Monday, September 22, 2003

By Mike Bucsko, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

The state Department of Corrections has reversed a directive that prohibited the use of American flag pins on guard uniforms after complaints from correctional officers and an influential state legislator.

On Sept. 2, Corrections Secretary Jeffrey A. Beard issued a memorandum that prohibited the display of flag pins and yellow ribbons on the uniforms of correctional officers because their use violated department policy.

But a week later, Beard reversed the order and permitted the use of the flag pins temporarily until the department finds a "solution that will address both sides of this issue." No ribbons or other pins may be worn.

Beard's change of heart "was due to all of the opposition within our own department from officers and others," said corrections spokeswoman Sue McNaughton from the department's headquarters in Camp Hill. "In light of all of that, the secretary just decided to let them wear the pins for a period of time. In the meantime, they're going to try to come up with a compromise that suits everybody."

Many officers wore the pins and ribbons as a sign of support for American troops who are in Iraq, including hundreds of their co-workers. Since the United States invaded Iraq in March, 473 corrections employees who are military reservists have been called to active duty and 200 have returned to work, McNaughton said.

In addition, many corrections officers and other corrections employees are veterans.

As a result, Beard's directive was met with widespread protest by employees who were upset they could not wear an outward sign of their support of the troops overseas.

The public display began earlier this year when guards at the State Correctional Institution Greene in Waynesburg began to wear yellow ribbons and flag pins to show their support of the troops in Iraq. The display of support was met with a notice from Camp Hill that the pins violated the department's uniform policy.

The officers were upset because the policy only applied to corrections employees who wore uniforms, while employees could wear pins on their civilian clothes, said Diane Demarco, the Pennsylvania Corrections Officers Association business agent for the Greene correctional officers.

The guards continued to wear the pins in protest and the administration in Camp Hill allowed the practice to continue while the issue was reviewed.

On Sept. 2, Beard issued the memorandum that was supposed to decide the issue. It repeated the earlier decision that wearing the pins and ribbons violated the uniform policy. Beard wrote that the use of the pins could be seen as a political statement and could put unwanted pressure on those who did not want to wear the pins.

The use of the pins is only a sign of support for the troops and not political, Demarco said.

"It was to show support for our troops, regardless of whether we felt they should be there or not," she said.

The correctional officers objected to the prohibition through their statewide union, the Pennsylvania State Correctional Officers Association, and by contacting legislators and the news media.

By coincidence, on the same day Beard issued his directive, state Rep. David Argall, R-Schuylkill, chairman of the House appropriations committee, was touring the State Correctional Institution Graterford and heard of the memo. Argall fired off a letter to Gov. Ed Rendell and complained that the policy was the result of Beard's "overreaction" to the show of patriotism by correctional offices.

Beard reversed the memo two days after Argall sent the letter to Rendell. As a Republican, Argall said he couldn't calculate the impact of his letter because he never heard from the Democratic governor before Beard issued the second memo that set aside the flag pin prohibition.

"I may never know [the impact], but I'm pleased with the results," Argall said.

Argall since has sent letters to Beard and Rendell, thanking them for the decision to permit the use of the flag pins.

In his Sept. 9 memo, Beard said he agreed to permit the use of the flag pins because he did not want the issue to be divisive and "cause us to lose focus on our primary mission." Until a final decision is made, correctional officers can wear flag pins that measure between 1 1/2 inches and 2 inches in diameters, but no ribbons or other pins.

There is no definite time period for a final decision, McNaughton said.

"I'm hoping that means until our last guys come home," Demarco said.

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