Corrections Daily - 9.27.19
Dianne Tramutola-Lawson
FYI Dianne
From: Vincent Ryan [mailto:vinc...@aca.org]
Sent: Friday, September 27, 2019 8:23 AM
Subject: Corrections Daily - 9.27.19
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Feds: SC prison cellphone jam test has ‘promising results’
WLOS News 13 (ABC) (Asheville, NC)
By: Meg Kinnard (Associated Press) September 26, 2019
“COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Federal officials say they're encouraged by a test of a jamming technology some hope will help combat the threat posed by inmates with smuggled cellphones. The U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday that they received "promising results" from the test conducted in April at a maximum-security South Carolina prison. Assistant Attorney General Beth Williams said it was the first time federal officials have collaborated with officials at a state prison for such a test. The test marked progress on the state level quest to stamp out cellphones, which officials have long said represent the top security threat within their institutions. Jamming technology was tested last year at a federal prison, but a decades-old law says state or local agencies don't have the authority to jam the public airwaves.”
https://wlos.com/news/local/feds-sc-prison-cellphone-jam-test-has-promising-results-09-26-2019
[Alaska] DOC reverses instruction to probation, parole officers to ignore new crimes
KTVA 11 – The Voice of Alaska (CBS)
By: Daniella Rivera September 26, 2019
“Limitations placed on how probation and parole officers perform their duties during the previous administration have been rolled back, according to the Department of Corrections… Don't commit new crimes or there will be consequences, the statements communicate. But according to the internal DOC email, that hasn't always been the case. The email, dated Jan. 11, 2017, is from former Region III Chief Probation Officer Keith Thayer to staff members. It informs recipients of the department's stance on charging individuals who are serving time on probation or parole for violating the law, following the passage of Senate Bill 91 — Alaska's controversial criminal justice reform package…
The email tells probation and parole officers they can only act on a violation of the "comply with all laws" condition if an outside agency has charged the person with a new crime. Charging someone with a violation for failing to comply with all laws, without a new criminal charge filed by an outside law enforcement agency, "is outside the intent of SB 91," the message says. Absent action from another agency, probation and parole officers are essentially expected to look the other way when a person they're supervising violates conditions of release by committing a new crime… The change was made in late June, Gallagher said, after the department had time to review the previous administration's direction.”
Pa. secretary of corrections stresses importance of hiring former inmates during visit to Reading
The Reading Eagle
By: David Mekeel September 26, 2019
“[Pennsylvania Secretary of Corrections John] Wetzel was the keynote speaker at the special event held by Berks Connections/Pretrial Services called "Connecting with Talent: The Mutual Benefits of Second Chance Employment." It was designed to encourage local employers to open themselves up to hiring people with criminal records… Ninety-five percent of state prison inmates get out, and 99% of county inmates eventually get released, he said. And when they do, they're coming back into the community. That community needs to give them a second chance, he said… "A job with a sustainable wage is part of your success," he said to the crowd. "There's no magic. It's the same formula you used to get where you're at." And, Wetzel added, providing second chances also impacts a returning inmate's family… Wetzel said that about a third of the 12.8 million residents of Pennsylvania have a criminal record. This year, state prisons will release about 20,000 inmates. The fact is, Wetzel said, we all probably come across someone who was once incarcerated on just about a daily basis.”
NYPD considers measuring ‘officer wellness’ in performance reviews
New York Post
By: Craig McCarthy & Tina Moore September 26, 2019
“The NYPD plans to measure “officer wellness” amid performance reviews — a move linking mental health and internal affairs that officers and a union slammed as “ridiculous” on Thursday. A rare joint report from the city’s Department of Investigation and NYPD issued Tuesday made 12 recommendations to improve support services for cops — including measuring “officer wellness,” bringing in mental-health professionals, increasing outreach and studying whether mandatory check-ins helped, all of which the NYPD has or is in the process of rolling out. The report did not define “officer wellness” — but suggested using some data already tracked by internal affairs, such as personal domestic incidents or alcohol-related offenses.
