January / February 2020

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 VOL. 29 NO. 1

THE MONEY BAIL MAELSTROM COUNTERACTING CONTRABAND

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The Pulse

Editor-in-Chief

Donna Rogers

Telemed Services For Remote Sites

Contributing Editors Michael Grohs, M.J. Guercio, Bill Schiffner, G.F. Guercio Art Director

Jamie Stroud

American Jail Association Special Section/Technology

Special Section/ Jail Stats & News

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MARYLAND PLANS A COED TRAINING CENTER, BUT WOMEN’S ADVOCATES SAY IT’S NOT ENOUGH Maryland corrections officials plan to convert a Jessup facility into a center dedicated to preparing inmates to return home, but advocates say incarcerated women still won’t have the same access to services as men, according to the Jan. 28 edition of the Baltimore Sun. The state wants to turn the Brockbridge Correctional Facility into a “comprehensive pre-release, re-entry, and workforce development facility” for both men and women. Corrections leaders say it will offer programs to get people on the right track as they leave prison,

4 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

with a focus on job training, education and family mediation.

But the plan doesn’t satisfy those who have been lobbying for several years for the state to open a prerelease center solely for female inmates. They say women haven’t had opportunities equal to those for men in terms of job training, housing referrals and other services to help them succeed after release.

Over the past several years, some lawmakers have tried unsuccessfully to make the state establish a separate prerelease center for

women. Advocates held a recent news conference to push for passage of the three pieces of legislation that would require the state to operate a stand-alone prerelease center for women that would provide “trauma informed prerelease services.”

State Sen. Mary Washington, a Baltimore Democrat, is the lead sponsor of the Senate legislation.

“It just seems like an afterthought to lump women into this facility,” said Washington, a candidate for mayor, of the Brockbridge plan. “It’s important to have gender-specific programming and facilities."

Inmates on prerelease status are within 18 months of release and

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classified as minimum security.

They may participate in work-release programs in the community.

The center will partner with the state’s labor department to help inmates train for high-demand jobs.

MISSISSIPPI GOVERNOR CALLS FOR REFORM AFTER 9 PRISON DEATHS THIS YEAR AT PARCHMAN Gov. Tate Reeves-R promised reforms in the Mississippi prison system after 12 people have died in the state’s custody since the new year started, according to thehill.com.

Reeves called for changes specifically at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman, where nine people have died this year. Three

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of those deaths occurred in Parchman’s Unit 29, which the governor said the DOC will begin to close, calling it the “most notorious” place in the facility.

“I’ve seen enough,” he said.

“We have to turn the page.”

The Mississippi DOC, which has been under scrutiny for the deaths and treatment of inmates, is searching for a new head after the former commissioner resigned to join the private sector, The Washington Post reported.

But Reeves said the interim commissioner has already made adjustments, including ensuring correctional system leaders are available to officers, becoming more strict about blocking cell

phone use and researching guards for gang affiliations.

Parchman erupted in gang riots earlier this year, causing two deaths and prompting the facility to go into lockdown.

Unit 29 inmates complained they were unable to shower during the lockdown, but interim commissioner Tommy Taylor said the facility that holds as much at 1,500 people now has warm showers and clean water. He also said the prison is making repairs to keep rain out of buildings, fixing electrical and heating issues and repairing the toilets.

“The problems were infuriating,” Reeves said in his speech.

“There is no excuse. We can do better."

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JOBS PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS AT PEORIA COUNTY JAIL TRANSFORM LIVES For many inmates at the Peoria County Jail in Illinois, the Jobs Partnership Re-Entry program provides a fresh start on life. For Peorians Tyrone and Mila Brown, it resulted in a total transformation of their lives, according to a Jan. 11 article in the Journal Star.

Not only did the Browns land fulfilling employment at G&D Integrated in Peoria after graduating from the faith-based life skills program in 2018, they also found God and each other.

“It’s been a non-stop blessing,” Mila Brown said. “This is the first time in my life I’ve had a living

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wage job.”

In the two years since the reentry initiative has been added to the Jobs Partnership program, there has been a 19% reduction in the tendency of a prisoner to re-offend.

While doing time at the Logan Correctional Center, Mila Brown discovered Jobs Partnership. She connected with the program and didn’t want to return to her hometown once her incarceration stint had been served. So she moved into the Peoria Jobs Partnership transitional home for female ex-offenders. Within a month, she had landed a clerical job at G&D. The seven-week re-entry program focuses on job skills, behavioral issues and education needs.

Valuable tools such as building healthy relationships, dealing with authority, writing resumes, navigating job interviews and handling money responsibly are addressed.

Support is also offered to the families of the incarcerated through the new family restoration piece of the program. Family restoration helps spouses and children of inmates navigate the criminal justice system and deal with the trauma of their situations.

Since 2015, several hundred men and women have graduated from the program, which works through a network of nine livingwage employers in the Peoria area.

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BY DONNA ROGERS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Telemed Services For Remote Sites

Telepsychiatry’s growing role in inmate treatment.

R

oughly half of the nation’s incarcerated individuals have some sort of mental illness, and at the same time it is widely known that this population has long been underserved. Lack of proper psychiatric services in jails and prisons has led to untreated mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorders, and schizophrenia that are common in the inmate population, according to a 2006 Department of Justice Statistics special report.

Access to appropriate psychiatric care is limited in correctional facilities for several reasons. In some cases, such as in West 10 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

Virginia, Ohio, and Georgia, various providers have been hesitant to provide mental health treatment inside correctional facilities because of safety concerns, notes a 2013 article in the Permanente Journal, National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), National Institutes of Health. In other cases, costs for providers traveling to distant facilities have been a deterrent in providing adequate care to offenders.

Barriers to appropriate care, unfortunately, do remain, acknowledge Joseph M. Pastor, M.D., chief psychiatric officer

and Anthony Waters, Ph.D., senior vice president, Behavioral Health Operations, with Corizon, a leading correctional health care provider. They agree these barriers include significant cost of travel to distant sites, geographic distance of jails/prisons from hospital and clinics, and add that there are challenges in recruiting and retaining staff willing to travel and work on site, in person.

The high cost of man hours to escort and transport inmates to outside facilities for mental health services has been a major barrier to receiving effective treatment. And providers are fre-

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quently unwilling to treat inmates in a private practice setting due to increased danger— whether perceived or real—to themselves or their patients.

The remuneration for psychiatrists is also sometimes a hurdle.

With the exception of those in several states, providers frequently don’t make sufficient compensation to outweigh the drawbacks of treating those incarcerated.

