July / August

JULY/AUGUST 2020 VOL. 29 NO 4

COPING WITH COVID-19

FOOD SERVICE STEPS UP TO THE PLATE STAYING SUSTAINABLE DESPITE CORONAVIRUS

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Publisher & Executive Editor

Thomas S. Kapinos Assistant Publisher

Jennifer A. Kapinos

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Art Sylvie

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Coping with COVID-19

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Northeast

Donna Rogers

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

Food Service: Stepping Up to the Plate

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Jamie Stroud

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BY DONNA ROGERS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

COPING WITH COVID-19

While jails and prisons are especially hard hit by the virus, here is how some are coping. ocial distancing and “takeout” meals don’t have a lot of meaning in a correctional setting. In prisons and jails it is so much more difficult to practice hygiene and keep safe due to close living quarters.

However, resourceful managers have found ways protect their facility with testing, increased use of disinfectants, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation, isolation cells, PPEs, tele-health, early release and pretrial diversion.

For this story, Corrections Forum has consulted with companies on the front lines of the virus to see how they are working to keep staff and inmates safe under these less than desirable conditions.

It is well known that federal and state prisons are being rav-

S

4 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JULY/AUGUST 2020

aged by one of the worst crises they have ever seen. Despite large-scale releases of pretrial offenders at local jails and some nonviolent offenders released from state facilities, the number of prison inmates known to be infected continues to rise. A July 8 study from Johns Hopkins University and UCLA's COVID-19 Behind Bars Data Project reports inmates are 5.5 times more likely to contract the coronavirus than the general population and three times more likely die.

In the study, researchers analyzed cases between March 31 and June 6, and found that 510 inmates had died from the virus and 42,107 had been infected.

The data—compiled from state and federal correctional facilities across the country—provides the

largest picture yet of pandemic's toll on America's prison system.

One limitation of the study is that it relied on officially reported data, note the researchers, which may be subject to inaccuracies and reporting delays, but are the only data available.

Comprehensive data on testing rates were not available, and testing rates in both prisons and the overall population were uneven, with many facilities testing no prisoners or only symptomatic persons. Mass testing in select prisons revealed wide COVID-19 outbreaks, with infection rates exceeding 65% in several facilities. Reported case rates for prisoners therefore likely understated the true prevalence of COVID-19 in prisons. This study focused on prisons but did not include jails

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or other detention facilities where there have been notable COVID-19 outbreaks.

In fact, according to another recent report updated on June 30

by The New York Times, cases of the virus that include both prisons and jails have soared in recent weeks. Overall, as of July 10, “at least 84,000 people in American jails and prisons have been infected and at least 703 inmates and workers have died.”

While meatpacking plants are able to shut down and cruise ships can stop cruising, corrections facilities must remain open.

“Public officials have long warned that the nation’s correctional facilities would most likely become vectors in the pandemic because they are often overcrowded, bathrooms and day rooms are shared by hundreds of inmates, and access to cleaning supplies is tightly controlled,” states the July 10 NYT article.

It is not then surprising that nine of 10 of the hardest hit clus-

ters in the United States are in correctional facilities, with institutions spread across the country from Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, California and Illinois, all with more than 1,000 cases and one with greater than 2,000 infected.

In interviews, prison and jail officials acknowledged that their approach has largely been based on trial and error, and that an effective, consistent response for U.S. correctional facilities remains elusive, according to The Times.

“If there was clearly a right strategy, we all would have done it,” said Dr. Owen Murray, a University of Texas Medical Branch physician who oversees correctional health care at dozens of Texas prisons. “There is no clear-cut right strategy here. There are a lot of different choices that one could make that are going to be in-the-moment decisions.”

While the risk of more cases seems likely in the coming days and months, some techniques being utilized by firms in the cor-

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rections field are helping to mitigate that spread.

