By C1 Staff
SMYRNA, Del. — The widow of Sgt. Steven Floyd, who was killed during a Feb. 2 inmate uprising, is refusing to meet with the governor.
Saundra Floyd said in a statement that state officials have failed to follow the recommendations made by a 2005 task force after a convicted rapist took a female counselor hostage and raped her, NBC Philadelphia reported.
Floyd said Gov. John Carney’s “actions speak louder than words,” and she wants answers into how her husband died.
“Just reply privately or publicly to my demand for the release of the autopsy of my husband,” she wrote in a statement. “How did he die? Did he suffer greatly, or did he pass quickly? Was he tortured?”
Floyd’s attorney, Thomas Neuberger, told the news station the state is seeking reimbursement as well for funeral expenses that were paid with workers compensation funds.
CO Association President Geoff Klopp said inmates would have not overpowered officers if Vaughn Correctional Center was properly staffed.
“We are absolutely at a breaking point at that facility when it comes to staffing,” Klopp said.
Carney said the 2018 budget includes $2.3 million to hire 50 new corrections officers at Vaughn Correctional Center and 25 new officers at the Baylor women’s prison. Nearly $1.2 million is proposed for equipment, training and recruitment as well. Officials said they currently allocated $314,000 for immediate equipment purchases and security sweeps at the prison.
“The governor hoped to meet with the Floyd family to check in and offer his continued thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. He still hopes to do so,” Carney’s spokesman, Jonathan Starkey, said.