One exception, for example: It has been reported that one psychiatrist earned more than $820,000 in 2011 working for one prison in California. Also, according to the same authors, 14 prison psychiatrists earned more than $400,000 in Calif. in 2011, a level matched by only 12 other states (Klopott F, Yap R, Dopp T., Bloomberg News, 2012).

Telepsychiatry Found Effective Telepsychiatry in correctional facilities has been found to be effective in overcoming these barriers, according to the federal health authorities.

As noted, more than 50% of inmates in correctional facilities have a diagnosable mental illness, including substance abuse.

Recidivism, or reoffending and reentering the correctional system within three years of release, has been high among offenders 12 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

with mental illness; approximately 25% of those inmates surveyed by the Bureau of Justice who had been incarcerated three or more times had diagnosable mental illnesses, specifically mania, depression, or a psychotic disorder, according to the BJS special report by D.J. James and L.E. Glaze. With such a high rate of recidivism, correctional administrators and providers have had to examine ways to treat mental illness and decrease the revolving door in the justice system for the mentally ill. Clinical psychologists have said that telepsychiatry has the potential to change outcomes for the better.

Telehealth in general has moved into the mainstream and its outlook is rosy, according to the American Hospital Association (AHA). In 2013, 52 percent of hospitals utilized telehealth, and another 10 percent were beginning the process of implementing telehealth services.

The AHA also points out that “consumer interest, acceptance and confidence in telehealth are growing as well.

The number of patients using telemedicine services was expected to increase to 7 million in 2018, up from less than 350,000 in 2013, according to a blog by evisit.com, a market leader in delivery of remote care platforms.

As for telepsychiatry, the

American Psychiatric Association, the main organization representing psychiatrists in the U.S., champions the use of this subset of telemedicine. They note: “The use of video-based telepsychiatry helps meet patients’ needs for convenient, affordable and readily-accessible mental health services.” As for its outcomes, they add, “With a robust evidence base that shows telepsychiatry leads to improved outcomes and higher patient satisfaction ratings, policy makers, providers and payers are increasingly considering ways to implement it.”

Advantages within the corrections system are well known, note Drs. Pastor and Waters.

These include “improved access to care, less cost to the system for medical staff travel, improved recruiting and retention of staff, timely responses to medically necessary care and improved clinical outcomes.” The evidence base supports the assertion that it is as effective as in-person therapy, they add.

Ohio’s Early Program According to the Permanente Journal, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction partnered with the Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus to provide telepsychiatry services to inmates in Ohio prisons, providing evaluation, patient education, and medication management to more than 4,000 inmates each year from 1998 to 2006.

Similarly, as of 1997, St. Mary’s Hospital and the University of Arizona in Tucson have collaborated with the Arizona Telemedicine Program to provide telemedicine and telepsychiatry to the Arizona Department of Corrections. The University of Arizona Medical Center and Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix provided the base for this program to use telepsychiatry in rural prisons in the state, according to the NCBI article.

In 1998, the University of

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Kansas Center for Telemedicine & Telehealth implemented a telepsychiatry program that has served the state prison system since then and has provided an average of 70 telepsychiatry consultations each month.

Telepsychiatrists have provided care and been reimbursed on a fee-for-service basis, and have delivered psychiatric services such as evaluation, treatment planning, medication management, and crisis intervention, reports NCBI.

Savings at CDCR The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Division of Correctional Health Care Services implemented a telepsychiatry program using contracted providers to meet the mental health needs of the inmates in more than 20 prisons and treated several thousand inmates annually. In 2008, researchers B. Johnston and N.A. Solomon found that “the implementation and utilization of this telepsychiatry program saved about $850 in inmate transportation costs, a savings of $4 million in 2004 because of decreased travel and transportation costs, as well as decreased costs for providing correctional officers to facilitate the transport,” according to the Permanente Journal.

In West Virginia, mental health services are provided to inmates housed in the state’s prisons by an independent subcontractor, PsiMed Corrections LLC, under the contract of Wexford Health Services with the state of West Virginia. From 2003 to 2007, PsiMed Corrections’ telepsychiatry program effectively provided psychiatric treatment to more than 4,000 inmates annually, thus increasing inmate access to mental health treatment and decreasing travel costs for the treating psychiatrist.

According to a 2009 Pew Charitable Trust Report, J. Gramlich identified that approximately 70% of telemedicine visits 14 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

provided in the Georgia correctional system were for mental health treatment. As of 2005, Georgia’s telepsychiatry program had increased access to psychiatric care in five prisons in Georgia since the mid-1990s.

According to Dr Thistlethwaite, the interviewed telepsychiatric practitioner, this technology has provided increased access to mental health services for inmates, and this increased access, in turn, has been instrumental in improving quality of care for inmates by ensuring no disruption in continuity of care, states the NCBI article. Incarcerated individuals have experienced greater consistency with medication management and have had less delay in receiving appropriate care. As inmates are transferred from facility to facility, psychiatric care and medication management can be disrupted. Telepsychiatry can prevent such disruptions.

Inmates have further experienced greater access to care because practitioners and clinical staff involved in patient care have been able to use the same videoconferencing capabilities to coordinate care, according to NCBI. For example, in the central hub, a psychiatrist and an assistant gather information about an inmate, while a counselor, psychologist, or nurse in the facility sits with the inmate to facilitate communication between the treating psychiatrist and the inmate. This increase in communication has been beneficial when more than one provider is involved in inmate care, because the clinicians also have utilized teleconferencing to communicate with each other and to provide better quality and continuity of care.

Growth, As Well As Challenges Ahead Yet while telepsychiatry has many proponents inside the correctional system arena, challenges still exist to implementation within this field. “There is at times sys-

tem resistance to telepsychiatry and often clients require only onsite, in-person care,” according to Drs. Pastor and Waters. “When resistance occurs, our patients may at times experience lack of access to a psychiatrist, lack of clinical improvement due to system resistance, and lengthy wait times to see a psychiatrist. When these situations occur, Corizon ensures medically necessary care is provided by backfilling positions, hiring temporary psychiatrists and working within the system to educate on the advantages of telepsychiatry.”

“Telepsychiatry is Corizon’s most utilized telemedicine service,” they point out.

“Telepsychiatry is championed, yet still faces some challenges, including state specific medical board constraints. Telepsychiatry has increased significantly over the past three to five years despite barriers, as Corizon strongly advocates for our patients and educates our clients regarding the advantages of telemedicine.

“Just as in the community, a main benefit is access to care. We need to make sure patients have access to the care they need and telepsychology is a critical part of that mission.

