Corrections Community

I am the warden of a small county correctional facility that conducts a community service work program.  We are currently in a debate with the county Sheriff's Department, who guards these inmates during their community service work daily.  The issue is that I feel the inmates should "go out" in prison issued clothing, so they are identified as inmates in  the community, thus protecting the public and any liability for the county as a whole, should one escape or commit a crime while on community service work.  I am currently practicing such.  The Sheriff has seen fit to actually change the inmate's clothing at an off site location to street clothes.  Problem is...they are still my responsibility as they are actually never released to the sheriff's custody.  This has created a serious issue.  Does ANYONE have anything to offer.....stories or articles of inmates on community service work programs escaping, committing crimes, etc?  How do you send out your inmates on community service work programs?  Please offer me ANY feedback as quickly as possible, as this will be a main topic of discussion at the next Jail Board Meeting on Monday, June 25, 2007.  I feel my first responsibility is to protect the public and by identifying (not embarrassing) the inmates as inmates is taking appropriate precautions.  Thank you. You may respond to driley@jeffersoncountypa.com

David J. Riley, Warden

Jefferson County Jail

Brookville, PA

The PA state Department of Corrections sends our community work details out in clearly identified inmate uniforms for all of the reasons that you state.  Fortunately, we have not had any walk-aways from these details; but if we ever did, I'd rather be looking for someone in an inmate uniform, rather than in street clothes.  From a public safety perspective, I'd recommend that you keep them in uniforms.  In addition, we post signs near the community work site that identifies the workers as PA DOC Inmate Work Crews.

John, I thank you for your input, especially coming from the PA DOC and supporting my position and my reasoning for it.

David,

 I am currently enrolled in a masters program with Tiffin Universit and we are actually discussing issues regarding community corrections and would love to cite this type of particular issue within our presentation.  Please let me know if you have any hesitations towards this or would like further information regarding our report. 

 

Thanks,

 

Erica

I have work crews that go out four days a week from our community corrections center and they are identified by reflective vests.  They wear their street cloths and we do have signs that identify them as they work in the community  Is it within your budetary constraints to supervise the inmates with your own staff?  How are they obtaining cloths to change into and what is the Sheriff's reasoning for having them change?  I see you posted this some time ago has there been a resolution?

Warden Riley,

Good day to you sir! Come across your post today. How is everything going in your locale? I am with you that when an Inmate(s) are in the community they need to have prison issued clothing. My concern would be that in street clothes it would be a to convenient for an inmate to slip away unnoticed or possibly could have someone waiting in town to pick them up. We as Correctional Professionals must always keep in the back of our minds, "What If".

Warden sorry it has taken some time for me to reply.  Everything is going well in Oregon and it seems like we live by the "what ifs" has the Sheriff indicated why there is a need to have them change into other clothes?