The Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility in Rutland on March 28, 2023. File photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger
The superintendent of the Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility in Rutland has been placed on paid leave pending an investigation into an allegation of misconduct, according to the Vermont Department of Corrections.
Sharon Nykiel has served as the superintendent of the facility since her appointment to the post in June 2022.
The Vermont Department of Human Resources plans to investigate the allegation against Nykiel, according to a Wednesday afternoon press release from the corrections department.
Nykiel was placed on leave earlier Wednesday, department spokesperson Haley Sommer said.
Assistant Superintendent Michael Dounetos plans to oversee the Rutland facility until an interim superintendent appointment is made in the coming days, according to the release.
The Department of Corrections did not state the nature of the alleged misconduct and does not comment on personnel investigations, citing department policy.
“DOC, in conjunction with the Department of Human Resources, will release the outcome of the investigation process upon its completion,” the release stated.
Contact information for Nykiel was not immediately available, and she did not respond to a message sent to her state email address.
Corrections Commissioner Nicholas Deml said in the release that the department is “committed to fully and thoroughly investigating any allegation at all levels of our organization.”
Nykiel started her career in the corrections department in 1994, according to a 2022 announcement of her appointment as the Rutland facility superintendent.
She was previously appointed assistant superintendent of the Rutland jail in 2021 and then served as interim superintendent in April 2022 before becoming superintendent a couple of months later.
The Rutland jail, located on State Street, houses about 125 incarcerated individuals, according to the corrections department.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Rutland jail superintendent placed on leave pending investigation into misconduct allegation.