Containment Strategies Back in late December before most in the U.S. were taking the virus seriously Pinal County, Arizona, officials took steps to prevent an outbreak of the virus at its Adult Detention Center. To date, there have been no suspected cases at the Florence jail, according to Lauren Reimer, public information officer, Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, which operates the facility, according to inMaricopa.com. Wexford Health Sources, the medical services firm contracted by the county to provide inmate health care at the facility, at the time had expanded regular flu screening and assessment protocols for early detection of COVID-19.

All Wexford Health staff at the Pinal County facility received extra training to help them recog-

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nize coronavirus symptoms, including cough, fever and shortness of breath.

Any Pinal County Adult Detention Center inmate—there is a daily average of about 550— who shows symptoms of the virus would immediately enter the protocol: donning an N95 respirator for effective filtration of airborne particles and entering a reverse airflow room to prevent spread of contaminated air. Meanwhile, jail officials would contact Pinal County Health Services for assistance with testing, investigating, quarantining and treatment, if necessary, Reimer said.

“While COVID-19 has made daily correctional health care operations more challenging, it has also strengthened many partnerships as we work closely with our clients and public health agencies on creating and implementing new protocols,” points out Darius Holmes, Wexford’s senior vice president of Strategic Development. He furthers that together new protocols have been put into place for more frequent cleansing of workspaces and proper use of PPE. Wexford has also worked closely to add more telehealth opportunities for clinical encounters for inmates and designed staffing and patient movement protocols for newly created quarantine units. They have created new approaches to handle the surge in inquiries from both media and concerned family members necessitated by the pandemic.

At present, the main lobby in Florence continues to have COVID restrictions, the detention lobby in Florence is closed to the public (visits are conducted through video chat), but open by appointment to those needing to conduct business.

Stopping the Virus Cold Preventing the virus from entering the facilities has been our primary objective, states Sue MedleyLane, RN, CCHP-A, corporate 6 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JULY/AUGUST 2020

Extra care should be taken to protect workers and ensure that laundry is being carefully cleaned, as proper laundering can kill pathogens.

infection prevention and control coordinator with Centurion. The health care provider also wants to ensure its staff are prepared to quickly identify, isolate, and manage COVID-19, which is in line with its pandemic plan.

At the outset, the Centurion clinical operations team began monitoring reports of the emerging virus from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and from January started providing education materials for inmates and staff, screening tools, clinical guidelines, and reached out to public health agencies, she notes.

Centurion conducts weekly “Town Halls” with all staff which includes representatives from our departments of medical, mental health, human resources, procurement, and administration to answer any questions brought by staff such as trends, testing, personal protective equipment, risk factors and more, she continues.

Each site collaborates and communicates with its security partners to protect those incarcerated, through additional measures to prevent the spread of infection. This includes: symptom, travel, and temperature screening of all persons entering the facilities at all times; quarantine of new intakes to monitor for symptoms; testing of symptomatic and asymptomatic persons and contacts; and, prior to transfers, masks for all incarcerated persons and staff; identifying higher risk patients and participating in applications for medical

release; focus and training on sanitation and hygiene; and technology enhancements to expand tele-health and other processes to reduce movements.

Our staff had previously been trained in infection prevention and control, which included the procedures for handling outbreaks and contact tracing, she tells CF. “This training, along with partnership with our security partners provided a constant flow of communication, collaboration and action.”

In addition, Centurion had implemented tele-health for many of the populations it serves since before the pandemic, she says, and continues to take advantage of those benefits in its ability to increase access to both physical and mental healthcare. “While COVID-19 has presented new social distancing challenges, telehealth has evolved to serve in new capacities such as allowing group mental health programming to continue while safely distanced, and allowing physicians to continue care when not able to enter facilities normally.”

Finally, Medley-Lane says, “The infection rate and morbidity rate at many sites has been lower than the rates in the communities where the incarcerated individuals reside, which is encouraging.”

UV Lights Other ways jail and prisons have begun targeting the virus include both conventional and unconventional strategies. One of the latter is use of UV lights.

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Long used in health care settings to disinfect, UVC light systems have been proven by independent labs to kill microorganisms.

