Fired Employees and Denials: Missing Documents and Evidence in West Virginia Corrections Lawsuit

The Justice administration has fired a top official in the corrections system and the lead attorney in the Department of Homeland Security after a federal magistrate judge criticized the mishandling of potential evidence in a class action lawsuit over conditions at Southern Regional Jail. The judge concluded that the failure to preserve evidence was intentional and recommended a default judgment in the case. State officials have now located evidence that was previously considered lost or destroyed, including five years worth of inmate grievances. Governor Jim Justice stated that if workers were responsible for intentionally destroying evidence, they should be terminated or face criminal charges. The administration maintains that the destruction was not intentional, citing complications in state government and a lack of understanding between agencies.