Posted by RJ Foor on Tue, Jun 16, 2009 @ 03:28 PM
I was recently reading an article about Cuyahoga County in Cleveland, Ohio and a cost-saving measure they were implementing in their facility. To sum up, it consisted of allowing short-term inmates to keep their street clothes and forgo an official medical screening. The article touted the savings from the program, but I have my reservations.
Although I realize that budgets are getting tighter every year and this has increased the urgency to reduce the budgetary strain put on the system by Correctional Facilities, I am not sure this is the way to go.
As a former corrections officer, I have my concerns with this program. There is a heightened risk with inmates who are not stripped and kept in their street clothes with limited physicals. The first 48-72 hours of incarceration are very high risk to begin with, as individuals may experience drug and alcohol withdrawal, separation from things familiar, realization of incarceration and elevated levels of stress. Due to these factors, it is my opinion that this period should be one of close supervision. In my experience, many institutions also place inmates under a medical watch for the first 48-72 hours.
I am a firm believer that the place to cut costs is on the backside of the incarceration; re-entry into society. I suggest eligible inmates be placed into early release programs, community service programs, drug treatment programs or any other programs that are available to assist these inmates as they integrate back into society. That way, we encourage inmates to become productive citizens and not to be caught in the depths of recidivism. The benefit of this plan is that not only are budget constraints immediately lessened, but also the future is brightened by the reduced occurrence of inmates returning to incarceration.
Posted by RJ Foor on Tue, May 05, 2009 @ 12:44 PM
Here at DSI, I am an Application Specialist. But in larger terms, I have been involved with corrections for over 9 years. I earned my degree in criminal justice and my knowledge about corrections comes from in-the-field exposure. So I can relate to all of your experiences!
Previously, I worked as a Corrections Officer, Counselor and Work Release and Electronic Monitoring Coordinator before being employed at DSI. My knowledge of corrections is extensive - from the line officer's point of view to upper management practices.
I love being an integral part of the training and implementation process. I specialize in mapping your business processes to our application features and devising a training plan to complement that analysis. We're here to help - so ask away!