“Increasing telemedicine utilization is a Corizon Health focus. We have increased telemedicine use 140 percent since 2015. In 2018, Corizon Health practitioners provided telehealth encounters in 28 specialties; more than half of those were in telepsychiatry.

“Our focus on telemedicine as a cost savings tool has allowed our client partners across the country to save $13 million in direct costs to the sites (savings are accrued from decreases in Correctional Officer labor and from lower transportation costs) along with saving $17 million in cost of care to the patients, report Corizon’s doctors.

“On average each telemedicine encounter results in total cost savings of $323 per encounter.” %

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BY BILL SCHIFFNER, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

AJA Conference Aims to Create Connections in Colorado Jail leaders to gather April 4-8 to discuss latest issues, see new technology.

THE AJA’S 39TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE & JAIL E XPO IS BEING HELD A PRIL 4-8, 2020 AT THE G AYLORD R OCKIES R ESORT AND C ONVENTION CENTER IN AURORA, COLORADO. The theme of this year’s conference is “Creating Connections” and the organization plans to offer a host of engaging, eduVISIT US AT WWW.CORRECTIONSFORUM.NET

cational, groundbreaking workshops and sessions along with networking opportunities and access to extensive emerging jail technologies and products from more than 200 vendors.

Here is a sample of the products and services you’ll find on the show floor.

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Custody Management Software Northpointe Suite Custody Management provides an evolved approach to jails and other detention centers looking for a sophisticated—yet uncomplicated—

Burger. Both offer fun staples for the commissary.

1.310.604.4626, ddrewry@unionsupplygroup.com, www.unionsupplygroup.com

Safety in Recreational Products Bob Barker has added a new highly visible basketball and silicone games for the security market. VisiTect Basketball features a unique pattern that reduces

platform to manage all aspects of facility operations and oversight.

Bringing together data analytics, policy compliance, and decision support, this powerful system includes all the tools you need for objective inmate classification; compliancy tools for PREA; pretrial management; screeners for mental health, suicide, and PTSD; program eligibility criteria; complete resident tracking and progress; risk/needs assessments and reentry planning and management.

1.800.406.4333, info@equivant.com, www.equivant.com

Backyard BBQ It doesn’t get any better than fried chicken and quarter pound burgers. Union Supply will be showing their crowd-pleasing American comfort foods that consist of their new Lyndel Dean’s Original Recipe Fried Chicken and Back Country Quarter Pound Beef

everything in between. No matter how large or small your jail facility, Tyler Corrections eliminates redundancies, reduces errors and costs, and ensures a safer, more efficient jail operation. Seamless integration and secure data sharing give your courts, public safety, and supervision partners access to critical information about inmates, creating a chain of efficiencies, including the automatic flow of information from one agency to the next.

1.800.431.5776, cjsales@tylertech.com, www.tylertech.com

Tray Washer Insinger manufactures commercial warewashing equipment specifically designed for corrections environments. The Insinger tray washer was developed to

the likelihood that the ball is replicated or purchased from a standard store. Vibrant colors are easily seen from a distance and do not blend in with surroundings. This helps increase security by reducing the potential of contraband entering a facility through an ordinary basketball. One-of-a-kind design reduces the ability for it to be replicated. The company is also showing Flexible Silicone Game Pieces and Game Sets. Pliable material reduces possibility of weaponizing and it’s unable to be melted and molded.

1.800.334.9880, www.bobbarker.com

Jail Management Software Tyler Corrections is the comprehensive jail management

wash and sanitize compartment trays and is the only NSF approved tray-washing system in the industry. The TRAC 878 removes debris that standard warewashers leave behind; compartment trays come out clean and sanitized with the first pass.

Insinger’s security package is specifically designed for high-risk facilities; the security package replaces standard parts on the dishwasher with theft-proof components.

1.800.344.4802, www.insingermachine.com

Experience and Innovation software that helps automate business processes and drive efficiencies at intake, release, and 16 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

With just under three decades of industry experience, Wexford Health offers economic, clinically sound programs to manage correctional health care costs while

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Equal Access to Critical Content maintaining quality of care. Contact Wexford to learn how their comprehensive clinical expertise, state-of-the-art technological solutions, and innovative strategies can help improve your facility’s bottom line.

1.888.MED.MGMT (633-6468), www.wexfordhealth.com

Health Care Services

Centurion, LLC is a national leading provider of health care services to correctional agencies, specializing in delivering real managed care systems perfected in large Medicaid and commercial insurance environments. Centurion succeeds where others fail in maintaining high staffing levels with low turnover in challenging correctional facilities. www.teamcenturion.com

S e c u r u s Technologies SecureView Tablet provides equal access to incarcerated individuals to help them prepare for reentry. The complimentary tablet offers content like education, ebooks, job search, mental health programming, professional development and religion.

These digital programs help build better lives and more vibrant communities. sales@SecurusTechnologies.com, TabletsImprovingLives.com

Electronic Operating System TechCare is NaphCare’s comprehensive electronic operating system.

Beyond providing electronic health records (EHR), ONC-certified TechCare is a corrections-specific operational system that automates, standardizes, and enforces proactive inmate care. It also connects NaphCare, its on-site staff, and its clients in a way that no other system can, providing on-demand, transparent information and communication regarding healthcare services. Designed with users in mind by correctional health clinicians, TechCare is said to be versatile, easy to use and proven.

1.844.849.3211, www.techcareehr.com

Pharmacy Services Diamond is the nation’s largest correctional pharmacy, providing comprehensive pharmacy services for approximately 640,000 inmates nationwide. Diamond offers overnight delivery, formulary management services, competitive pricing, med carts, free Sapphire eMAR software with barcode technology, and a full line of medical supplies.

1.800.882.6337, www.diamondpharmacy.com 18 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

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Rhino Cart Cook’s Correctional will be showing its latest Rhino Cart. The Rhino 630-G-84 transports up to 84 Cook’s Brand Gator and Grizzly Trays, or any 15 x 13-1/2 inch tray with six stacks of 14 trays each.

Trays fit inside easily without excess room, so they aren’t jostled around during transport keeping meals intact. All Cook’s Brand Rhino Carts are said to be highly durable one-piece plastic meal delivery carts built to last even in the toughest of jails or prisons.

1.800.956.5571, www.cookscorrectional.com

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Laundry Loop with Sock Snare Still using mesh laundry bags?

Laundry Loops are reported to get clothes cleaner and dry in 50% of the time. Reduce time, cost, and energy consumption by half. Laundry Loops allow clothes to wash and dry as if they were loose, but stay sorted throughout the laundry process.

