Plans stalled to move more inmates out of Brookwood

The president of the union representing 180 members at the Brookwood Secure Center told NewsChannel 13 the facility was on lockdown all weekend because there wasn’t enough staff to run it.

Todd Gardner with CSEA says there had been discussions to move more inmates out. However, he says those plans have now stalled.

There are more than 60 inmates there. He says the number should be 45 at the most for the number of staff actually working right now.

Dozens of workers are out due to injuries on the job.

He says the staff is being asked to work longer hours and are being offered double time and a half for OT.

However, this does not address the safety concerns.

Last month, three staff members were assaulted while breaking up a riot.

NewsChannel 13 has reached out to the state agency that runs Brookwood, the Office of Children and Family Services. The only response to our questions regarding this has been the agency is exploring all possibilities to maintain safety, including collaborating with local unions to encourage staff to report for their scheduled shifts.