Interior Department hires former top cop to review jail deaths on his watch

Interior Department hires former top cop to review jail deaths on his watch

Transcript¹

Darren Cruzan was teary-eyed when he delivered his retirement² speech to family and colleagues at a gathering³ in Washington, D.C., last May. He was ending a 26-year career in federal law enforcement — more than half with the Interior Department — and was proud of his tenure⁴ as an administrator⁵.

"If I were to go back and rewrite my entire life and career from beginning to now, I might change a few punctuation⁶ marks," he said at the time. "But the things that really mattered could have hardly worked out to be better. I really do believe greater things are still to come."

In fact, more was to come.

Less than two months after retiring, Cruzan was back on the federal payroll⁷ as a private contractor⁸. He was hired by the very agency for whom he worked to review 16 in-custody deaths at tribal⁹ detention¹⁰ centers. At least two of them–and as many as 11 — happened on Cruzan's watch, according to Interior Department records.

"It just seems like a slap in the face," said Chris Yazzie, a former correctional officer whose brother died in 2017 in the Shiprock District Department of Corrections facility in New Mexico. "It's really an insult to the people who died in these jails. This whole situation needs to be reviewed by Congress."

An NPR and Mountain West News Bureau investigation¹¹ published in June found a pattern of neglect and misconduct that led to inmate¹² deaths at tribal detention centers overseen¹⁴ by the Interior Department's Bureau of Indian Affairs. At least 19 men and women have died since 2016, the review found.

Yazzie's brother, Carlos, died after law enforcement failed to get him immediate¹⁵ medical attention when he was arrested on a bench warrant. His foot was swollen¹⁶ and his blood alcohol content was nearly six times the legal limit. Instead, they put him in a cramped¹⁷ isolation¹⁸ cell and left him unmonitored and unchecked for six hours. A guard handing out inmate jumpsuits the next morning found the 44-year-old day laborer¹⁹ from the Navajo Nation dead.

The investigation also found that correctional officers were poorly trained; one in five had not completed the required basic training, which includes CPR, first aid and suicide prevention. Also, correctional officers at several detention centers often violated federal policy and standards by not checking on inmates²⁰ regularly or ensuring that they received medical care. And several of the detention centers had been in disrepair for years, with rust²¹ in the water, broken pipes and overflowing²² toilets. At least one jail lacked potable drinking water, forcing jail administrators²³ to turn to charities for bottled drinking water.

Despite repeated requests, Interior Department officials declined to release details of the deaths, including names and the dates the men and women died.

After months of questions and public records requests by NPR and the Mountain West Bureau last year, Interior Department officials announced they would seek an "independent, third-party" review of the detention center program. Four contractors²⁴ submitted proposals, including two with federal contracting experience, records show. One has completed $15 million in federal contracts since 2008; the other $2.5 million.

Cruzan's company, The Cruzan Group, had no track record at the time. He formed it in December 2020 while he was still working for the federal government, according to Virginia's State Corporation Commission records. His partners include two former Interior Department administrators. It was the company's first federal contract, according to a government contracting database.

Robert Knox, one of the partners in Cruzan's company, and a former Interior Department assistant inspector²⁵ general, said the company won the $83,000 contract fairly.

"We have done nothing – absolutely nothing – improper," Knox said in an interview.

He said, though, that Cruzan played a prominent role in the company's review of the tribal detention centers. Their role was to evaluate 16 closed in-custody death investigations²⁶ from 2016 to 2020 and determine exactly what happened in each death; whether the rules were followed; and whether policy changes are needed, according to BIA documents.

Knox said Cruzan's extensive knowledge of Indian Country was essential for the study, which he said was completed in December but hasn't been disclosed publicly. The Cruzan Group and the BIA declined to release a copy to NPR and the Mountain West News Bureau.

"There was a deliberate effort to take a look at these unfortunate losses of life and try and understand what happened and whether there were any changes that could be made to try and prevent anything of the same sort happening in the future," Knox said.

Cruzan was the top law enforcement officer at the BIA and the Interior Department for nearly a decade. He also headed the BIA's Office of Justice Services, overseeing more than 70 tribal detention centers across the country. Cruzan left the Interior Department for the Department of Homeland Security in 2019.

He declined three requests for an interview.

In some cases, former employees are allowed to bid on contracts with the agencies they once worked for. But Virginia Canter, a former associate counsel for ethics²⁷ for Presidents Obama and Clinton, said awarding the contract to someone who oversaw²⁸ a troubled program but is now being paid to point out the problems, raises conflict of interest issues.