This eliminates the need to sort garments as they come out of the

dryer, minimizing lost items.

Compared to the mesh bag method, Laundry Loops allow clothes to get thoroughly clean and cut drying time, energy consumption and utility costs in half. The company’s patented Sock Snare is said to be the only efficient means available to secure multiple socks of varied thicknesses throughout the laundry process. The company will be showcasing Laundry Loop PLUS, which is 5-inches longer than the original Loop, with Double Sock Snares to accommodate correctional laundry schedules.

1.888.246.5667 info@laundryloops.com www.laundryloops.com

More Jail Products…

Systems Installer Sentry Security specializes in the installation, service and monitoring of commercial security systems for intrusion, access, video and fire systems. As Chicago’s singlesource solution for security needs, Sentry Security offers the most comprehensive range of services to deliver customized security solutions and ease-ofuse convenience.

1.847.353.7200, www.sentrysecurity.com

Sugar-free Drink Mixes Vistar Corrections is introducing Wyler’s Light New Zero Sugar Island Punch Singles To Go. The new drink mixes turn water into beverage that pack a delightful punch of fruit flavored hydration—sugar-free and low in calories. Wyler’s Light Singles To Go are reported to be the delicious no-brainer refreshment now available in five great flavors. See the company's complete line of drink mixes and thousands of additional products in their 2020 Vistar Corrections catalog, now in circulation.

1.888.358.8696, JennyServiceCSR@pfgc.com, www.Vistar.com

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BY DONNA ROGERS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Jails: Stats & News What is jail churn? The myth of nonviolent drug offenses?

The decline in prison—but not jail—populations? And more...

L OCAL JAILS ARE BUSTLING .

AS OF THE LATEST STATISTICS, SOME 750,000 P E O P L E INCARCERATED ARE HELD IN COUNTY OR CITY JAIL.

THAT’S

O N E O U T O F E V E RY T H R E E PEOPLE BEHIND BARS TODAY IS HELD IN ONE OF

U.S.

3,163

LOCAL

JAILS , ACCORDING TO

THE ORGANIZATION

P RISON

POLICY INITIATIVE.

SOURCE: PRISON POLICY INITIATIVE

In fact most of those held in local jails are for pretrial detention. Across the U.S. our county and city jails house 462,000 people who haven’t been convicted of a crime or sentenced.

While the pie chart “How many people are locked up in the United States?” provides a comprehensive snapshot of our correctional system, the graphic does not capture the enormous churn in and out of our correctional facilities, nor the far larger universe of people whose lives are affected by the criminal justice system, according the Prison Policy’s study “Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2019.” In fact, it furthers, “Every year, over 600,000 people enter prison gates, but people go to jail 10.6 million times each year.

The 10.6 million jail admissions, of course, include multiple 22 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

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SOURCE: PRISON POLICY INITIATIVE

SOURCE: PRISON POLICY INITIATIVE

admissions of some individuals; it does not mean 10.6 million unique individuals cycle through jails in a year. According to the PowerPoint presentation, “The Importance of Successful Reentry to Jail Population Growth” given at The Jail Reentry Roundtable, Bureau of Justice Statistics statistician Allen Beck estimates that of the 12 million to 12.6 million jail admissions in 2004-2005, 9 million were unique individuals. More recently, the Prison Policy Initiative analyzed the 2014 National Survey of Drug Use and Health, which includes questions about whether respondents have been booked into jail; from this source, it estimates that approximately 6 million unique individuals were arrested and booked into jails in 2014.

Jail churn is particularly high because most people in jails have not been convicted.

Some have just been arrested and will make bail within hours or days, while many others are too poor to make bail and remain behind bars until

asserts the Prison Policy report. The long supervision terms, numerous requirements, and constant surveillance (especially with electronic monitoring) result in frequent “failures,” often for minor infractions like breaking curfew or failing to pay supervision fees.

Furthermore, in 2016, at least 168,000 people were incarcerated for such “technical violations” of probation or parole—that is, not for any new crime (see above chart), according to appendix tables in the Bureau of Justice Statistics report “Probation and Parole in the United States, 2016.”

Jail Population Holding Steady their trial. Only a small number (less than 150,000 on any given day) have been convicted, and are generally serving misdemeanor sentences under a year.

The Prison Policy Initiative dispels the myth that most people serving time are there for nonviolent drug convictions. Drug offenses still account for the incarceration of almost half a million people, they note, and nonviolent drug convictions remain a defining feature of the federal prison system.

But at the state and local levels, far more people are locked up for violent and property offenses than for drug offenses alone.

Again in local jails, of 153,000 locked up for nonviolent drug offenses on a given day, 118,000 remain unconvicted.

Community supervision, which includes probation, parole, and pretrial supervision, is often seen as a “lenient” punishment, or as an ideal “alternative” to incarceration. But while remaining in the community is certainly preferable to being locked up, the conditions imposed on those under supervision are often so restrictive that they set people up to fail, 24 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

According to BJS reports, “Correctional Populations in the United States, 2016” and “Jail Inmates in 2017”: • In 2016, the number of persons supervised by U.S. adult correctional systems dropped for the ninth consecutive year.

• From 2007 to 2016, the portion of the adult population under supervision of U.S. correctional systems decreased by 18%, from 3,210 to 2,640 per 100,000 adult residents.

• The incarceration rate has declined since 2009 and is currently at its lowest rate since 1996.

• All of the decrease in the incarcerated population was due to a decline in the prison population (down 21,200), while the jail population remained relatively stable.

• Inmates in jails confined at midyear 2017 compared to midyear 2016 rose slightly from 740,700 to 745,200 • Jails employed 225,700 full-time staff at midyear 2017, and the inmate-to-correctional-officer ratio was 4.2 to 1.

DATA SOURCES: WWW.PRISONPOLICY.ORG/REPORTS/PIE2019.HTML WWW.BJS.GOV

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BY DONNA ROGERS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

BAIL REFORM: Supporters & Critics reform is sweeping the nation. A new bail law went into effect on January 1 in New York. It will eliminate pretrial detention and cash bail as an option in an estimated 90 percent of arrests. It joins its neighbor New Jersey, which overhauled its bail system in 2017, and enjoys success in its reform. A recent analysis of the latter, according to the independent law and policy organization Brennan Center, found a significant reduction in crime rates and overall arrests, as well as a much lower rate of pretrial detention.

On the West coast, bail reform hit a bump in 2018. SB 10, which was designed to replace the state's cash bail system with risk assessments, would have gone into effect in 2019, but it was contested by bail bondsmen, among others. It has been replaced by a Risk Assessments Referendum that is on the ballot as a veto referendum on November 3, 2020.

