West Virginia Division of Corrections

Mission Statement

It is the mission of Beckley Correctional Center to operate a safe, secure, effective and cost-efficient community corrections program that changes inmate conduct through effective community supervision and treatment programs that facilitate inmate re-entry into society while promoting a culture that mentors and encourages mutual respect between staff and inmates, staff professionalism, career enhancement, positive morale and pride.

Leadership Biography

Jamie Estep was named Acting Administrator of the Beckley Correctional Center in September 2006 and administrator in December of 2006. Mr. Estep began his career with the West Virginia Division of Corrections in April of 1998 as a Correctional Officer I at the Mount Olive Correctional Complex. In April of 1999 Mr. Estep transferred to the Charleston Work Release Center as a Correctional Officer I where he worked his way up to a Correctional Officer II, Counselor I and Case Manager. During his career he has held a variety of collateral duties such as being a CERT officer for a short period, supervising inmate road crews and flood cleanup crews, served as Institutional Training Coordinator, was an instructor in C.I.D.S., Firearms, Urinalysis and Alco-Sensor, served as the Institutional Parole Officer and a Victim Services Representative and was a facilitator for Crime Victim Awareness, Anger Management and Aladrue I,II,III.

Personnel

• Administrator – Jamie Estep

History

Established in 1974 as Beckley Work Release Center, the facility was reorganized in 1997 and renamed Beckley Correctional Center (BCC). BCC is a minimum-security community correctional facility located on the grounds of Pinecrest State Hospital. BCC has a current capacity of 58 male and 10 female inmates for a total of 68 inmates. Inmates assigned to BCC must be within 18 months of possible parole or discharge and must be classified as a level I or II meaning they are classified as non-violent offenders. The facility consists of four main buildings occupied as follows:

• Building 1 – Offices, Kitchen & Dining Room, Classrooms and living quarters for 50 inmates.
• Building 2 – Living quarters for 8 inmates.
• Building 3 – Living quarters for 10 inmates.
• Building 4 – Storage.
• Building 5 – Archives.

BCC operates two main components consisting of a Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) Unit and a Work Release Unit. All BCC inmates must participate in a regimented and intense treatment program. Programs available at BCC are: Life Skills, Adult Basic Education, Crime Victim Awareness, Substance Abuse Treatment, Anger Management, Domestic Violence, and Batterers Prevention

Inmates are required to work assigned jobs while at the facility as well as perform a minimum 80 hours of Community Service work. BCC provides community service to the following agencies/organizations: City of Beckley (Parks & Recreation, Police Department, Public Works Department, Renaissance), Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, West Virginia State Police–Troop 6 Headquarters, West Virginia Corrections Academy, West Virginia Division of Highways, West Virginia Parkways, Economic Development & Tourism Authority, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (State Parks), West Virginia Parole Services, Raleigh County Humane Society (Animal Shelter), Raleigh County Library, National Park Service, Mountain State University, Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army and Women’s Resource Center. Upon completion of community Service and release from facility employment inmates that are work release status obtain employment within the community in a variety of fields to include Department of highways, telemarketing, construction, restaurant and retail just to name a few. Work release status inmates also earn two hour passes and overnight furloughs to immediate family members based on behavior, history and approval of officials in prospective furloughing county. Inmates out in the community are monitored by the BCC staff through random telephone calls, employment evaluations, visual employment checks furlough visits and random drug & alcohol testing.

Vision Statement

To be recognized as a leader in managing a community corrections program in a progressive and innovative correctional system by focusing on:

Work Environment

• Creating a culture consisting of shared values, professional ethics, beliefs, attitudes and practices.
• Professional Development:
• Providing professional development through mentoring, training and sharing knowledge.

Staff

• Empowering staff to accomplish the mission through teamwork, communication and trust; and providing tools to effectively manage inmate behavior.
• Inmate Management
• Developing innovative, effective and measurable programs that promote inmate responsibility, accountability and successful re-entry into the community.

Customer Service

• Maintaining a positive and responsive partnership among administration, staff, inmates, public policy makers, criminal justice agencies, special interest groups, the general public and the media.