One such system is Command Sourcing’s UVC Robot, which works primarily by destroying the DNA inside bacteria, viruses and fungi. It emits light from the high-energy portion of the UV spectrum called UV-C that is most effective, explains Jack McLaughlin, VP/COO. Command Sourcing’s UV-C Robot device uses an array of UV sensors, which determines and targets shadowed areas to deliver a measured dose of UV energy that destroys microorganisms.

This unit is fully automated and activated by a handheld remote control, and the room ventilation does not need to be modified. It

Coronavirus Relief Programs has been allocated for units to be placed not only in jails but administrative buildings, courthouses, and public spaces, McLaughlin concludes.

San Antonio-based Xenex Disinfection Services offers another UV system called the LightStrike which is “the first and only UV room disinfection technology that's been tested against SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) and our robot deactivated the virus in two minutes,” says Melinda Hart, director, Media Relations.

“We've seen a surge in orders from health care (hospitals, nursing homes, medical office buildings, etc.) but we've also seen interest from non-healthcare, pretty much any place where

Xenex offers a UV room disinfection system called the LightStrike that's been tested against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

measures UV light reflected from the walls, ceiling, floors, or items in the room and calculates the time required to deliver the programmed lethal dose for pathogens, McLaughlin says.

After decontamination, it powers down and an audible alarm notifies the operator.

During this time, Command Sourcing has been working with many jail facilities and sheriffs to bring these solutions to communities as part of their coronavirus infection prevention programs.

Orders have now been placed as CARES funding through 8 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JULY/AUGUST 2020

people live, work or play,” she says, and that means food processing plants and government agencies. In fact, the LAPD uses LightStrike robot in its Skid Row station to disinfect offices, kit rooms, restrooms, meeting rooms, locker rooms, etc.

Hart notes: “There's been a tremendous amount of interest in UV disinfection as a result of the pandemic and lots of companies attempting to market UV technologies. It's really important for anyone that's considering UV disinfection to carefully evaluate the Continues on page 37

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BY DONNA ROGERS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

THE FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRY STEPS UP TO THE PLATE Commercial equipment, carts, trays, as well as disinfectants and PPEs are all helping to control the Coronavirus.

FWE Correctional Model heated tray server

THE AMERICAN CORRECTIONAL FOOD SERVICE AFFILIATES CONVENTION scheduled for September 13-16, 2020 will be held virtually. Zoom workshops and keynote addresses will be accessed safely and conveniently online with topics such as food safety, the Offender Culinary Program and a dietician’s panel.

In this time, as prisons and jails are facing unprecedented issues in dealing with the spread of COVID-19, Corrections Forum has reached out and discovered ways the food service industry 10 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JULY/AUGUST 2020

has stepped up to plate. These vendors have helped to manage an immediate need of in-cell meals with commercial kitchen equipment, carts, trays and the like, changed how food is delivered and packaged and have even provided desperately needed proactive safety measures such as disinfectant, gloves and masks.

Here are a few examples.

At the emergence of the pandemic, The JonesZylon Company was presented with an urgent need to deliver meals to housing units rather than congregate in

cafeterias, details Rob Zachrich, president. “We had to drastically shorten our lead times in order to accommodate the demand.”

It began when a large state institution had a rapid outbreak that caused them to close their cafeteria, he furthers. “They needed meal trays and delivery carts to accommodate over 2,000 inmates right away.” The company worked with the agency to design a new meal delivery system from scratch with a cart and tray system that closely suited their application. “We were able

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to deliver just enough meals to each location with the minimal investment and guarantee every meal would be hot every time.”

Not only that, he furthers, “we cut our lead time from eight weeks to two weeks to meet the urgent need.”

JonesZylon’s forte is providing meal delivery systems specifically designed for meal delivery to housing units. They start by offering a large variety of meal trays that corrections can choose from to suit their agency, then pair them with delivery carts that accommodate both the tray and the facility. With more than 100 cart choices replete with correctional features they have rolled out quite a fleet for use while inperson cafeteria dining is at a minimum. Finally, rounding out the offering, Jones provides corrections-grade drying racks, hot boxes and all dinnerware.

