Delaware jail staffing shortage

Members of three families tell 47 ABC they were trying to visit loved ones at James T. Vaughn Correction Center and were turned away.

They tell us they were denied entry after traveling several hours from northern Delaware and New Jersey because there was a shortage of prison guards.

A representative with the Delaware Department of Corrections tells us the James T. Vaughn is Delaware’s largest prison facility and does experience the unexpected staffing shortfalls.

He says that ranges from correctional officers being called to active duty military service, medical leave, and training days. The DOC submitted the below statement to 47 ABC.

“Each facility makes every effort to notify visitors and other individuals affected by these cancellations, and we regret the inconvenience experienced by loved ones whose visits to our prisons are cancelled.”