Prison cronyism a constant

A new legislative audit of the Utah Department of Corrections found that Utah's prison system is run by "good ol' boys," who encourage institutionalized favoritism and apparent gender discrimination. The audit, made public earlier this week, says the corrections department suffers from an "underlying culture of unfairness and favoritism."

The audit also pointed to these problems: inadequate oversight of employees driving public vehicles for personal use; many officers failing to receive required training; and management being held to a lower professional standard than other employees.

A legislative audit released in 1997, although largely positive, also raised concerns about the number of cars lent to prison employees for commuting.

Turn back the calendar to 1990, when a legislative audit raised questions about the department's personnel policies. Auditors found that one-fifth of the then 1,500 prison employees were related, resulting in the perception that some hiring decisions were not fair. Moreover, auditors could not verify that employees undergoing job training took enough hours of course work to qualify for certification.

Looking back, one might conclude that the agency's culture has changed very little in more than a decade. That should be of grave concern to Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and legislative leaders, who have given corrections officials a year to report back on any progress the department has made in correcting the issues uncovered by auditors.

As this and previous audits of the department suggest, there needs to be a cultural revolution in the Department of Corrections. A department of government charged to house and rehabilitate men and women who have violated state laws has to be above board in every aspect of its operation. Senior employees who violate policies must be held to account, and employees must know that their grievances will be taken seriously.

According to the most recent prison system audit, 81 percent of employees felt frustrated with their jobs. No small wonder considering that an auditors' review of grievances filed by state employees over a three-year period showed that the vast majority came from Department of Corrections employees.

News reports say the governor will decide in January whether any changes are needed at the Department of Corrections. There are clearly a number of issues that require further review on an administrative level, although Corrections Director Scott Carver maintains that employee grievances have sharply declined and that top administrators had already implemented changes to make the department more "staff friendly."

Carver cannot be saddled with the shortcomings of previous Department of Corrections administrations. But it is troubling that some of these issues reappear in audits that span more than a decade. Corrections officials must demonstrate a sea change in attitude and operations. Moreover, Huntsman and lawmakers must be prepared to level consequences if substantive changes do not occur.