Helping out in another way, Zachrich notes that for some time now they have been distributing hand sanitizer and face masks to their clients in the health care industry so with the onset of outbreak they have extended that to their correctional customers as well.

A similar incidence occurred with clients served by FWE Co. Inc., which markets ultra heavy duty construction heated holding cabinets, tray delivery carts, refrigeration transport models and more with tamper resistant security packages, which the company says are custom designed and built for the harshest conditions and operations. The FWE Correctional Series is constructed of durable all stainless steel, with a minimum of removable parts— yet reported to be easy to clean and sanitize. During the pandemic, the company has made modifications for its clients within very tight turnaround times.

Nichol Lampman, senior account specialist, reports the company “has quickly adapted some of our products as facilities shift from mess hall service to 12 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JULY/AUGUST 2020

of production to service, what the unique security concerns are and environmental factors that need to be taken into account.”

Finally, “to make sure we see the service from every angle, our sales and support teams personally visit many correctional sites from minimum security to supermax, working with food production, maintenance teams, guards, and trustees.”

Start to Finish Support

Federal Supply USA offers a foot door pull for hands-free door opening.

more in-cell feeding. All of our heavy-duty modified (HDM) products are highly modifiable by nature so we can quickly pivot to meet the changing service models.”

In fact, Lampman furthers, a corrections facility in the Northeast required equipment to transport meals for new in-cell feeding service. When FWE received the customer’s container sample, “our engineering team discovered the originally-ordered unit would not be suitable for their operation. Our engineering and research and development teams quickly collaborated to modify the interior of the units to accommodate client-specified disposable containers. This was all accomplished while maintaining the originally provided expedited ship date.”

On a typical basis, Lampman says FWE puts in the time at a facility to ensure the sales team knows what type of service the facility prefers. To that end, “we review operation and flow of product in detail, what the equipment will encounter from point

Federal Supply USA supports overall correctional food service and safety needs. “Anything from kitchen equipment, kitchen supplies, parts, PPE, cleaning and janitorial supplies, we are your go-to experts,” says Chelsea Selevredes, marketing manager. On a usual basis, they say they offer customers start to finish project support. With an abundance of correctional institution experience, they take that knowledge to onsite visits, where they analyze customer’s needs and then look for cost savings and efficiencies to help maximize budgets and utility, says Selevredes.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve heavily helped our customers with their hard-to-find needs, of hand sanitizer, proactive safety solutions, masks, disinfectant, gloves and so much more,” she continues.

Also during the pandemic, the company has been staying on top of things by doubling down on customer service. “We have made sure we are consistently keeping our communicating at an all time high via email, social media and phone,” explains Selevredes. “We believe it’s important to keep all lines of communication open, especially now more than ever.

We’ve recently launched a PPE website for our customers to shop at any time while we update our current website to better fit our customers’ needs—www.shopfederalsupply.com.” All orders that can be fulfilled are shipped within 24 hours during operating business hours, she notes.

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The MyVistar login page is a leaping off point to order candy or snacks, fresh or frozen foods as well as non-food items like health and beauty or janitorial supplies.

During the present when trade shows are virtual, Federal Supply continues to share its story as an essential business through multiple media channels. Some of these include Instagram LIVE “Town Hall” events, online tradeshows, traditional print ads, email campaigns and more, Selevredes notes.

She furthers that COVID-19 has given Federal Supply USA “the opportunity to show our customers more than ever that we’re more than just a vendor, but a partner. We have been working hard throughout the whole pandemic making sure our customers have access to what they need to make their facilities as safe as possible for their staff and their inmates.”

“Vistar has capitalized on its enormous buying power to source and distribute essential products including PPE products and services, meal kits and more, to meet the needs of correctional facility staff and inmates.”

