Corrections chief: “We lost one of our finest”

Here is the full text of the speech Corrections Secretary Eldon Vail presented at Tuesday’s memorial for officer Jayme Biendl:

“The men and women who work for the Department of Corrections are hurting today. We lost one of our finest in the line of duty.

“Correctional Officer Jayme Biendl was the best of who we are – she was and now will always be an example of professionalism and dedication to duty whose memory is embedded in our hearts and in our minds for the rest of our lives.

“Corrections work is hard and dangerous. It is all too often misunderstood and unappreciated. No one knows how hard the work is except the folks who do it. It takes great skill and courage and sometimes even compassion to be a good corrections worker. Jayme had all of those qualities.

“The work of corrections is one of silent victories. Each hour of each day on every shift our staff members make our communities safer, though it’s nearly invisible to the public eye.”Working behind prison walls means their accomplishments will mostly go unnoticed. No one chooses to work in a prison for the glory. No one appreciates the wicked stereotypes common in the popular culture about who we are. No one appreciates being called a guard when you are a Correctional Officer.

“Our staff members are in constant, direct contact with some of the most troubled and dangerous people in our society. They do a job that few others are willing or would be capable of doing. They do this work out of a deep commitment to make our communities safer. They do it because it is important work that needs to be done. They do it out of their sense of shared duty.

“Today there is a real sense of fear, anxiety and grief from this tragic loss. Yet our staff members continue to come to work each day despite all of these swirling emotions. It is a testament to their dedication to the work they do.

“Amid the grief and sorrow, there is also a sense of public appreciation like we have never seen before. The sheer size of the crowd here today is proof of that. Thank you – thank each and every one of you, for being here. You have helped us much these last few days. And we need your help now, more than ever.

“The tragic loss of Officer Jayme Biendl must result in an honest public discussion about prison safety, a conversation that is overdue but much needed. We ask so much of our staff, yet they ask for so little in return. The men and women who help keep us safe only want to return safely to their own homes after they finish their shift. We owe them at least that.

“The deaths of staff members in Walla Walla three decades ago led to significant changes that ultimately altered the culture in our prisons for the better.

“In the years since we’ve rallied through other crimes committed, both in prisons and in communities. Each one of these experiences is now part of our shared history that challenged us, sharpened us, unified us and ultimately made us stronger.

“While we have made great progress over the past 30 years, the tragic loss of Jayme reminds us that we still have much work to do. Our staff deserves nothing short of a full commitment to improving prison safety. Like those events in our past, this tragedy will change us an agency.

“We will come out of this stronger than before.

“We will rise above this.

“And we will do it together.

“It is our responsibility – and our promise to Jayme’s family – that this loss will not be in vain.”