Protesters calling for the removal of Larch Corrections Center Superintendent Lisa Oliver-Estes march toward the prison entrance April 28. The group alleges the prison head has taken part in leadership misconduct regarding discrimination and retaliation for those speaking out against issues at the prison.
A small group of protesters gathered in the Yacolt Burn State Forest April 28 waving signs at the few cars passing along the road leading into Larch Corrections Center. The individuals gathered were calling for the removal of Larch Superintendent Lisa Oliver-Estes, alleging leadership misconduct in her role as head of the prison.
Those gathered included Daisy Delmore, wife of former custody officer at Larch, Julian Delmore. She recounted her husband’s story which led to him losing his job.
Daisy recounted that Julian was tasked with recovering contraband, a knife, from one of the prison units. Accusations arose that the knife was planted which would eventually lead to Julian’s termination.
“Our family has been through a lot because of this,” Daisy remarked. Following a union investigation into the incident, Julian was arrested earlier this year which Daisy alleges was just another act of retaliation against her husband who had been vocal in voicing concern over discrimination.
Supporting the prison workers was the USDA Coalition of Minority Employees Legal Defense and Education Fund, Pacific Northwest Chapter. Executive Director Earl Ford was present at the first of what he says will be recurring protests near the prison.
The coalition had recently submitted a change.org petition asking for the removal of Oliver-Estes, listing 11 alleged instances of leadership misconduct leveled against the superintendent. The Delmores’ story was listed among others which ranged from improper accommodations for a disabled veteran to hiring practices favoring friends over qualified candidates.
Ford brought up one of the allegations, that surrounded the refusal to let an inmate attend the funeral of his grandson who died in a fire in Tacoma. Ford said Oliver-Estes had refused the request given alleged connections the inmate had with gangs in the area, something the inmate denied.
“The problem with that is he had been in jail for 20 years,” Ford said, calling into question what ties the inmate could still have two decades removed.
Oliver-Estes first arrived at Larch as superintendent in an interim capacity in September 2015. One of the complaints against her had to do with hiring practices. Daisy, Ford and others allege the superintendent’s practices include closing off position applications to only those from within the corrections center and hiring staff with a disproportionate rate of white employees given prison demographics.
“She is making her own pool of applicants … while these people that have worked in these jobs for years can’t even apply,” Ford said. He added that the internal grooming only exacerbated the diversity issue given what he said is a predominately white pool of applicants.
“Forty percent of the inmates are people of color. You would think you would want to have some diversity, but that’s not happening up here,” Ford said.
Though requests for comment by The Reflector received a response from Oliver-Estes, a full reaction to the allegations was not provided as of press time.
