West Virginia’s new corrections commissioner wants to emphasize cleanliness and maintenance.

David Kelly told lawmakers that West Virginia still must focus on recruiting and retaining staff for the jails and prisons.

Kelly, a former delegate, spoke before the Legislative Oversight Committee on Corrections and Public Safety during interim meetings at the state Capitol.

Kelly was named corrections commissioner by Gov. Patrick Morrisey in June. He spent 20 years in law enforcement and served on the Tyler County Commission before running for the legislature.

The prior governor, Jim Justice, had called a state of emergency for the state corrections system over a period of two years to address critical staffing shortages. The declaration allowed facilities to bring in National Guard personne

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