The shiny Big Apple law is facing backlash and bruising just weeks after it went into effect.

Prosecutors and police chiefs are demanding rollbacks as a public opinion survey shows that support for bail reform is falling, according to The New York Times.

“Support for the new law eliminating cash bail for most misdemeanor and some non-violent felony crimes has plummeted, and now 49 percent of New York State voters say the new policy is “bad” for New York compared to

Bail

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CORRECTIONS FORUM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 25

37 percent who say it’s “good,” a Sienna College poll released Jan. 21 reveals,” according to the New York Post. “That’s a stark turnaround from last April, when 55 percent of residents backed the law while only 38 percent were opposed,” the survey found.

Advocates have long stated the bail system is unfair to people of color and those who don’t have the resources to post even a few thousand dollars to get them out of jail. They have been reported to languish for months or even years prior to being convicted of any crime. Many supporters point to the case of Kalief Browder, who killed himself after spending three years on Rikers on $3,000 bail over a stolen backpack.

But a recent spate of hate crimes against New York’s Jewish community—which included a repeat offender who attacked again after being released without bail—has ignited opposition to bail reform as revolving door justice.

Critics also point to an accused, six-time bank robber who’s become the face of all that’s wrong with New York’s new bailreform law, according to the Jan. 17 edition of the Post. As a nonviolent defendant under New York law—Gerod Woodberry allegedly used notes, not a weapon, to demand cash from tellers in Brooklyn and Manhattan—and state judges are barred from setting any bail for him under the new reforms. (He is now being held until Jan 31 when a federal judge will set bail.)

Largely untold however “are the stories of thousands of New Yorkers who have been released without incident, and allowed to return to their families, jobs and communities while charges against them are pending,” according to Emily Bazelon and Insha Rahman in a opinion piece in The New York Times on Jan 24. (Co-author Rahman is the director of strategy and new initiatives at the Vera Institute of Justice.) The article asserts that the N.Y. law “is unusual, compared with those in some 26 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

other states, and that’s one reason it’s politically vulnerable.”

Judges still have the authority in all cases to impose conditions like oversight by a case manager, referrals to treatment or counseling, and in some cases, electronic monitoring, the authors point out. For example, take the case of Tiffany Harris, who was arrested and charged with slapping three Orthodox Jewish women on the street in Brooklyn, released without bail, and then rearrested for hitting someone else. A judge could have ordered mental health counseling after the first incident that might have helped her instead of just letting her go.

Cases Where Bail Can Still Be Set Judges can also still set bail on almost all violent felony offenses, any case involving sexual abuse or misconduct, all felony and some misdemeanor domestic violence offenses, and witness intimidation and tampering cases. The most common charges for which release must now be allowed are drug possession, theft and unlicensed driving.

Further, for all other crimes, the reform acts like a “one strike and you are out” policy, notes a post

by Marc R. Pallozzi, Esq. of the law firm Ianniello Anderson, P.C. of upstate New York and Florida. If a defendant is charged with a nonqualifying offense, and released without bail, they can have a cash bail set in these instances: persistently and willfully failing to appear in their case; violating an order of protection; or getting charged with any felony while they have a felony pending.

Costs of Bail Reform On the other side of the equation, U.S. Bail Reform LLC, an independently operated web site, argues that bail reform costs the government money. “Washington D.C. is consistently touted as the gold standard in pretrial services programs. In fact, the D.C. model

operates without monetary bail.

The cost of this gold standard pretrial program…$68 million. The number of defendants managed by this program…12,000. That equates to a cost of $5,666 per defendant,” says www.usbailreform.com, which is operated by a commercial bondsman.

Other states have done costs analysis of potential costs to implement the no-money bail system, the site continues. For example, it says: “Bail Reform in New Jersey is estimated at over $500 million and bail reform in New York is estimated at over $200 million (both estimates by a Towson State University Report).”

On the side of reform, the Times asserts the best evidence for no cash bail success comes from Brooklyn. Prosecutors there stopped demanding bail for almost all misdemeanors in April 2017.

Over the next year, the number of people held on bail in Brooklyn declined by 43 percent, and it has also experienced a decline in crime, with fewer shootings and the lowest number of murders in the borough’s history in 2019.

Despite positive results in N.Y., the Times continues, “bail reform is in political trouble mainly because the state is the only one in the country that bars a judge who is deciding if bail is warranted from considering whether a person poses a threat to public safety. For decades, New York judges have been allowed to consider only the likelihood that the defendant will appear for future court dates (though it is likely that at least some judges factor in public safety in their calculus).”

As with any new policy, there remains room for debate and improvement, not retracting it all. “If New York decides to tweak its law,” point out Rahman and Bazelon, “It should do so based on months, not weeks, of data.

Any amendments should safeguard the principle that the state cannot have two systems of justice, one for the rich and one for the poor.” %

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BY G.F. GUERCIO, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

DETECT & DETER Staying safe in a facility is all about detecting the threats and, better yet, deterring their use by having secure systems in place.

WORKING in harmo-

ny, security devices detect cell phones, guns, knives, drugs and other contraband in multiple ways, defend the facility and deter threats by their very presence.

These systems work together to prevent in-body, on-body, package and perimeter hides and drops.

Focusing on metal-based contraband, CEIA USA’s equipment matches threats with solutions.

“The illegal use of cell phones is a growing and dangerous problem in correctional institutions worldwide,” says Marilyn Thaxton, marketing manager, North America. “These devices are a significant threat to prison security and circumvent the monitoring processes in prisons, while helping inmates commit new crimes both inside and outside the facili28 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

Berkeley Varitronics Systems Inc.’s Manta Ray ferrous wand is ideal for quick contraband sweeps.

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ty. In addition, the need for the detection of a variety of metal threat objects going into and around prisons continues to be critical for the safety of inmates and corrections officers.” Critical advantages of CEIA metal detectors, she cites, include discrimination, detection and immunity.

Discrimination is the ability to alarm for threat items such as guns and knives, while not alarming on innocuous items, like belts, watches, and keys. As for detection, “once you set a CEIA metal detector to a certain security level we assure the detector meets or exceeds the security standard that corresponds to that security level,” she continues. And immunity means metal detectors need to work in a variety of locations that present unique challenges.

Electrical and mechanical interferences can disrupt screening operations as they are seen as noise by the metal detectors. “CEIA metal detectors have built-in functions to recognize these noises and filter them without affecting screening operations,” she adds.