"This contract just makes no sense," said Canter, who's now chief ethics counsel for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics In Washington, a nonpartisan government watchdog group. "There are a lot of red flags here that suggest it merits an inspector general investigation."

Federal regulations call for agencies to avoid potential conflicts of interest when working with contractors. That includes contractors who are "unable or potentially unable to render impartial²⁹ assistance or advice to the Government, or the person's objectivity in performing the contract work is or might be otherwise impaired," according to the regulations.

Scott Amey, a contracting expert and general counsel with the nonpartisan watchdog group Project on Government Oversight³⁰, agreed with Canter.

"I have a hard time justifying³¹ both the award and how Mr. Cruzan was going to be able to perform on this contract in an objective way due to the fact that he had been in offices that were involved with the BIA's detention centers," Amey said.

Bryan Newland, who was tapped in September to be the assistant secretary for Indian Affairs at the Interior Department, said awarding the contract to Cruzan's company did not violate federal regulations.

"I don't have any particular reason to believe that this contract was awarded outside of the regulatory process," Newland said in an interview.

When asked why he thought it was a good idea for the agency to hire Cruzan's company, Newland deferred³² to the contract office.

When Cruzan took over as director of the BIA's Office of Justice Services in 2010, he established policies and guidelines for operating the jails. He also oversaw the internal affairs division, which investigated in-custody deaths under his authority. He later moved to the Interior Department but continued to oversee¹³ the corrections programs, including the jails. During that time, there was at least one problem that led to the deaths of at least three inmates: the lack of on-site doctors or nurses, law enforcement records show.

In July 2016, after Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), was lobbied by a nonprofit health care organization on the Navajo Nation, he sent a letter to BIA Director Michael S. Black regarding the absence of medical personnel at the jails. Two months later, Black replied saying that Cruzan's office was addressing the issue and encouraged McCain to reach out to him, according to a copy of the letter obtained by NPR and the Mountain West News Bureau.

It's unclear whether the senator's office ever reached out. The issue was never resolved. McCain died of brain cancer in 2018.

Brandy Tomhave, a lawyer and member of the Choctaw Nation who sparked McCain to write the 2016 letter, said she urged Cruzan's office to provide onsite medical care. He failed to do so, she said.

"He was the director of the shop," Tomhave said. "These are conversations and communications that were happening right under his nose. And if he wasn't able to plug in in real time then, then I think that raises questions about his competency to audit³³ the results now."

In 2017, as head of the Interior Department's Office of Law Enforcement and Security, he oversaw policing and corrections for five agencies: the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Reclamation³⁴ and the BIA, where he continued having oversight of the jails.

As the Interior Department's top cop, Cruzan's office was responsible for deciding whether any in-custody deaths warranted further scrutiny³⁵. If so, Cruzan would chair a group of top agency officials known as a "serious incident review group."

This group would evaluate an in-custody death investigation, vote on whether department policy changes were needed, and produce a report. Interior Department officials said in a letter to the Mountain West News Bureau this week that they could not find any indication that the group had convened³⁶ during Cruzan's tenure.

Cruzan's prior work with the Interior Department and BIA, and his oversight of the tribal corrections program during much of the span of this study, doesn't concern Knox, a partner with the Cruzan Group.

"I know [Cruzan] had relationships with the BIA," Knox said. "[But] there was never a moment where any consideration was ever voiced — nor would have been tolerated. None of us would ever do anything ... to try and conceal³⁷ someone's malfeasance or misbehavior."

But it does concern Amey, the government ethics expert.

"This is the perfect example of worst practice when it comes to government contracting," Amey said. "This is the kind of thing that makes people distrust the government and decisions that are being made."

This story is a collaboration³⁸ from NPR's Stations Investigations Team, which supports local investigative journalism³⁹, and the Mountain West News Bureau, a group of NPR member stations covering the region.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

3 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

4 tenure   

n.终身职位；任期；(土地)保有权，保有期

参考例句：

• He remained popular throughout his tenure of the office of mayor.他在担任市长的整个任期内都深得民心。
• Land tenure is a leading political issue in many parts of the world.土地的保有权在世界很多地区是主要的政治问题。

5 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

6 punctuation   

n.标点符号，标点法

参考例句：

• My son's punctuation is terrible.我儿子的标点符号很糟糕。
• A piece of writing without any punctuation is difficult to understand.一篇没有任何标点符号的文章是很难懂的。

7 payroll   

n.工资表，在职人员名单，工薪总额

参考例句：

• His yearly payroll is $1.2 million.他的年薪是120万美元。
• I can't wait to get my payroll check.我真等不及拿到我的工资单了。

