National Guard
Bills targeting state’s jails crisis head to governor’s desk
State lawmakers on Tuesday signed off on a number of bills that they hope will address long-standing issues in West Virginia’s jails and prisons. The state’s jails crisis, including its 30% correctional officer vacancy, was a central reason why Gov. Jim Justice called a special session Sunday afternoon. The National Guard has been filling in […]
In honor of the late Jim Haught, a take on smiles and scowls
Last month, Jim Haught, a former Gazette editor who spent 70 years working at the paper, died at 91 years old. All four of us at West Virginia Watch had the honor of working with Haught. When we heard he was in the hospital, we were worried, and shared stories about him. I talked about […]
Pay raises, bonuses and more: Legislators tackle jails in second day of special session
Almost exactly a year after Gov. Jim Justice declared a state of emergency for West Virginia’s jails — where correctional officer vacancy rates are at an all-time high and mortality rates for those incarcerated are some of the highest in the nation — the state Legislature tackled a number of proposed laws Monday attempting to […]