Fired twice and sued over an inmate's death, this former Wyatt warden will lead the RI DOC

A former warden at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls whose tenure there resulted in a criminal charge and a lawsuit over an immigrant detainee's cancer death has been appointed interim director of the Rhode Island Department of Corrections.

Wayne T. Salisbury Jr., who'd most recently served as assistant director of the state Department of Corrections, takes over for Patricia Coyne-Fague, who stepped down this month after five years leading the department.

As assistant director, Salisbury "played a key role in providing support and guidance to all functions of the department," Gov. Dan McKee's office said in announcing the appointment last week. "Governor McKee looks forward to working with the interim director as he continues to implement strategies that will ensure the highest professional standards while maintaining safe environments at correctional facilities."

The state Department of Corrections calls itself a "full service" correctional agency. "Every adult under correctional supervision (pretrial detention, sentence to incarceration, sentence to probation, sentence to home confinement or release on parole supervision) in this state falls within our jurisdiction," its website says.

The department employs 1,400 men and women.

In response to an inquiry from The Providence Journal, J.R. Ventura, chief of information and public relations for the Department of Corrections, addressed questions about Salisbury's plans for the department, qualifications for the post and his tenure at Wyatt.

Salisbury "has served at RIDOC in various leadership roles for the past seven years, excelling as a deputy warden, warden and assistant director of administration," Ventura wrote in an email. "His knowledge and experience of this agency uniquely and strongly qualifies him to serve as the next director for the RI Department of Corrections."

Salisbury has more than 30 years of experience in corrections, including 20 years in leadership positions, and "has risen through the ranks" after starting as a correctional officer, according to Ventura. He's also a decorated Air Force veteran, Ventura said.

Salisbury's plans for the department "include aggressive efforts in staffing and recruitment of new candidates for correctional officers to help reduce the use of overtime hours worked by correctional officers to ensure a work/life balance," Ventura said.

"He is also working closely with our Rehabilitative Services branch to promote initiatives in programing aimed at reducing recidivism," Ventura said. "He is a big proponent [of] staff and leadership development, and he plans to improve interdepartmental communication and sustain open dialogue with the union to improve labor relations."

Salisbury's history at Wyatt

According to previous Providence Journal reports, Salisbury started working at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility as a corrections officer in 1993 and rose to the rank of warden. He served two stints as warden of the facility, which is publicly owned and privately operated. It holds federal prisoners for the U.S. Marshal Service as well as the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency.

Salisbury was fired as warden in 2007, but rehired later that year when new management took over. He was fired again in February 2009.

In April 2015, the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office dismissed a charge against Salisbury that he obtained money under false pretenses for allegedly falsifying the amount of unused vacation time he was owed at Wyatt and collecting more than $16,456 from the jail, The Journal previously reported.

Prosecutors moved to dismiss the single felony count in "the interest of justice," according to a court filing. The filing noted that Salisbury had been compliant with his bail terms since his arrest in 2010 and had paid restitution. The filing also noted that witnesses had provided additional information that "may impact the ability of the state to sustain its burden" of proving its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Regarding that case, Ventura wrote, "Those charges were ultimately found to have no merit, which is why they were all dismissed, and he was exonerated."

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In December 2012, a federal judge approved "a multi-million dollar" settlement on behalf of the family of Hiu Lui Ng, a 34-year-old Chinese detainee who died in 2008 while in the custody of immigration officials at Wyatt, according to the Rhode Island American Civil Liberties Union.

According to the ACLU, Ng repeatedly complained to prison officials about being in excruciating pain, but guards and medical personnel at Wyatt continually accused Ng of faking his illness. He was repeatedly denied the use of a wheelchair despite his inability to walk, the ACLU said.

Ng was first diagnosed with terminal liver cancer and a broken spine less than a week before he died, the ACLU said.

The lawsuit named more than two dozen defendants, including Salisbury, other officials and employees of Wyatt and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to the ACLU. The details of the agreement were filed under seal by the court, although it was acknowledged in open court that it was a multi-million dollar settlement, according to the ACLU, which brought the lawsuit on behalf of Ng's wife and two sons.

Regarding Ng's treatment and the lawsuit, Ventura says it's unfair to single out Salisbury, that several agencies and individuals were named in the lawsuit and Salisbury wasn't directly involved in Ng's handling.

Ventura wrote, "The case was settled. There is no assignment of guilt or fault to any party." He said there was no proof of "wrongdoing or judgement against any party. So to point to Mr. Salisbury and connect him to the more unpleasant aspects of the allegations, is doing him a great disservice."

"The court and public record shows Director Salisbury’s actions as a warden reflect strong ethical and legal standards," Ventura wrote.

"And for the past seven years," Ventura wrote, "his tenure at RIDOC shows the same commitment to fairness, transparency and safety he has exemplified throughout his career of service as a veteran and a professional in the field of corrections."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Wayne Salisbury, former Wyatt Detention warden, now interim RI DOC director