April 9, 1996

JAIL OFFICIALS SACK CREATIVE WRITING CLASS

YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) -- Creative-writing and reading classes started last year after televisions were removed from cells at the Yakima County Jail have been canceled because of problems with the volunteer running the program, officials said.

The twice-weekly classes were discontinued last month because of complaints about volunteer Eugenie Meeker by correctional officers, jail director Ken Ray said. It was a matter of security, he said.

But Meeker, 77, blamed overbearing corrections officers.

"There are a couple of officers who didn't want me there," she said. "They didn't like the class in the first place because it's an extravagance. This was thought to be too much of a luxury for these bad guys."

The reading class drew up to 40 inmates. Meeker would read from a novel and prompt discussion from the inmates about the subject or the writings.

Ray said he had no problems with Meeker or her class.

"Her program, without a doubt, was unique," Ray said. "It was one of the more creative programs that I've ever seen. It kind of bothers me that we got to this point, but security has to come first."

Meeker started the classes after about 30 TVs were removed as a way to discourage inmates from re-offending and coming back to jail, and to encourage them to take advantage of classes or other programs.

Meeker said problems included staff interruptions that sometimes took as much as 45 minutes out of her 90-minute class. Inmates in her class were forced to return to their cells for head counts and for medication and wouldn't return until the class was almost over, she said.

"This took so much time there wasn't any class time left, and it wasn't necessary at all," Meeker said. "One of the good guys who was a guard said, 'They were playing games with you."'

Meeker has sent grievance letters to Yakima County commissioners, the jail supervisor and the media. Ray said he assigned a special investigator to examine the issue and will make a recommendation after reviewing the findings.

"If minds are forced to stagnate, their problems will be worse when they get out," Meeker wrote in her letter. "I feel the unique nature of those creative classes reached in where they will do some good. Not that I'm aching to be a volunteer, but I loved this job."

Michael Williams, security operations manager at the jail, said in a letter to Meeker that officers reported she yelled at them when they conducted a head count. When they tried to explain the reason for the head count, she continued to raise her voice, his letter said.

A second incident occurred when a security officer told Meeker not to sit on a table while she taught her class. She told him to "just mind his own business," according to Williams' report. Meeker said she only asked the officer not to scold her in front of her class.

After both incidents, Williams and Chaplain Darren Smith met with Meeker to discuss the need for volunteers to comply with requests from the jail staff. Ultimately, her programs were canceled, Ray said.

"A security environment is a highly controlled environment and it runs by very strict rules," Ray said. "If there is not a lot of flexibility on the part of the volunteer, the security has to come first."

Ray said he has not had problems with other classes taught by volunteers.