Corrections Community

Missouri Probation & Parole Officers

Crosstimbers Okie — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 18:25:12 GMT

Are there any Missouri DOC Probation & Parole Officers present in the forum?

Reducing the Corrections Population Safely and Effectively

Nancy Cebula — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:00:07 GMT

"How can we safely and systematically reduce the correctional population by half in eight years?"

The Population Reduction Topic Team has been formed as part of the National Institute of Corrections Norval Morris Project, a project designed to expedite the circulation of innovations and knowledge throughout the field of corrections. The project brings together people both inside and outside the field of corrections by developing interdisciplinary teams to develop, refine, and expand upon critical challenges facing corrections. As discussed below, this topic team is focusing on the issues surrounding reducing by half the total number of people incarcerated in prisons or jails and supervised in the community. To date, the initial work group has begun examining the main drivers of increasing populations, including the factors influencing admissions and readmission, length of supervision, and the role corrections may play in prevention. This document is a follow up to a previous invitation to participate in this topic team and provides further background and an update of progress.

Background

In 1980, there were 1.84 million persons in the U.S. under some form of correctional supervision, either incarcerated in a prison or jail or being supervised in the community by probation or parole agencies. Today, nearly 30 years later, over 7.5 million people are incarcerated or being supervised in the community. This includes over 1.5 million prisoners and another 780,000 jail inmates. Based on a U.S. population of 303 million, this means the U.S. incarceration rate is 762 inmates per 100,000 in the population. By comparison, the most recent available estimates indicate there are more than 9.8 million people incarcerated worldwide. Based on a world population of 6.7 billion people, the world incarceration rate is 145 inmates per 100,000 in the population. No other country, including many that have higher victimization rates, has a higher incarceration rate than the United States.i

In 2007, the Pew Charitable Trusts released a report estimating that the U.S. prison population would reach 1.7 million by 2011 and that the prison incarceration rate for the same year would be 550 inmates per 100,000 population.ii Incarceration rates have continued to rise even though sentence lengths have become shorter, because offenders spend more time under correctional supervision due to decisions made after adjudication.iii This Norval Morris Project Population Reduction Topic Team, in keeping with the spirit of Norval Morris' work, will focus on pragmatic approaches to problem solving and strategies available to corrections practitioners to reduce the total correctional population by half iv.

Estimates of the national cost of corrections routinely exceed $50 billion a year. In January 2009, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reported that two-thirds of the states, as well as the District of Columbia, are facing serious budget shortfalls, even after making major cuts last year. That number will no doubt grow in the coming months as additional states have indicated that they will also face budget crises this year.v As leaders at all levels and in each branch of government deal with the effects of the finical crisis, they are also reexamining policies that have driven the extraordinary growth of the corrections population.vi While we may have differing perspectives on the philosophy of justice that should motivate the corrections system, all recognize that the system should calibrate punishments to fit both the crime and the offender while remaining effective and humane. A key question is how much punishment is required to serve justice and how much, beyond that level, is now being imposed that is both too costly and very often counterproductive.

      Ironically, against the backdrop of the continuing growth of correctional populations is the fact that crime rates in the U.S. have been dropping for over a decade. In its last release of Uniform Crime Reports data, the FBI reported that the violent crime rate in the U.S. had fallen to the lowest rate since the early 1970s, while property crime rates have fallen to their lowest levels since the late 1960s. The incapacitation effects of high levels of incarceration were partly responsible for this historic drop in crime, but the question remains whether it is still the appropriate strategy in an era of declining crime rates.vii Added to this is the fact that the current level of incarceration carries with it both enormous social costs and substantial opportunity costs as resources that states and local jurisdictions could use for other purposes are diverted to corrections.viii

NIC's Norval Morris Project

      In September 2008, the Keystone Group of the National Institute of Corrections' Norval Morris Project met to discuss the ways we could, in keeping with the spirit of Dr. Morris's vision, move toward a more "just, efficient, and humane" correctional system. This group of experts and leaders within and outside of corrections explored the challenges and trends facing corrections today.   Instead of presenting their own answers, the Keystone group posed two provocative questions;

1.     "How can we safely and systematically reduce the correctional population by half in 8 years?"
2.     "How can we transform correctional leadership and the workforce to empower staff to prevent recidivism and promote prevention?"

