By COURTNEY HESSLER
The Herald-Dispatch
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — West Virginia is combining its correctional facility internal investigation units to better oversee misconduct complaints and contraband smuggling within its three branches, state Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety Secretary Jeff Sandy announced Tuesday.
William K. Marshall III has been appointed to lead the new Correctional Investigations Division as its director. He will oversee investigations surrounding use-of-force, contraband smuggling, misconduct and other allegations made within the correctional system.
The Division of Corrections, Division of Juvenile Services and Regional Jail and Correctional Facilities Authority previously conducted individual investigations for their own departments, but recently pushed for the combination, Sandy said.
A Mason County native, Marshall recently retired after a quarter-century with the West Virginia State Police while commander of its Wood County detachment. He had also been a member of the Interstate Drug Interdiction Team and Workers Compensation Fraud Task Force while serving as a trooper.
“I’m very honored and excited to be part of the DMAPS team,” Marshall said. “There are a lot of talented and intelligent people I’ll be joining to keep our state great. Although this position will have its challenges, I’m very eager to get started and working on our mission.”
The hire was the second in July for DMAPS in an effort to combat contraband and drug use within correctional facilities.
Last week, Sandy announced the hiring of Jack Luikart as the department’s director of correctional substance abuse control. The CSAC crackdown will focus on the smuggling of contraband narcotics into facilities and will help train correctional officers and staff on drug prevention and investigation.
Officials also previously said jail procedures also include “searches and intelligence-gathering” to prevent drug use, but the protocols and procedures taken were not detailed.
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