MONROE — Prisons across the state will count staff members whenever an inmate goes missing, state Department of Corrections Secretary Eldon Vail announced Friday.
That is one of several changes Vail instituted six days after a corrections officer was killed at the Washington State Reformatory.
It took an hour for others in the prison to realize Jayme Biendl, 34, had been attacked as she worked alone in the reformatory chapel. Byron Scherf, a convicted rapist serving a life sentence, is the prime suspect in her strangulation death.
Scherf was missing during an inmate count, and was found minutes later outside the chapel. The sanctuary door was propped open and a light on, but nobody checked inside the chapel before securing the room. Biendl’s body was later found inside, on the stage.
She had worked alone at the post. Nobody checked on her welfare until an hour after Scherf was found in what he said was an escape attempt.
Prison officials later realized that Biendl hadn’t turned in her radio and handcuffs when her shift ended at 9 p.m. The prison had no procedure to keep tabs on staff members during prisoner escape attempts.
Vail also said Friday that corrections officers immediately will begin monitoring single-officer posts in the prisons.
Workers at the state’s prisons also will conduct drills on the use of the silent alarms that are on all hand-held radios. Biendl’s radio was recovered several feet away from where her body was found.
Vail also said the state’s eight major prisons no longer will have modified lockdowns, which started in November to save money. The lockdowns were roundly criticized by union corrections officers, who said they compromised safety. The reformatory wasn’t in lockdown at the time Biendl was killed.
“We will take every action we can to make prisons safer for our staff,” Vail said in a press release. “These are only the initial actions that we will pursue immediately. We will make additional changes once we conduct a thorough review of all our policies and procedures.”
The corrections officers’ union released a short statement Friday in response to the Vail’s announcement.
“We are relieved that the Department of Corrections is finally implementing some measures to enhance the safety of our members who work in the state’s prisons,” union spokeswoman Tracey Thompson said.
Additional changes are going to be necessary, but these measures are a good start, she added.
Vail spoke with Gov. Chris Gregoire about changes twice Thursday and again Friday.
The governor also has asked for an independent review of what happened at Monroe. That will be conducted by national experts on prison operations.
“They’ve had several conversations about how to enhance the safety of workers in our prisons,” said the governor’s spokeswoman, Karina Shagren. “The results of the internal review and the external review will help guide additional improvements.”
In November, the department ordered modified lockdowns one day each month at Monroe and seven other state prisons. The move came to meet budget-reduction targets set by the governor and the Legislature
“We haven’t totaled how much we’ve saved during the modified lockdowns so far,” corrections spokesman Chad Lewis said Friday. “If it turns out that we need to reduce spending elsewhere to balance our budget, we’ll do so.”
State lawmakers said the changes outlined by Vail make sense.
“I think it is a good first step and I hope it will help protect those working in our prisons,” said Rep. Kirk Pearson of Monroe, who is the ranking Republican on the House Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee.
“We have to realize this is only a first step. We’re waiting to hear what comes out of the investigation. I foresee there will have to be reforms, but that’s anticipating what the investigation brings to light.”
A moment of silence has been scheduled Sunday afternoon at the state’s prisons in Biendl’s memory. She would have turned 35 on Sunday.
A public memorial for is scheduled for 1 p.m. Tuesday at Comcast Arena in Everett. A large gathering is expected, and some downtown Everett streets are expected to be closed and off-limits to parking.
In Biendl’s memory, Gregoire ordered flags on all state buildings lowered to half-staff Tuesday. “Other government entities, citizens and businesses are encouraged to join in this recognition,” the governor’s office said.
Donation information
The memorial planning team and Teamsters Local 117, which represents corrections workers, have established accounts to help pay for the memorial service for slain officer Jayme Biendl.
Donations can be made in her memory at any Union Bank, formerly known as Frontier Bank. Donations also may be made at any Bank of America branch. They also can be sent to the Jayme Biendl Benevolent Fund, 14675 Interurban Ave. S., Suite 307, Tukwila, WA 98168.
Flowers in Biendl’s honor can be sent to Comcast Arena, 2000 Hewitt Ave. in Everett, Monday from noon to 5 p.m. or Tuesday until 10 a.m.
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