Vistar Corrections stocks and distributes thousands of products across dozens of product categories (food and non-food), to serve the needs of correctional commissaries and food service operations. He says the company

helps correctional agencies improve their operations by providing a broad array of food and non-food products unique to corrections, including health and beauty to fresh and frozen. Vistar distributes from its national network of 24 distributions centers (OPCOs) in 23 states, and operates a company owned fleet of temperature-controlled trucks, making it uniquely positioned and dedicated to serving the correctional industry.

The latest MyVistar online ordering system offers buyers a sweet deal. It streamlines the ordering process in a way that McQuarrie says is a fast, easy, and economical way to purchase. He ensures that for those with questions the supplier maintains a team of customer service reps and account managers available to answer questions and assist with placing orders. The company also notes that invoices are simplified.

You can place any type of order from snacks and beverages to non-food items and janitorial supplies and combine it on one invoice. That means “one order, one invoice, one delivery.”

Tough Ovens and Hoods Revent Incorporated, which is home based in Sweden with manufacturing and test facilities in

Easy Online Orders Since the onset of COVID-19 in America, VISTAR Corrections has been focused on keeping its associates safe and its customers safely supplied with recurring food and non-food products to meet the needs of their residents, says Michael McQuarrie, marketing manager. Additionally, 14 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JULY/AUGUST 2020

Smart carts and smart trays are paired together for a custom fit to the facility.

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Somerset, N.J., is a leading producer of Rotating Rack Ovens and Proofers as well as other essential equipment for the bakery and food service industries. Its line of Rotating Rack Ovens provide great capacity for correctional institutions to provide both baked goods as well as proteins.

The ovens can hold single racks, a double rack or even two double racks of products at one time.

“This saves time, energy and labor while providing a safe oper-

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ating environment,” according to Tom Moore, VP of Sales. “By introducing the first rotating rack oven, we bring know-how and quality to a tough market environment.”

Moore says its manufacturer representative groups work in conjunction with food service dealers as well as the consultant community to have the opportunity to work with corrections customers. He reports these reps “provide top-notch support of

the corrections institutions through on-site visits, working with the specification of equipment as well as supporting both replacement units as well as new builds.”

While it’s been tough to get the word out during the past few months when COVID-19 shut down trade shows, in person visits and other traditional marketing avenues, they have depended on their “very strong customer base” that gives us repeat business as well as “great word-ofmouth communications.”

Another introduction, offered

by Unified Brands, a leading manufacturer of food service equipment, has made selecting the proper ventilation hoods for your application easier than ever with the launch of the SimpleSpec line of hood systems

by Avtec.

“With all the different types and styles of hoods, selecting the right kitchen ventilation system can be difficult,” said Jefferson Kenney, ventilation design & product specialist for Unified Brands in a press release. “With Avtec SimpleSpec, we’ve made it simple to find and order the proper hood for your application. Not only that, it allows you to solve your ventilation issues in a way that fits your budget.”

The budget-driven SimpleSpec line of commercial kitchen ventilation hoods is designed to meet the price-sensitive requirements of food service professionals while delivering convenience, performance and versatility for a variety of applications, the firm states. Styles are available in box, conveyor pizza, fryer, dishwasher, display and chain broiler.

To make ordering more simple, this is the first time Avtec will be listed in AutoQuotes, and SimpleSpec has an accompanying interactive price guide available for your convenience. The company says that the SimpleSpec process from quote-to-shipment is only 17 days. %

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BY MICHAEL GROHS, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

SOFTWARE IN HARD TIMES WITH STAFF STRETCHED TO THE MAX, SOFTWARE MAKES IT EASIER TO MANAGE OFFENDERS

Correctional workers are responsible for managing every detail of more than 2.2 million lives. Doing so would not be possible without software. Software has been crucial to maximizing efficiency and productivity even in calm times, and since facilities have been so profoundly affected by COVID-19, and most experts agree that it will be followed by a subsequent recession and budget cuts, software will be a crucial tool to managing the nation’s inmates. Here are some programs that might offer help. cFIVE CFive Solutions is involved with supervision and supervision services. James Newman, senior vice president, points out that their Catalyst platform is designed to engage the client throughout the rehabilitation process. Catalyst incorporates the three essential supervision services: appointments, messaging, and questionnaires. It is designed to change the behavior of both the client and the officer who can calculate the client’s engagement rate. The shared, managed calendars notify users of upcoming appointments and events includ18 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JULY/AUGUST 2020

CFive Catalyst probation dashboard shows a client profile with a record of their follow-up appointments.