     Initial working groups for each topic teams have been formed and work has begun, but now is the time to engage others who have specific expertise in these areas and are willing to help develop strategies around the topics, implement them, and foster communication about them.

Reducing Corrections Populations Topic Team

    The working group that met to develop this topic during the Keystone Group's September 2008 meeting discussed several aspects of the corrections population, including such areas as public policy, legislation and government, race, gender, families and communities, and public safety. The team set a goal of working to reduce the U.S. incarceration rate by 50 percent, using as its initial inspiration a recommendation from the 2007 report entitled "Unlocking America: Why and How to Reduce America's Prison Population." ix Shortly after the Keystone Group meeting, the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) commissioned James Austin, the lead author of "Unlocking America", to produce "Reducing America's Correctional Population: A Strategic Plan." In it, Austin notes that "all correctional populations are the result of two key factors-admissions and length of stay (or LOS)." These two factors have driven the growth of correctional populations in the past and will be the keys to population reductions in the future.ix

As a practical matter, this means that reducing correctional populations overall will require a change at each decision point in the criminal justice system away from the practices of the recent past. In recent years, there has been a trend toward a greater likelihood that a conviction will result in a sanction involving correctional supervision (in the community or by incarceration) and for a longer period of time. The challenge in reversing these trends will be to reduce the likelihood that decision makers throughout the criminal justice system will "step up" to greater levels of supervision and for longer periods when they have the option. Instead, at each decision point in the system, greater weight would be given to decisions that produce a "step down" to less supervision for shorter periods. Relatively small changes at key decision points in the system, applied systematically over time, will reduce the total correctional population by 50 percent within the proposed timeframe and without jeopardizing public safety.

The key to the success of such strategies is that they must be data driven. Correctional agencies can analyze their past practices to estimate what their long range impacts have been on population growth. Existing, legally relevant defendant/offender and case characteristics can form the basis of such data. Armed with such precise information, an agency could estimate how the long-term affect of new decision making practices compare to their past choices. For example, a diversion program could be kept from "widening the net" if those offenders who otherwise would have been brought into the criminal justice system or been "stepped up" to incarceration could be precisely identified. Combining this analysis with validated risk assessment tools and existing population projection techniques would amplify the power of this type of evidence-based decision making.

Ultimately, the solution to reducing correctional populations is to reduce the number of offenders by preventing crime. This addresses the second question the Keystone group posed: "How can we transform correctional leadership and the workforce to empower staff to prevent recidivism and promote prevention?" It is an essential companion to the population reduction topic. Reducing the correctional population is not an end in itself if it does not involve reorienting corrections toward a different role. For example, the siblings and children of incarcerated people are known to have a very high risk of becoming offenders. Corrections is well positioned to use strength-based approaches that give equal weight to the skills and resources offenders and their families have or can develop in working with them to reduce recidivism by the offender and prevent involvement in the criminal justice system by others. For instance, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections and Family Justice have partnered to create a strength-based approach for family-focused community supervision that provides a model for other agencies.x

The bold question that opened this topic description, "How can we safely and systematically reduce the correctional population by half in 8 years?" became the focal point for the Keystone Group and the departure point from which work has proceeded. In his report, Austin estimates the long term impact of specific strategies to influence the two drivers of correctional populations; admissions and length of stay. To those could be added prevention, including first admissions to any part of the criminal justice system and readmissions as a result of new sentences or revocations. The next step is to engage others to help develop strategies and share results with the widest possible audience. The products of this phase include:

·     Drafting comprehensive position papers on effective ways to safely and systematically reduce the correctional populations.
·     Identify relevant research and bodies of knowledge from many different fields to inform the process.
·     Develop strategies for sharing this knowledge with wider audiences to build support for the work.
·     Engage policy makers and others across the country.

