Missouri inmate says he was fired from prison job for speaking out about coronavirus
An inmate has been fired from his prison job in what he and his family believe is retaliation by the Missouri Department of Corrections for speaking to The Star about conditions related to the new coronavirus.
William Swarnes, 33, had been assigned cleaning jobs at Western Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in St. Joseph.
Last month, he and another man were tasked with cleaning the room of an ill inmate who had been transferred to a Kansas City area hospital.
That inmate later tested positive for COVID-19 and died.
Swarnes said the first time they cleaned, they were not given masks or gowns to wear.
During a second cleaning, they were given protective gowns, masks, gloves and booties. After they were done, the gear was put into sealed boxes to be disposed of. Swarnes wasn’t sure why those supplies weren’t distributed the first time and said the department showed a lack of “care or concern for our basic safety as well as our human and civil rights.”
Swarnes said he was fired Monday.
“I’m not mad,” he wrote through the prison’s email system. “The(y) are using the excuse that I done something wrong at work Sunday. But I don’t work weekends lol. Childishness if you ask me.”
The department of corrections said Swarnes entered the system in February and did not have a permanent job assignment.
“It’s my understanding that he sustained a hand injury recently and is being excused from work duties,” department spokeswoman Karen Pojmann said.
The second man who cleaned with Swarnes was not named in The Star’s story. Swarnes said that man still has his job.
Angela Swarnes, his mother, said she believes her son was fired in an act of retaliation.
“Him being fired when he hasn’t done anything wrong, to me it’s fairly obvious that that is retaliation and that they don’t want him to be able to talk and tell you what’s going on,” she said.
As cases began to increase in Missouri, dozens of advocates called for the release of certain inmates, saying conditions made jails and prisons particularly vulnerable. Some county jails have taken action. Jackson County has released at least 80 inmates. At the state level, Gov. Mike Parson has rejected the proposal.
The department said it has taken several steps to address the pandemic, including screening staff coming into facilities, distributing face coverings and providing cleaning supplies.
This story was originally published April 7, 2020 at 3:03 PM.