Thaxton notes several models encompassing the CEIA lineup.

The CEIA SMD600 Plus multizone walk-through metal detector offers discrimination and detection uniformity, providing accurate pinpointing of individual and multiple metal targets, with analysis of all parts of the body of the people in transit, from the shoe level to the detector’s crossbar.

The CEIA MSD (Magneto Static Detector) is a one-piece, portable, covert/overt detector specifically designed to look for cell phones where the use of a walk-through metal detector may not be applicable, Thaxton describes. The MSD detects all transmission devices containing magnetized parts including cell phones, radio transceiver, smart phones, etc.

The PD240c CEIA’s new generation handheld metal detector, combines high reliability with advanced detection and operator signaling features, she says. “In addition, the CEIA PD240 offers full compliance

with the latest NIJ security standards, indoor or outdoor use, and up to 100 hours of continuous operation on a single charge of its rechargeable batteries.”

EMIS-MAIL is designed to detect a wide variety of metal threat items including detonators, batteries, trigger circuits, and other metal components of parcel bombs, according to Thaxton. It is uniquely qualified to operate in a prison or correctional facility

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environment with specific settings available for prison parcel inspection. “Just as security threats continue to grow and evolve, correctional facilities must continue to utilize state-of-the-art security solutions,” she sums up.

Michael Frunzi, Ph.D., senior business development manager at Smiths Detection, talks about what he considers the most problematic contraband items: drugs and small concealable objects that

CORRECTIONS FORUM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 29

can be used as weapons, such as razor blades. “Inmates ingest contraband prior to entering correctional facilities, which makes traditional search methods ineffective.” The solution is screening every inmate with a full body Xray scanner, he says. Not only can contraband be seen beneath clothing, but it can also be seen inside the digestive tract and within body parts and cavities.

The Smiths Detection B-SCAN is a full body X-ray scanner designed to screen inmates from head to toe, he explains.

“Oftentimes inmates voluntarily surrender contraband when they learn they will need to be screened prior to entering the facility.

Stopping contraband at the door is much more effective than trying to find it within the facility.”

In the past the only way to detect this type of contraband swallowed and concealed within the digestive system was to have a medical facility do an X-ray, which does not encompass the full body, or by placing the inmate in a dry cell and waiting for the contraband to pass naturally. “Both of these methods take time and dedicated manpower. The B-SCAN can screen an inmate in seven seconds, greatly reducing the time and effort previously spent to search inmates,” says Frunzi.

He adds that employing multiple screening technologies is the recommended way to go. “The

Senstar’s FlexZone locating intrusion detection sensor reduces contraband introduction through intrusion.

key to winning the war on contraband is to adopt a layered approach to security. By implementing several security screening technologies, facilities aren’t relying on just one, which will increase success, because no detection method by itself is 100 percent foolproof.”

While focusing on cell phone threats, “Our work in cybersecurity and wireless test, security and safety products has culminated in many solutions all centered around the principle of security in layers,” points out Scott Schober, CEO of Berkeley Varitronics Systems, Inc. “No single solution can stop contraband phones in prisons.

Multiple technologies, depart-

ments and personnel must be working in harmony in order to effectively reduce the amount of contraband in any prison.

“Of all the contraband that makes its way into our prisons, cell phones are among the most dangerous because they allow criminals both inside and outside of the prison walls to communicate freely,” he says. This communication has led to many violent attacks, death threats, riots and prison escapes affecting much more than just prison populations.

When powered on, all cell

Smiths Detection Tool Deployed In Josephine County Jail, Grants Pass, Ore. “Drugs are a problem in any facility and I was looking for a better way to address that problem, says Sheriff Dave Daniel.

“Josephine County led the charge to bring the technology to multiple correctional facilities in Oregon and we saved a significant amount of money by buying a group.

“We have found knives, heroin, and meth. We find it, whether it’s in their mouth or the other end. The tool [the Smiths B-SCAN, full-body X-ray scanner] is a part of the job for the staff, just like any other. It’s just an extra measure.

“We have an amnesty box where inmates can voluntarily forfeit anything they might have without facing charges. Everybody knows the tool has been successful.” —G.F. Guercio 30 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

Sheriff Dave Daniel of the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon deploys the Smiths Detection BSCAN, a full-body X-ray scanner, to address contraband problems.

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any wall providing all day wireless monitoring without any operation from security personnel.” When nearby phone activity is detected, an audible and visual alert will notify security staff and others including visiting family, lawyers and staff.

“Due to the recent allegations and lawsuits of overly-invasive searching of visitors, deterrents and alerts are a safe and important way to remind everyone that security protocols can be breached intentionally or accidentally by any visitor,” he says.

“This goes right back to our original principle of layered security.

It only works effectively when multiple technologies are employed and everyone follows the rules.”

Berkeley Varitronics Systems’ Yorkie cell phone detector is covert and pocket sized.

phones emit energy which contains a specific signature that is unique and can be identified among many other typical wireless energy sources. This allows correctional officers to identify an active nearby cell phone rather than an active nearby guard’s walkie talkie for example, Schober says. “Yorkie is a cell phone detector that can be discreetly operated from inside any pocket to deliver alerts to guards without alerting the prison population. The receiver detects voice, texting and data use over 100 feet away and even a phone that is on but not being used.” When coupled with a directional-finding antenna, sensitive receivers such as Wolfhound-Pro detect cell phones up to 200 feet away and also allow security personnel to locate the phone and its user.

When powered off, cell phones still contain signature components detectable by highly-sensitive ferromagnetic devices, he explains. Ferrous detectors such as SentryHound-Pro are sensitive enough to detect modern smart phones constructed mostly of

plastic. “Our portable ferrous detectors are lightweight, AC or DC powered and can be set up anywhere in less than 30 seconds for impromptu scans. Our ferrous detectors are even sensitive

Perimeter Intrusion Contraband in correctional facilities is a serious concern and threatens the safety of staff, inmates and even the general public, agrees Stewart Dewar, Senstar product manager.

“Contraband can enter a facility via smuggling by visitors, com-

“Stopping contraband at the door is much more effective than trying to find it within the facility.”

— Michael Frunzi, Ph.D., Smiths Detection enough to detect contraband inside body cavities.” Ferrous wands such as Manta Ray are lightweight and have a detection range up to about six inches so they are ideal for quick contraband searches of both clothing and small packages.

“Another growing category of contraband detection is our fixed deterrents and alert systems.

These products are typically used as deterrents in visitation or office areas of secured facilities.

These products are mounted on portable stanchions or directly to

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promised staff, or hidden within deliveries, as well as by breaching the perimeter of inmate yards via fence drops or drone delivery.”