Summary

    An effort of this magnitude touches on every aspect of correctional policy and practice. It means a qualitative change in the mission of corrections, a fundamental reorientation of its operations and practices, and a transformation of its workforce similar to what has occurred internationally.xi It requires redefining corrections' relationship to families and communities, other governmental and nongovernmental human service organizations or systems, and the private sector. Such an undertaking demands the full support of legislative and judicial bodies as well as executive leadership in every state, including those at the local level. The purpose of the Norval Morris project is to develop the framework to find pathways corrections can follow to lead the country to a future very different from the one implied by current projections.

We look forward to your comments and discussion.

_______________________

iWalmsley, R., "World Prison Population List, Eight Edition", International Centre for Prison Studies, King's College London; Van Dijk, J., van Kesteren, J., and Smit, P., Criminal Victimisation in International Perspective, Key findings from the 2004-2005 ICVS and EU ICS, United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice
Research Institute, 2008.
ii Public Safety Performance Project. (February 2007) Public Safety, Public Spending: Forecasting America's Prison Population, The Pew Charitable Trusts.
iiiBureau of Justice Statistics, Prison Statistics Online, http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/njs/prisons.htm.
iv Morris, N. and Hawkins, G., The Honest Politician's Guide to Crime Control, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1969.
v Johnson, N. January (2009) Budget Cuts or Tax Increases at the State Level: Which is Preferable During a Recession? Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
vi Crary, D. (January 10, 2009) Budget woes prompt states to rethink prison policy. Associated Press.
vii See "The Impact of Incarceration on Crime: Two National Experts Weigh In", Pew Public Saftey Performance Project, April, 2008; Spelman, W. "The limited importance of prison expansion", in Blumstein, A. and Wallman J. (Eds). The Crime Drop in America, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2006
viii Clear, T., Imprisoning Communities, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2007.
ix Austin, J., et al. (2007) Unlocking America: Why and How to Reduce America's Prison Population. The JFA Institute.
x Jones, J. and Shapiro, C. (Winter 2007). The Oklahoma Family Justice Project: Improving Community Supervision Outcomes One Family at a Time. Perspectives - American Probation and Parole Association.
xi McNeill, F., et al., 21st Century Social Work: Reducing Re-Offending: Key Practice Skills, G.S.o.S. Work, Editor. 2005, Scottish Executive: Edinburgh.

Inmate Manipulation

tkelly — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 20:55:43 GMT

I am looking for a good video on preventing inmate manipulation. Can't find a DVD/ Video. Can only find articles. Does anyone know where I can find a Good DVD?

NIC January/February 2010 T4C Open Training Opportunity Posting and Some Ideas!

Leslie LeMaster — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:05:01 GMT

Greetings from the NIC Academy!

There are no open basic T4C facilitator and/or T4C Advanced Practicuum training opportunities to share at this time. This means our Technical Assistance requesting agencies are filling the classes with their own employees.

Suggestion: We know that there are one or two of you out there at many locations looking for basic T4C facilitators training, and are willing to travel at your agency/and/or your expense to get the training.

If you happen to be from the same state, or even adjacent states, consider banding together and getting one of your corrections government agencies (a jail, community corrections and/or prison agency) to write a letter of TA request for T4C training. Attached to this posting is "How To Request Technical Assistance from NIC" that steps you through the process of requesting TA from us. You would request Thinking for A Change (T4C) from the Academy Division of NIC, and would address your request letter to me in my role as our TA Manager.

