Maryland state corrections head announces interim appointments amid calls to resign

BALTIMORE - A number of interim appointments have been announced by the head of Maryland’s state corrections department amid calls to resign from a union representing correctional officers and parole agents.

In a statement from the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, the agency confirmed the changes within the Division of Parole and Probation.

Effective immediately, Bobbie Jo Fockler will serve as the interim director of the Division of Parole and Probation. Shina Castain-Thompson will serve as the interim director of Administration, while Christopher King will serve as interim deputy director of Operations.

"Fockler, Castain-Thompson, and King will transition to their interim positions from roles served within the Department and bring an extensive wealth of knowledge to the Division of Parole and Probation. The Department will conduct a search to identify the best candidates to fill these important leadership roles. In the interim, new leadership has been appointed in an acting capacity. During this transition period, we remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of public safety and service. Further information will be provided as the search process progresses. We ask for the continued support and cooperation of our staff and the community as we navigate this transition," a statement to FOX 5 reads.

The shake-up in leadership comes after a parole agent was killed in Montgomery County while conducting a home visit. The body of Agent Davis Martinez, 33, was found in the Chevy Chase home of 54-year-old Emanuel Sewell on Friday, May 31. Sewell had been on mandatory release after serving 25 out of 29 years following his 1996 conviction of breaking into a Montgomery County home, where police say he raped and robbed a man. A bond hearing for Sewell is expected Monday afternoon related to Agent Martinez’s death.

Patrick Moran, president of AFSCME Maryland Council 3, said the personnel moves were a "positive step forward" but added, more work needed to be done. Moran said for the past 14 months, the union has expressed concerns over agents doing home visits alone, among other safety issues.

"There’s more work to do in terms of ensuring they have a say in the process and additionally, that the Secretary Carolyn Scruggs is being held accountable. We do have concern that we had communicated with her for the past year and her office did not respond, or they do responded with a "We’ll look into it". There is no follow up. She was acutely aware of all of the issues our members faced," Moran said Monday.

Moran said the union has also been communicating with the office of Maryland Gov. Wes Moore about their concerns. Their last discussion about their concerns was on Friday, Moran said.

Sewell waived his right to a bond hearing Monday on the most recent charge related to Martinez’s death. In court Monday, prosecutors said they intended to indict Sewell for first-degree murder, upgrading his current charge of second-degree murder.

In court, prosecutors said autopsy results show Martinez suffered multiple wounds including stabs to his lung and head. There was also bruising on his face, they said.

"This is a tragic situation. I think anybody in law enforcement feels for this, because we’re trying to bring people back into the community. He was simply trying to make sure this man was living where he said he was living," Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy said.

Court documents obtained by FOX 5 state Martinez’s body was found under a bed in Sewell’s Chevy Chase home. His body was wrapped in multiple plastic bags, according to the court documents. A neighbor told police, they recalled seeing Sewell leave his apartment with bags of clothes and drive away hours before Martinez’s body was found.

A motive has not been determined yet. When asked about the union’s concerns regarding solo home visits, McCarthy said he did not want to comment on corrections’ procedures, but he did address the risks.

"It is always a concern for us, because there are very dangerous situations," he said. "We were talking about the challenge of mental health in our community. There’s a lot of people who don’t want us to send mental health workers into these situations without a police officer. There are reasons sometimes why you have dual responding teams and police officers who go into these dangerous situations."

Moran said the union vowed to hold department heads accountable in the fight for changes in procedure.

"We expect them to show leadership and look out for their employees, look for the people doing the work on the front lines each and every day to ensure they come home the same way they went to work," he said.

The next hearing for Sewell is July 5.