There are many new technologies on the market to detect non-metallic contraband at managed entrances: X-rays, millimeter wave, and thermal devices for cavity inspection, plus a wide range of new technologies for drone detection, Dewar notes. “However, an effective contraband control Continues on page 36 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 31

BY MICHAEL GROHS, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

TABLETS IN PRISON Do the benefits outweigh the risks?

C

onsidering the havoc cell phones have wreaked in correctional facilities, it may seem counterintuitive to allow inmates to have computer tablets since they are in many ways two sides of the same coin.

Nevertheless, the trend in many facilities has been to allow or even encourage inmates to at least have access to the devices.

In fact, corrections officials in South Carolina, who for years have pushed for cell phone jamming technology in correctional facilities, are providing inmates with tablets. In early 2019, Corrections Director Bryan Stirling told the Associated Press that the tablets will be part of a technology program that officials hope will stem the flow of phones into prisons. The tablets allow inmates to call home at a cheaper rate than current phone calling programs and will provide access to pre-loaded educational materials as well as pre-approved 32 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

streaming movie and music services. The intention is that the tablets will make the idea of a smuggled-in cell phone less attractive. "This will go directly to that cellphone problem," he notes.

Jade Trombetta, vice president, Marketing and Media Relations at Securus Technologies, says, “Tablet technology is transformative. The handheld devices have the ability to bring hope to incarcerated individuals and change the trajectory of their lives.

Securus offers life-improving applications on the devices including Email (eCard and photo attachments), Lantern Education, KA Lite videos, JobView, Securus phone app, VideoGrams, games, Newstand, movies, podcasts, and eBooks.”

(The SecureView and JP5 tablets offered to offenders are not currently being used for videoenabled calls due to security risks; however, a popular communication option on the JP5 tablets is

the 30-second VideoGram.)

“Family and friends can share footage of special moments with their incarcerated loved one that is stored on the tablets for future viewing,” she points out. “In most locations, incarcerated individuals can also send VideoGrams to their family and friends as well. Additionally, in some locations, incarcerated individuals can make phone calls from their tablets using the Securus phone app. The option to place phone calls in living quarters not only increases engagement between incarcerated individuals and their loved ones, but it also reduces lines at the stationary telephones.”

Who’s Using What and How? Over the past decade, says Trombetta, “The corrections industry has transitioned from antiquated systems to innovative technology solutions.”

Corrections-grade tablets helped

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The JP5 tablet can be loaded with the Lantern Education app, shown here.

drive this modernization, and early integrators have served as case studies substantiating the devices as being environmentimproving and as a successful reentry tool. “Facilities looking to adopt tablet technology are eager to do so because the benefits are undeniable, including increased efficiencies, reduction of paper waste, reduced infractions, improved morale and the opportunity to give incarcerated individuals hope through increased communication with loved ones and access to much-needed education.”

The appeal is easy to see, and the use of tablets in corrections has been growing. Prison officials say that allowing inmates a device can help maintain order in cellblocks. Tablets can also help inmates advance their education, connect with loved ones, read, order supplies from the commissary, and even prepare them for immersion into the technologysavvy world upon release. In June 2019, Montana State Prison began issuing tablets to inmates to increase access to educational and other resources that promote

appropriate behavior and reduce recidivism. Only tablets approved and assigned by the administrator are allowed for use by inmates within the facility. Access to tablets is only available when issuance does not interfere with the safety, security, and orderly functioning of the facility, and they are stripped of any ability that would allow unrestricted access to the Internet.

Trombetta notes, “Securus is proud to have the largest tablet footprint in the country, serving many agencies that provide tablets to their population at no cost to the incarcerated individuals.” She points out that studies show the impact tablet technology has on reducing recidivism rates, so her firm works with partners offering the no-cost model or affordable pricing options. “As the industry continues to evolve and reform, we believe tablet technology will be adopted by even more state prisons and county jails. The devices are vital tools that put education, communication, self-help and re-entry tools into the hands of incarcerated individuals, so they are bet-

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ter prepared for success upon release.” They intend to continue expanding their suite of communication, media, education and re-entry offerings available on the tablets and work with existing and new customers to ensure they are leveraging the benefits of handheld devices to improve the lives of inmates.

According to the National Institute of Justice, beginning in December 2015, the sheriff’s department of Pima County, Arizona (Tucson), conducted a six-month pilot program. The program tested the durability and security of tablets as well as the WiFi. Trial inmates were instructed to attempt to breach the security, which they were not able to do. Once administration trusted that the tablets were secure, they were distributed to all inmates. If an inmate misbehaves, the tablet is revoked for a period of time.

This tactic has been found to be an incentive for reducing inmate misconduct. The department has also noticed a 50% decrease in suicides, fights, and altercations with staff. Inmates are provided access to anger manCORRECTIONS FORUM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 33

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, nearly 80% of inmates return to prison within five years.

However, associate degree holders return at a rate of 13.7%, bachelor degree holders return at a rate of 5.6%, and those with a master’s degree return at a rate of essentially 0%.

agement programs and employment training via a secure intranet. For a monthly fee, they can stream music. They can exchange emails that cost about 25 cents for 2,000 characters and call family members for 20 cents a minute through a secure, monitored server.

Family members are unable to call an inmate; however, they can leave a short message for an inmate to call them at a certain time. Inmates also have free access to an electronic law library as well as hundreds of e-books.

They can use their tablets to request medical care and complete paperwork for court. The vendor provided free tablets to the department and installed servers and WiFi. The vendor kept all revenue generated from tablet use for the first year, which is now shared with the county.

In a July 2019 press release, the Pinal County, Arizona, Sheriff’s Office (Florence) announced a partnership with a vendor that will bring tablet technology to inmates at the Adult Detention 34 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

Center, which houses about 500 inmates a day, with the intention to prepare those incarcerated with skills for a successful future.

Inmates are now able to use tablets for education purposes and to gain new skills while they are incarcerated as well as message and mail apps. “With tablets, inmates can stay in touch with family and keep their minds pre-occupied with educational and religious programming. We expect that it will help with behavior,” said Sheriff Mark Lamb, who says the tablets occupy inmates’ time in productive ways and allow them to have access to certain opportunities.

“We hope this will help inmates better their lives while they are in our custody. Our population is working with educators in our jail. They now have the opportunity to get a GED. We hope it will help with recidivism and make them more employable.”

