WEC owes much to guidance of first director

We were sad to hear that the first and only warden of the Work Ethic Camp, Raleigh Haas, had announced that he would resign no later than Oct. 6.

A progressive institution designed to give nonviolent first-time offenders a chance to learn personal responsibility -- as the name implies, a good "work ethic," the facility has triumphed over judicial neglect and direct legislative opposition.

Haas, a longtime McCook resident with a background as a probation officer, was brought aboard in September 1999, uniquely qualified to direct the facility through its gestation and growth into a fully functioning, key part of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services.

Authorized by the Unicameral in 1997 to house first-time, nonviolent adult felony offenders sentenced to intensive supervised probation, the WEC has transitioned into a new role, and Haas was there to make it a success.

LB83 amended the camp's role to allow a select group of inmates to receive the 100-bed camp's programming prior to their release on parole.

To date, 1,436 offenders have participated in the WEC program, many of them succeeding in maintaining employment and a crime-free lifestyle because of the skills they acquired at the McCook facility.

There's no reason to believe the new inmates won't at least reflect the same trend.

It was typical of Haas' character that, when contacted by a Gazette reporter Friday about his plans, that he pointed out that he planned to stay involved with the McCook Volunteer Fire Department.

The Work Ethic Camp owes much of its success to the leadership its first director, Raleigh Haas, provided during its first critical years. We're happy to hear he and his family plan to continue to make McCook their home.