Dave Sullivan
Northern News Services

Fort Smith (Feb 25/02) - Jeannie Marie Jewell says paying her to do nothing is a waste of taxpayer dollars.

Jewell was warden of the Territorial Women's Correctional Centre until being suspended last month. She was fired from the post last week, but not from government. She says she's tired of being in limbo.

"I've been told I won't be going back as warden, I'm trying to find out why," Jewell said.

"They won't tell me. If I did anything wrong then I wouldn't be on paid leave."

Deputy justice minister Don Cooper said, "Her services were no longer required" by the territorial Justice Department. Jewell's personnel file has been sent to cabinet secretary Elizabeth Snider.

Snider did not return phone calls from News/North by deadline.

Jewell says she received a call Feb. 15 from the Justice Department, advising that she was pushing the limits of a confidentiality agreement.

The call came two days after she told a constituency meeting of political rival Michael Miltenberger, the health minister, that six employees of the correction centre conspired against her.

She says that happened due to her crackdown on conflicts of interest. Jewell has also maintains that Miltenberger, to whom she lost her MLA's seat, played a larger role as Fort Smith's MLA than he admits in the management review that resulted in her suspension.