State prison director denies allegations

CARSON CITY -- State Prison Director Bob Bayer said today many of the allegations made about favoritism, drug dealing and poor conditions at the women's prison don't hold water.

Bayer said he has gone over the decision of state Hearing Officer David Kladney and has found "fundamental flaws," in it.

Kladney last week issued a decision in the case of Prison Sgt. Mel Vande Brake who was demoted for spreading untrue rumors about his boss, Associate Warden of Operations Janice Benzler. Kladney reversed the discipline and said Vande Brake deserved only a 30 day suspension.

A good part of the decision criticized the overall running of the prison, suggesting it was falling apart and the administration wasn't tending to business.

Bayer said he has asked Kladney to re-consider and to rewrite his decision. Gov. Bob Miller, after reading the Kladney decision, asked Bayer to investigate the allegations in which the hearing officer blamed Bayer for failing to follow up on some of the complaints.

Bayer said Kladney took testimony from some witnesses as fact without getting the other side. "If the practices of the Department of Prisons and its administration is on trial, rather than the actions of a single disciplined employee, why were witnesses not called to speak for the administration," the director asked.

Bayer challenged Kladney's finding there were drug dealings among the medical staff. He said some of the medical staff did have problems and were sent to an employees' assistance program.

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