The requesting agency, by writing the TA request letter, is committing to the following, if we are able to fulfill the request (funds permitting):

- Hosting the training in partnership with the NIC delivery of Technical Assistance (TA). NIC would cover the costs of T4C Faculty fees and expenses; host agency would cover any costs associated with a training site and the costs of their own employees expenses for attending (transporation to and from the training site, lodging, meals and miscelleanous expenses); outside attendees would be responsible for any expenses related to their attendance;

- Working closely, via their designated point of contact with the NIC Academy Correctional Program Specialist (CPS) who is the NIC project lead on the TA;

- Duplication of all needed participant materials for all attendees at their site. NIC will send you a camera ready copy for duplication, along with duplication instructions;

- Finding an appropriate training space and required audio-visual equipment; in the case of T4C this would be one 1200 square foot main classroom with moveable tables and chairs; 3 additional breakout rooms of 400 square feet minimum with moveable tables and chairs; a mulit-media projector and screen for main classroom; on-site A/V support; 6 chart stands and pads; access to on-site copier and fax machine; onsite access to basic office supplies and equipment, such as stapler, copier, etc.

- Marketing the program to other interested agencies if the host agency is not able to fill the class (24 - 30 participants is the recommended number for an effective delivery of T4C facilitator training). You could market it via this Forum is you are interested in having participants from outside of your agency attend!

- Ensuring the appropriate number and type of participants are in the training group. T4C training is for people who will actually facilitate Thinking for A Change groups with offenders as a regular part of their jobs. It is a fast-paced, action-oriented 4 day onsite skill building experience (8am - 5pm days). Each day, participants will be taught T4C lessons, then will prepare for and demonstrate what they are learning via "skills practices" (or teach-backs) of learned skills. Each skills practice includes preparation time, skills practice / demonstate skills to a small group, and feedback time to the skills practicers from their small group and an NIC facilitator.

In addition, the Advanced Practicuum for Thinking for A Change (also known as Thinking for A Change "Train the Trainer") is the next level up from basic T4C facilitator training. Agencies and people interested in participating in this must meet the following criteria, in addition to the above:

- They and/or their agency must be a past recipient of basic T4C facilitator training, and have documentation of such;

- They must have completed two full group cycles of Thinking for A Change with offenders in their job setting.

Like the basic facilitator training, the Advanced Practicuum is fast paced and involves even more skills practices. It prepares appropriate participants to train others within their agency to be T4C facilitators.

NIC looks favorably on multi-agency coalition request letters for the Advanced Practicuum, as many agencies want to only send 1 - 4 participants to be trained at T4C trainers.

Also attached for your use is a "T4C Frequently Asked Questions Briefing Sheet".

Hope that this information stimulates some thinking and coalition building on this issue.

Feel free to start a discussion thread in the this sub-forum on banding together for TA requests!

Best Regards,

Leslie LeMaster

Academy Division TA Manager

OWDP Policy and Procedure

helkhay — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:16:51 GMT

Hello, I currently facilitate Offender Workforce Development Programming. I am working on developing policy and procedures to include the program. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions on how I can begin this endeavor? Also, are there any examples available that I can reference to be sure to include the specific language needed in these documents? Any feedback is appreicated. thank you.

December 2009 - Monthly Posting from NIC

Leslie LeMaster — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:59:41 GMT

Greetings of the Season to You All!

As of this date, there are no new Thinking for A Change training opportunities to report.

What we do have to share with you is a new Thinking for A Change "Frequently Asked Questions" Briefing Sheet, attached.

This forum is the best place to share info on available trainings, ask questions, and in general, stay in touch with others who are interested in NIC's Thinking for A Change program.