Educational offerings are the top interest of facility leadership, but other offerings include games to distract from gang poli-

tics, managing stress, learning life skills, and how being drugfree will benefit offenders. The PCSO also believes having a support system is a good way for offenders to get back on the right path, so being able to keep in touch with their children and loved ones is important. The tablets allow inmates to make phone calls, providing a better opportunity to stay in touch.

Regular communication also helps reduce stress in the jail population. Studies have found that inmates maintaining relationships with their loved ones reduces recidivism.

Much like South Carolina, the threat of contraband is one reason why the PCSO looked for an alternative to regular mail.

Fentanyl is becoming more and more prevalent, and in synthetic form it is sold as a powder, which can go airborne and be inhaled and put officers inspecting paper mail at risk. (The facility still receives some paper mail such as money orders and items for the law library.) Inmates are aware

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that their activities and all forms of conversations are monitored, which is standard practice at all facilities.

The move is not only an American one. Hong Kong has been studying the concept of allowing inmates to have tablets that would grant inmates access to e-books, e-learning, radio, and allow them to email family, friends, lawyers, and officials during leisure hours. Contents would be screened before being sent out.

The devices can also be used to collect data such as behavioral patterns for analysis.

Educational Outcomes Improved Education is a key focal point in issuing tablets to inmates. The American Prison Data Systems (APDS), which brings “the transformative power of the digital revolution to correctional facilities by delivering individualized inmate education, job training, rehabilitation, and reentry plans” states that tablets are not only safe and secure but also improve outcomes for students and improve security in correctional institutions. They report that their tablets have had over 9 million hours of inmate use without safety and security incidents.

They further that educational outcomes were vastly improved.

Learners using the devices are twice as likely to pass the GED as non-users, and APDS devices improved reading comprehension by four grade levels in nine months of use. Reentry plan completion rates have increased by 70%.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, nearly 80% of inmates return to prison within five years. That number decreases significantly, though, with degrees. Associate degree holders return at a rate of 13.7%, bachelor degree holders return at a rate of 5.6%, and those with a master’s degree return at a rate of essentially 0%. An Australian

study noted that data have consistently found that prisoners who undertake education while in prison are less likely to return to prison; however, in an environment in which post-sec-

“With tablets, inmates can stay in touch with family and keep their minds pre-occupied with educational and religious programming. We expect that it will help with behavior."

– Sheriff Mark Lamb ondary education is increasingly being offered online, prisoners without access to the Internet encounter barriers to education offered by non-prison providers.

A study conducted by Rand found that adult correctional education improves outcomes once an inmate is released.

Inmates who participated in education programs had a 43% lower chance of recidivating than those who did not. Providing correctional education can also be costeffective when it comes to reducing recidivism. The odds of obtaining employment after release was 13% higher for inmates who participated in correctional education.

Trombetta notes that while pen-and-paper classroom sessions are valuable, the number of students able to participate is limited. Lantern was launched in 2016 as the first digital education program specifically created to enable correctional education on a large scale. Since then, the offering has expanded into five states, helping more than 143,000 inmates receive post-secondary education via tablet tech-

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nology. While incarcerated, students can enroll in Lantern through Second Chance Pell Grants to earn college degrees.

They can also use tablets to access numerous no-cost educational offerings such as GED prep courses or view KA Lite videos to learn or enhance basic skills such as math. “The level of education varies, supporting the variable needs of those incarcerated.”

Caveats As with everything, there are caveats and criticisms of tablet programs. A 2019 Prison Policy Initiative investigation found that some of the “free contracts” come loaded with fees and guarantee the Department of Corrections a portion of tablet revenue, allow tablet providers to alter the prices of services—such as email, music and money transfer—without state approval, and allow providers to terminate tablet services if the tablets aren’t profitable enough.

Naturally, with computer technology, some degree of risk is also likely inevitable. In the summer of 2018, inmates at the Idaho Department of Corrections were caught exploiting a vulnerability in their prison-issued tablets, which allowed them to manipulate the credits they used to buy games and music. (The vulnerability has since been resolved and the theft was from the provider and not taxpayer dollars.)

Says Trombetta, “Putting tablet technology into the hands of incarcerated individuals has both benefits and risks; however, it is Securus’ belief that the benefits outweigh the risks. There is no hardware, network or software that is immune from manipulation with enough time, effort and contraband access; however, as a company that has led the industry in tablet innovation, we are committed to minimizing those risks to the best extent possible and ensure that tablet usage in correctional environments is as safe and secure as possible.” % CORRECTIONS FORUM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 35

AD INDEX

Continued from page 31

Page No.

ABC Companies............20 Black Creek Integrated Systems Corp. ...........27 Bob Barker....................39 California Coast University ....................8 CEIA, USA. ....................29 Centurion .......................2 ECSI International, Inc ........6 Endur ID Incorporated .............25 Insinger Machine Co. .....8 Institutional Eye Care ...38 Keefe Group .................40 Keytrak, Inc...................17 Medi-Dose Company...........4,13,18 Securus Technologies .....7 Sentry Security Fasteners, Inc. ...........21 StunCuff Enterprises, Inc. ..........6 STV Architects, Inc .........4 Swisslog Healthcare .....23 TrinityServices Group, Inc. ..................5 Vistar Corrections.........19 Western Union ...............9 Wexford Health Sources ......................11 This advertisers index is provided as a service to our readers only. The publisher does not assume liability for errors or omissions.

36 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

The Sentryhound-Pro from Berkeley Varitronics Systems Inc. detects contraband cell phones on or off.

plan needs to be grounded in an effective, trusted perimeter intrusion detection system that provides surveillance of the perimeter against prisoner egress, minimizes the workload on the security officers, and can contribute to detecting hand-offs of contraband through or over the perimeter wall or fence.”

Outdoor people-tracking video analytics can be especially helpful for detecting fence drops, he says. Most correctional facilities have a wide buffer area between their outer perimeter and the general public. Thermal cameras can detect persons approaching the buffer zone day or night, and direct low light, high-quality PTZ cameras add further assessment. “Video analytics leverage the existing video surveillance infrastructure, mak-

ing them a relatively easy technology to test and subsequently deploy,” Dewar adds. “If the overall perimeter of a correctional facility is secure, vital resources can be directed elsewhere, including to prevent contraband.” And the combination of the methods to detect and deter threats, including metal detectors, X-ray scanners, cellphone locators, and perimeter intrusion surveillance devices, layer to protect the facility and those inside and out. %

For more information, contact: CEIA USA, www.ceia-usa.com Smiths Detection, 203.417.0919, www.smiths-detection.com Berkeley Varitronics Systems, www.bvsystems.com Senstar, www.senstar.com

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