8 contractor   

n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌

参考例句：

• The Tokyo contractor was asked to kick $ 6000 back as commission.那个东京的承包商被要求退还6000美元作为佣金。
• The style of house the contractor builds depends partly on the lay of the land.承包商所建房屋的式样，有几分要看地势而定。

9 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

10 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

11 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

12 inmate   

n.被收容者；(房屋等的)居住人；住院人

参考例句：

• I am an inmate of that hospital.我住在那家医院。
• The prisoner is his inmate.那个囚犯和他同住一起。

13 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

14 overseen   

v.监督，监视( oversee的过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was overseen stealing the letters. 他被人撞见在偷信件。 来自辞典例句
• It will be overseen by ThomasLi, director of IBM China Research Laboratory. 该实验室由IBM中国研究院院长李实恭(ThomasLi)引导。 来自互联网

15 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

16 swollen   

adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀

参考例句：

• Her legs had got swollen from standing up all day.因为整天站着，她的双腿已经肿了。
• A mosquito had bitten her and her arm had swollen up.蚊子叮了她，她的手臂肿起来了。

17 cramped   

a.狭窄的

参考例句：

• The house was terribly small and cramped, but the agent described it as a bijou residence. 房子十分狭小拥挤，但经纪人却把它说成是小巧别致的住宅。
• working in cramped conditions 在拥挤的环境里工作

18 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

19 laborer   

n.劳动者，劳工

参考例句：

• Her husband had been a farm laborer.她丈夫以前是个农场雇工。
• He worked as a casual laborer and did not earn much.他当临时工，没有赚多少钱。

20 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 rust   

n.锈；v.生锈；(脑子)衰退

参考例句：

• She scraped the rust off the kitchen knife.她擦掉了菜刀上的锈。
• The rain will rust the iron roof.雨水会使铁皮屋顶生锈。

22 overflowing   

n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The stands were overflowing with farm and sideline products. 集市上农副产品非常丰富。
• The milk is overflowing. 牛奶溢出来了。

23 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

24 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

25 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

26 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

27 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

28 oversaw   

v.监督，监视( oversee的过去式 )

参考例句：

• He will go down as the president who oversaw two historic transitions. 他将作为见证了巴西两次历史性转变的总统，安然引退。 来自互联网
• Dixon oversaw the project as creative director of Design Research Studio. 狄克逊监督项目的创意总监设计研究工作室。 来自互联网

29 impartial   

adj.(in,to)公正的，无偏见的

参考例句：

• He gave an impartial view of the state of affairs in Ireland.他对爱尔兰的事态发表了公正的看法。
• Careers officers offer impartial advice to all pupils.就业指导员向所有学生提供公正无私的建议。

30 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

31 justifying   

证明…有理( justify的现在分词 )； 为…辩护； 对…作出解释； 为…辩解（或辩护）

参考例句：

• He admitted it without justifying it. 他不加辩解地承认这个想法。
• The fellow-travellers'service usually consisted of justifying all the tergiversations of Soviet intenal and foreign policy. 同路人的服务通常包括对苏联国内外政策中一切互相矛盾之处进行辩护。

32 deferred   

adj.延期的，缓召的v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从

参考例句：

• The department deferred the decision for six months. 这个部门推迟了六个月才作决定。
• a tax-deferred savings plan 延税储蓄计划

33 audit   

v.审计；查帐；核对；旁听

参考例句：

• Each year they audit our accounts and certify them as being true and fair.他们每年对我们进行账务审核，以确保其真实无误。
• As usual,the yearly audit will take place in December.跟往常一样，年度审计将在十二月份进行。

34 reclamation   

n.开垦；改造；（废料等的）回收

参考例句：

• We should encourage reclamation and recycling.我们应当鼓励废物的回收和利用。
• The area is needed for a land reclamation project.一个土地开垦项目要在这一地区进行。

35 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

36 convened   

召开( convene的过去式 )； 召集； （为正式会议而）聚集； 集合

参考例句：

• The chairman convened the committee to put the issue to a vote. 主席召集委员们开会对这个问题进行表决。
• The governor convened his troops to put down the revolt. 总督召集他的部队去镇压叛乱。

37 conceal   

v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽

参考例句：

• He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方，他只好隐瞒身份。
• He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。

38 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

39 journalism   

n.新闻工作，报业

参考例句：

• He's a teacher but he does some journalism on the side.他是教师，可还兼职做一些新闻工作。
• He had an aptitude for journalism.他有从事新闻工作的才能。