Three DOC Employees

Community Corrections Officers (CCO) Michael Hisey, Erica Vela, and Robert Leland were recently recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice for their outstanding work in helping remove a violent gang member from the Yakima community.

Special Agent Thomas Walsh of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Hanlon worked closely with the three CCOs throughout the offender’s pre-trial process, which began in early January 2007. 

“The officers made themselves available for court, assisted in obtaining vital documents, assisted in tracking down witnesses, and generated leads which greatly assisted the case,” said Hanlon.

In a letter to Assistant Deputy Secretary Donna Cayer and Field Administrator Marjorie Littrell, Hanlon commended Hisey, Vela, and Leland for their dedication as this case worked its way through the criminal justice system.  He said all three portrayed their dedication, support, and constant professionalism throughout the pre-trial period.

The offender was found guilty in September 2007 and is scheduled to be sentenced in April.

Community Corrections Employees Help Prevent Offender Suicide

When Community Correctional Supervisor Rick Hendricks received a voice message from an offender threatening suicide, he and two community corrections officers did everything in their power to prevent him from following through—and they succeeded.

In late November, Hendricks received a telephone message from an offender who wanted to talk about the problems he was having in life.

Hendricks told him to report immediately to the Lakewood field office. When Hendricks followed up with the offender, he learned he did not report.

“I called him again and he sounded extremely distraught—he was making comments that weren’t making sense and was commenting on ending everything and ‘doing it right this time’,” said Hendricks.

While Hendricks kept the offender on the phone, Community Corrections Officer Jeanette Fisher called 911, reported a possible suicide, and provided as much information as possible.  Hendricks and Community Corrections Officer Tela Wilson worked to calm the offender down over the telephone until the police arrived at the offender’s home.
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"As evidenced by the timely response of Rick Hendricks, Jeanette Fisher, and Tela Wilson, DOC has experienced field staff members that accomplish heroic tasks daily and share a commitment to public safety,” said Assistant Deputy Secretary, Field Supervision Donna Cayer.

Marge Littrell Retires from DOC

Marge Littrell, Field Administrator in Eastern Washington retires from DOC

After more than 30 years as one of DOC’s best-known and respected leaders in Eastern Washington, Field Administrator Marge Littrell is retiring.

Littrell spent the majority of her DOC career in the Wenatchee field office, serving in various positions. In 1999, she was promoted to Field Administrator and a year later became the Regional Administrator in the Southeast Region. In 2005, she assumed her current title of Field Administrator. She oversees Adams, Benton, Chelan, Columbia, Douglas, Franklin, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Walla Walla, and Yakima counties.

Littrell’s legacy is one of excellence during an era when Community Corrections Officers and Supervisors regularly appeared before the courts and judges to discuss the progress of offenders under the Department’s supervision. Her presence and commitment to DOC processes, policies, and procedures commanded respect whenever she appeared. 

Littrell made a number of lasting contributions to community corrections in Washington State. For example, in the late 1990s she led a team that established a process for auditing community corrections caseloads.  The process allowed supervisors to pull cases and review officers’ work, saving time and increasing efficiency.  The audit process and forms Littrell helped create more than 10 years ago set the foundation for policies still in place today.

More recently, she chaired a work group that reviewed processes related to the re-entry of offenders under new county–of-origin legislation. 

“Marge Littrell’s many contributions mark an era personified by ethics, excellence, and elegance,” said Mary Leftridge Byrd, Deputy Secretary for Community Corrections. “The profession, and particularly the profile of Community Corrections, has enormously benefited by Marge’s passion and expertise.”

Last year, Littrell was recognized for skills as a leader when she was presented with the DOC Secretary’s Leadership Award.
In retirement, Littrell said she plans on relaxing, catching up on reading, gardening, playing with her dogs, and taking extended yachting trips with her husband through the San Juan and Canadian Islands.