DepCor director feels targeted, attacked
With multiple investigations and DOC doing more firing than hiring, director Jose San Agustin seems tired of the bad press and feels videos leaked to the media were a personal attack against him.
By KUAM NewsGuam - With multiple investigations and the Department of Corrections doing more firing than hiring, director Jose San Agustin seems tired of the bad press and feels videos leaked to the media were a personal attack against him.
He told KUAM News, "I was not hired to do this job because I'm a personal person [sic]. I was hired to do this job because they figured I'm probably the individual most capable of doing this job. I don't think anything personal in here."
But evidently he feels videos leaked to the media before last month's oversight hearing were done so with an ulterior motive. "I don't know whether there was a personal vendetta if you ask me I would say it was a personal vendetta," continued San Agustin. "Why would something like that be given to the Legislature during my hearing? And not brought to me? It's a personal vendetta, but I don't take things personal. Let's be professional."
During that oversight hearing San Agustin didn't say videos release were a personal attack against him but rather commended whoever leaked it. But that's changed, apparently. "It concerns me because now we have the media and the people doing my job instead of me doing my job," he asserted.
So what's happened since the videos have been released? Starting with the officer getting a foot massage from an inmate – well, unlike the tasering terminations, this officer is back on duty after being placed on administrative leave for 20 days and instead of returning to his post at the Maximum Security Unit, the officer was detailed to the Hagatna Lockup.
As for the investigation into pictures of an officer sleeping on the job while an inmate sat next to him looking at a mobile phone and the video of some officers getting in some band practice those incidents remain under investigation. San Agustin says he plans to exhaust all 60 days provided under personnel rules and regulations before deciding what action to take.
As for the multiple investigations, staffing shortages and allegations of corruption, the director maintains not to believe the bad press. "Very little bad news in DOC," he stated. "A lot of good news, I can tell you that.
"People just need to come in here and see what's in here and not just see what's out there. It's in here where the good action takes place."