The Police Benevolent Association said the approach is all wrong… PBA President Patrick Lynch said[,] “It gets the problem backwards: the bureaucratic second-guessing to which police officers are subjected is already a significant source of stress.” The report, which was based on an anonymous survey of officers who retired in 2016, says a quarter of the cops admitted they’ve considered talking to a professional for trauma on the job, but most didn’t follow through… The findings come as the department reels from a spike in cop suicides in 2019 — and as top brass struggles to balance helping officers and ensuring their fitness for duty. Last month, the NYPD said it would no longer strip an officer of their badge even if they were forced to hand over their gun — in another attempt to destigmatize counseling… Police Commissioner James O’Neill has encouraged officers to come forward, saying in the report “asking for help is never a sign of weakness – in fact, it is a sign of great strength.””
https://nypost.com/2019/09/26/nypd-considers-measuring-officer-wellness-in-performance-reviews/
Innovative open jail design changes San Diego inmate experience
ABC News 10 San Diego
By: Jennifer Kastner September 26, 2019
“There's a jail in East County that’s designed like an open college campus. The warden says it helps prepare the inmates to one day re-enter the outside world. Team 10 investigative reporter Jennifer Kastner got a tour of Santee’s Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility, which houses women… San Diego County Sheriff’s Department Captain James Madsen run the Las Colinas jail. “It eases their transition into the outside world because we treat it like it's an outside world,” he says of the jail’s open design. “It was designed that way to give these ladies a feeling of community,” he adds… [Patricia Ceballos with the Las Colinas Reentry Program] says the jail was designed to create a normative environment so that the women can focus rehabilitation and reentry… The Las Colinas jail was completed three years ago with almost $140 million dollars from the County General Funds.”
https://www.10news.com/news/team-10/innovative-open-jail-design-changes-san-diego-inmate-experience
Super Seeds program aims to divert young people from prison
WCPO 9 Cincinnati
By: Mariel Carbone September 27, 2019
“[13 year-old Nehemiah] Smith is one of about a dozen young men that participated in Super Seeds this week, a positive behavior intervention program. Executive Director Candice Tolbert said the program shows teens the real-life consequences of their actions in an effort to divert them from making bad decisions. There’s also a major emphasis on keeping the kids in school… The two-day program takes participants on a tour of the Hamilton County Justice Center. The teens get to witness in-court arraignments, inmate intake, an interview with an inmate and discussion with judge. Then, it moves to UC Medical Center, where the teens get to speak to a shooting victim and trauma surgeons. Finally, it visits the University of Cincinnati, where the participants can learn about educational opportunities. Currently, Super Seeds is working with the Lockland School District, where in some cases, it’s being offered as an alternative to suspension or expulsion. Tolbert hopes that by keeping kids in the classroom, the trajectory can be changed… [CO and board member of Super Seeds] Peter Billey said the program is not a “scared straight” program. “If they’re going to get scared it’s from the reality of what is,” said Billey. To date, more than 400 teens have gone through the program. And, Tolbert said about 92 percent of the kids that go through the program modify their own behavior.”
Throwing people in jail on drug charges? That’s Bakersfield’s idea to fight homelessness
Los Angeles Times
By: Julia Wick September 27, 2019
“In the face of an ever-growing homelessness crisis, cities across California have been searching for solutions, from adding shelters and affordable housing to improving mental health and substance abuse services. But in Bakersfield, officials are considering a more radical approach: They want to put homeless people in jail for misdemeanor drug offenses and potentially for trespassing… The lack of opposition to trying to use the criminal justice system to deal with homelessness speaks to the political climate in this part of the Central Valley… Vandalism and property damage, which law enforcement and residents associate with the homeless population, have become major issues, particularly downtown…
[councilmembers] Youngblood and Zimmer stressed that the homeless people who would receive jail sentences would be repeat offenders. The focus would be on jailing those charged with misdemeanors for heroin and methamphetamine possession and use, but Zimmer said she would also like to see trespassing charges included. It’s unclear how arresting people for trespassing would work within the confines of current law. There are a number of court rulings and settlements that prohibit law enforcement from arresting or otherwise punishing homeless people for sleeping on public property when there aren’t enough shelter beds. But Zimmer said she intends to work to develop a policy that is in line with those cases.”
The Sun (UK)
By: Tom Wells September 26, 2019
“PRISON chiefs face a £1million bill after a locksmith was arrested over fears jail keys had been copied and flogged to lags. HMP Wandsworth — one of the biggest jails in Western Europe — called in the police after the alarm was raised. Bosses have now been forced to order replacements for every one of the jail’s 3,000 keys to rule out any escape risk. Last night officials stressed that cops had “not yet” found evidence that copied keys were held by any of the 1,400 inmates. But a source said: “It’s a huge scandal. When something like this happens you can’t take any risks — every single lock has to be changed… Locks at risk are believed to include those on cell doors, internal control doors and outer ones. In 2006, Feltham Young Offenders Institute in West London was forced to change all of of its locks after a prison officer’s keys were broadcast on TV. All 3,200 keys were replaced. At the time, locksmiths estimated the cost of each new one to be around £100 — £1.1million in total.”
