Department of Correction promotes two to major

The Delaware Department of Correction announced that Sussex Correctional Institution Capt. Marvella Wise and James T. Vaughn Correctional Center Staff Lt. Jason Schaffer have been promoted to the rank of major at their respective facilities.

In their new positions, Wise and Schaffer will serve as members of their warden's senior leadership team and as their facility's security superintendent with day-to-day responsibility for maintaining safety and security for correctional officers, staff and inmates.

“Majors Wise and Schaffer are experienced leaders who have demonstrated the ability to manage people and projects, earned the respect of their peers and chain of command, and shown their commitment to our department's dual mission of safety and security as well as offender rehabilitation,” said Shane Troxler, Bureau of Prisons chief.

“Congratulations to Major Schaffer and Major Wise for earning their new responsibilities through personal track records of success and by demonstrating and instilling DOC's core values to those under their command,” said Paul Shavack, Bureau of Prisons deputy chief.

Wise, a 24-year DOC veteran, joined the department in 1996 and has served assignments at SCI and JTVCC. She earned promotions through the ranks, achieving correctional corporal in 1998, sergeant in 2004, lieutenant in 2008, staff lieutenant in 2014, and captain in 2018. She has taken on additional responsibilities including assignments as field training officer, critical incident stress management team, ERC committee and crisis negotiation team. She has been recognized with a bureau commendation and Warden’s Award for Outstanding Service, and is a three-time recipient of Employee of the Month.

Wise has participated in numerous leadership development courses and additional specialized training, including workforce planning, women leadership development program, leadership credibility, hostage negotiation, mental health first aid, and assisting individuals in crisis and group crisis intervention. She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in behavioral science from Wilmington University.

Schaffer joined the DOC in 2008 after seven years of service to the United States Air Force, during which time he was deployed after 9/11 as a security forces member in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has served assignments at Howard R. Young Correctional Institution and JTVCC. He earned promotions to corporal in 2010, sergeant in 2011, lieutenant in 2013 and staff lieutenant in 2017. As a staff lieutenant, he played a significant role in establishing JTVCC's specialized residential treatment unit. He has served for the past year as the facility's 4x12 shift commander. Schaffer is a recipient of the prestigious FBI-LEEDA Trilogy Award for successfully completing its supervisor leadership institute, command leadership institute and executive leadership institute.

Sussex Correctional Institution in Georgetown was opened in 1931. SCI houses an all-male population in maximum-, medium- and minimum-security housing units. SCI provides a variety of treatment and programming for its inmate population, including educational instruction, vocational training, substance abuse treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy, work assignments, spiritual/religious programming, and a variety of other classes and programs.

James T. Vaughn Correctional Center in Smyrna was opened in 1971. JTVCC is the state's largest prison facility, with a capacity of 2,600 beds. It houses its all-male population in minimum-, medium-, and maximum-security units. JTVCC offers several programs designed to support rehabilitation including educational opportunities, vocational training, work assignments, spiritual/religious programs, and a variety of other classes and programming.