Moore cabinet changes could lead to changes for ECI community
MARYLAND – In July, several advocates for staff and individuals currently incarcerated at the Eastern Correctional Institute spoke out, advocating for more staff and support at ECI.
However, on Friday, Gov. Wes Moore (D-Maryland) announced that Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Secretary Carolyn Scruggs would step down after 30 years of service and be replaced in the interim by Deputy Secretary of Operations David Greene.
Ronnie Dryden, a former warden of ECI and advocate, has alleged hires under Scruggs’ leadership was few and far between which have impacted the safety of staff and inmates.
However, he told WMDT he’s optimistic about working with new leadership to address the needs of the ECI community.
“He brings to the table some common sense, I think,” he said, noting he has exchanged communications with Greene. “I hope that they go ahead and confirm him as secretary.”
Michele Kennedy-Kouadio, the Vice President of A Mother’s Cry, an advocacy and support group for mothers of currently incarcerated individuals said much good was done under Scruggs’ leadership. Dryden also noted that Scruggs introduced beneficial programs but said that more staff is still needed to take full advantage of any benefits for staff and individuals currently incarcerated at ECI.
However Kennedy-Kouadio said she hopes that new leadership, whether under Greene or someone else, along with support from the governor will bring concrete change.
“Governor Moore controls the purse strings and how the monies are managed,” she said. “So I’m hoping I’ve heard good things about David Greene. You know, I’m hoping for good things under him.”
In a statement, DPSCS officials said Interim Secretary Greene has two decades of leadership experience at DPSCS and played a “vital role instituting reforms this year that have significantly improved the safety of correctional officers, incarcerated individuals, and the public.” DPSCS officials said he led the department “in the expansion of Crisis De–escalation Training for correctional officers, revamping the oversight of our facility’s security audits, and implementing correctional officer body cameras—resulting in a dramatic decline in assaults across the state.”
“Now in his new role, Interim Secretary Greene will utilize his expertise and intimate knowledge of the Department and its current leadership to continue this progress, make Maryland’s prisons safer, further reduce staff vacancies, and keep the state recidivism rate far below the national average,” said DPSCS Social Media and Media Relations Manager Keith Martucci in an email statement to WMDT, stating that agency vacancy rates have been downed nearly half since 2023 when they were nearly at 17%.
Dryden said only time will tell what changes are made to drop agency rates even further and boost safety at state prisons.
“Now we’re just waiting to see if Dave Greene gets confirmed,” he said. “And so now we’re like in a waiting period. I don’t like to wait because I know too many officers and it’s not just staff. It’s families too.”
Dryden said multiple family members of those currently incarcerated at ECI have reached out to him since July’s support rally.
“We’re just sort of waiting to see what Dave does,” he said.
