County commissioners investigating claims surrounding South Bend halfway house
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The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners has launched an investigation into the operations of a halfway house in South Bend.
The commissioners said Wednesday the investigation stems from what they describe as concerning allegations related to the Ducomb Center, including staffing issues, overtime abuse, and improper financial transactions.
Our partners at Fox Michiana report the launch of the investigation follows questions into a reported six-figure salary for the center’s kitchen director, Delores Walker, who is also the mother of the center’s director, Sharon McBride.
After being questioned by the commissioners at a public meeting Wednesday, McBride spoke with reporters and called the situation a “witch hunt.”
“They had no specific policies and procedures that I violated,” said McBride, who is also a member of the South Bend City Council. “They were put on notice by previous council to tell them that there was no violation of policy and procedures. I have emails from the department of corrections telling them there was no violation of policies and procedures. And yet they were adamant to have this public shaming and to try to slander my name and discredit, my capabilities to perform as a director.”
Walker reportedly received a salary of $105,000, making her the 15th highest-paid county employee in 2023, according to Fox Michiana.
Both McBride and Ducomb Center board member Rafael Morton said the high salary was the result of overtime that Walker accrued due to a high staff turnover. Morton said Walker needed to work the overtime hours in order to keep the center operating legally.
“The fact that it houses both male and female, there has to be at least one male and one female employee that is present at all times. Now, that calls for a lot of overtime,” said Morton. “She basically does a lot more than the kitchen director, which is very demanding, but she also has been trained as far as overseeing the guests in facility.”
Morton noted that Walker at times has worked up to 20 hours in a day due to being short staffed.
In a news release on Wednesday, the commissioners outlined multiple claims that are being investigated. In addition to the issues listed above, the claims include:
- Ghost employment
- Improper credit card usage
- Improper financial transactions
- Training issues
- Failure to follow county policies
- Failure to follow required chain of command
- Failure to follow Worker’s Compensation policy
“These allegations are serious in nature and demand a thorough and impartial investigation to ensure accountability, transparency, and the integrity of the operations at the Ducomb Center,” the commissioners said in the release. “The Board of Commissioners is committed to conducting a fair and diligent inquiry into these matters, with the ultimate goal of addressing any identified issues and implementing necessary reforms to prevent recurrence.”
The Ducomb Center was established in 1982 as one of the first work release facilities in the state. Located near South Bend International Airport, the residential correctional facility supervises more than 600 individuals annually, according to the county.
The commissioners and McBride declined to comment further to Fox Michiana due to the ongoing investigation.