Best Regards,

Leslie LeMaster

Academy Division Technical Assistance Manager

CERT Instructor Training

CalvinBotkin — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:32:38 GMT

We are a small jail, but we are starting to have some problems. Our Commander has advised us to start a CERT team. But he wants one of use to get certified as an instructor for CERT, we are haveing problems trying to find where we could go to get certified. If any won knows please help us. We have been trying for awile and have had no luck.

colored wristbands

kpardue — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:50:21 GMT

I am looking into the use of colored wristbands as a means of identifying inmates for specific issues, such as therapeutic diets and housing assignments. I would like input from other states that are using colored wristbands. How did you implement the system? Is the system working satisfactorily? Any information shared will be appreciated. Thank you.

mattress

Sergeant G. Tribble — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:00:17 GMT

I am looking for a good mattress for our new facility. It needs to meet ACA standards. It has to have a pillow built into the mattress. Any brand names or information would be appreciated. Thanks, Trib

Law Library Materials - Poll - Access to Information

sshaw — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:45:53 GMT

I am the library coordinator with the Nebraska Department of Corrections. We are conducting a poll regarding the inmate law libraries in our facility libraries. Nebraska provides inmate access to the courts through a law library (electronic access) and trained inmate legal aides. If anyone can respond to the following poll/questions, I certainly would appreciate it. Feel free to reply to this thread, or e-mail me off the board at sam.shaw@nebraska.gov. 1. What resources does your law library contain (e.g. court opinions, statutes, treatises, encyclopedias, etc.). Please list titles. 2. How is the information delivered and list the format (e.g. online, paper/print, cd-rom, DVD, etc.) 3. Do you have a contract for services, and if so, who is the contract with? (e.g. Westlaw, LoisLaw, Lexis, VersusLaw, etc.) Thank you for your time. -Sam Shaw sam.shaw@nebraska.gov

Legal Aide Training - Poll

sshaw — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:42:57 GMT

I am the library coordinator with the Nebraska Department of Corrections. We are conducting a poll regarding the inmate law program in our facility libraries. Nebraska provides inmate access to the courts through a law library (electronic access) and trained inmate legal aides. If anyone can respond to the following poll/questions, I certainly would appreciate it. Feel free to reply to this thread, or e-mail me off the board at sam.shaw@nebraska.gov. 1. Describe how your state provides inmate access to the courts (e.g. lawyer access, paralegals, law library access, inmate legal aides, etc.) 2. If you have a legal aide program, describe in detail the methods used to train the inmate legal aides (e.g. face to face, DVD videos, cd-rom, self-paced electronic sessions, etc.) 3. Do you have a training syllabus for the legal aide instruction? If so, can you provide it? 4. Have you tried other methods of training for inmate legal aides or providing inmate access to the courts? If so, what are they and how effective have those methods been? 5. How frequently do you provide training? 6. If you have an electronic system, does your vendor provide training to the inmates? Thank you for your time. -Sam Shaw sam.shaw@nebraska.gov

Job Shadowing/Part-time Corrections Officers

r4839a — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:15:20 GMT

I have been tasked with researching information on Job Shadowing and Part-time Correction Officers. Any info on requirements, training etc. would be greatly appreciated.

Prison Farms

Garyhill — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:23:46 GMT

I am attempting to respond to an inquiry from the United Nations corrections advisers in Cote d'Ivoire who have asked for information on prison farms. Specifically they would like information on: 1. Managerial activities in prison farms 2. Internal rules to be applied to prisoners selected for work on the prison farms.

Correction Instructor trainer courses

Brian Kelley — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:42:00 GMT

Looking for any kind of corrections releated instructor courses that would deal with cell extractions and cell entries. Does any one know of any and if so where are they located. I meet a corrections officer from Canada that ask us if we know of any. Thanks

Delivering Medication to Inmates

hunterview — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:52:24 GMT

In our jail, a medical staff checks each inmate within two days from their arrest. Then, they will decided if they wish to give them medication. The get the medication filled, then divide it into little packets for each inmate. From there, we (detention officers) hand out the medication to the inmates based off when the nurse said they need to take it. My question is, as a correctional staff, is it legal for us to hand out the medication without the medical staff being present? Any answers or comments are helpful, thank you!

Can recedivism be reduced to below 10%?

Dave Koch — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:44:27 GMT

Read the article, "Prisoner Recidivism - a genuine solution to an American Epidemic" at: http://web.me.com/davidjkoch/davidjkoch/Daves_Blog/Daves_Blog.html

ACA ALDF Healthcare & Operations Outcome Measures

Jeremy881 — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:35:44 GMT

Does anyone have excel versions of the outcome measures and can you explain how you collect the infomation from your department staff.

Emergency Response Team

Luitjens — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:19:02 GMT

We are looking at starting an Emergency Response Team in our facility. I am looking for information pertaining to equipment needed (for individual officers and additional equipment i.e. for cell extractions, etc.), training, physical fitness requirements (what are your requirements to join/stay on the team and how often are you tested), policies, etc. The "start-up" cost is a big thing for our Administrator so I am also looking for any information on grants that may be out there to assist us in starting. Thank you in advance!

The use of closed fists in officer self-defense

Dmccrmck — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:20:48 GMT

I would like to get some feedback about the use of closed fists in officer self-defense, blocking, striking, etc. Is this a sanctioned self-defense technique and/or are there other self-defense techniques that use open hands instead of closed fists.

inmate email

Sam Grisham — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:41:50 GMT

I have a few questions concerning inmates using email in place of letters. There are some states that allow an inmate to use email through a company that a fee is paid ahead of time. I have a few questions: 1. How much did this reduce your letters or other class two mail? 2. How long does the process take from the time the email is downloaded and how many officers work in those mail rooms? 3. What are the quality of photos the inmates are permitted to receive that are printed out? 4. Do you use regular copy paper for the photos? 5. Did it require a certain printer to print good quality photos on plain bond paper? 6. What were some of the most important issues that you had to address that no one thought of? 7. If you had it to do over, would you? If so, what would you do different? I would appreciate any help from those institutions that already have this in place.

Dealing with disabled detainees

Pete Wright — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:31:22 GMT

We have been tasked by our administration with developing an addemdum to our current lesson plan on clothed and un-clothed searches to include detainees that are confined to a wheel chair. This would include parapalegics and quadrapaligics. Has anyone else addressed this in their training programs?

Policy Examples for Padded Cells

jkowalski — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:08:02 GMT

Our facility is in the beginning stages of creating two Padded Cells. I have been tasked with creating the policy for the use of these cells. I would appreciate any information regarding padded cells in your facilities and their use, and specifically any policies your agency has in place for yours. Thanks for your help! Jason My email is jkowalsk@co.missoula.mt.us

Where can I get reviews good and bad? I am preparing a proposal to facilitiate this for my employer.

Jaktalk — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 04:12:31 GMT

Hello all! My name is Jackie, and I am preparing a proposal to add this service to my participants. However, I do need reviews...as many as I can get. Does anyone know where I can get these? Please! I am dying to be able to use this to coach others into viewing decisions like a chess board....ha! Sincerely, Jacqueline Geary

New TV Show-Police, Parole and Probation Cooperation to Supervise Criminal Offenders

Leonard Sipes — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:18:09 GMT

New TV Show-Police, Parole and Probation Cooperation to Supervise Criminal Offenders-"DC Public Safety" at http://media.csosa.gov.

“Police, Parole and Probation Cooperation” provides an overview of inter agency cooperation between the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) of Washington, D.C. CSOSA partners with MPD and other law enforcement agencies and adjacent states on a wide variety of public safety initiatives. Both agencies conduct over 11,000 “Accountability Tours” to jointly supervise offenders on parole and probation each year.The show is hosted by Leonard Sipes. Timothy Barnes is the Producer.Transcript available at http://media.csosa.gov/podcast/transcripts/2009/12/police-parole-and-probation-tours/

This Site

jimbocol — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 20:56:13 GMT

Very nice site, with well intentions. it would be much better if 98% of the links were not dead.