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ing directions on how to get there. Automated notifications remind clients to acknowledge upcoming events, which provide clients a framework to develop positive habits that change behavior. CFive has a library with multiple levels of myriad questionnaires. A monthly questionnaire determines the “dosage,” which the officer can look at and determine what and how much needs to be done.

The client can easily submit updates regarding life-changing events to their case manager, which is helpful in the COVID age when many on probation and parole may feel their checkins are going unnoticed. Catalyst guides the client through their supervision term and keeps them abreast of all important interactions and information from their case manager.

Communication and supervision can occur wherever the client takes their phone. Catalyst’s flexibility provides agencies and case managers the ability to adjust supervision activities to interact appropriately with all client types.

To help engage the client’s support system, help foster accountability and support success, Catalyst can also apprise family members, teachers, counselors and other members of a client’s support system of deadlines and responsibilities.

DXC OFFENDER360 DXC Offender360 is a software solution that helps manage facilities and inmates from intake through release and beyond. The solution is designed for jail, corrections, probation, and parole management. It also includes modules to support pretrial, diversion, and community corrections.

John Schloemann, national sales leader, Health and Public Sector/ECA at DXC Technology, points out that the DXC Offender360 can store and retrieve large amounts of data, 20 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JULY/AUGUST 2020

The Northpointe Suite Custody Management System includes graphical timelines of all past and future milestones and activities from intake through release.

drive automated workflows, and create robust reporting quickly and efficiently. Offender360 is completely web-based and is built on the Microsoft Dynamics 365 technology platform, which gives it “a familiar and easy-to-use interface.” Offender360 software users have access to reporting and dashboard tools that enable ad hoc queries in support of realtime data analysis to measure recidivism, program effectiveness, and operations performance.

Software features include electronic signature, biometric ID validation through fingerprint scanning, barcode scanning for inmate movement, automated workflow for managing tasks, and system-generated alerts and notifications. Mobility features enable real-time data entry and data access to users during inmate cell counts, movements, and community supervision. The software helps staff reduce redundancies, automate workflows, and use system notifications and alerts to manage inmates and reduce paperwork.

Functionality is also customizable.

Says Schloemann, “Organizations can modify the application to meet their everchanging needs without writing custom code. Offender360 can be rapidly configured to modify data models, security rules, workflow/logic, screens, fields and UI to support new business processes with drag-and-

drop/point-and-click tools, not code and script.” He furthers that 2020 has been an unusual year of challenges for those involved in public safety, and these challenges are driving an unprecedented level of change. COVID19 is having a significant impact on corrections facilities, inmates, and staff and there are growing calls to reexamine the use of force and how to balance public safety with the safety of law enforcement. These and other challenges are driving agencies to look for configurable and flexible technology solutions.

EQUIVANT The Northpointe Suite Custody Management software is a JMS designed on three basic pillars: Person, Booking, and Facility management. Says Greg Eash, interim general manager at equivant, “Since activities are taking place at every one of these levels within a correctional facility, we’ve made sure that our Custody Management solution lets correctional officers quickly view and complete those tasks as they arise at each level. Our primary objective in building this new system is to ensure efficiency across the facility, leading to more effective custody management overall.”

The Northpointe Suite Custody Management solution comes prepackaged with many config-

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urable fields already set for the agency based on experience and knowledge of the industry.

“Those fields can be changed if the agency has specific needs.

Customer-controlled configuration is an essential function of our software so we make sure that site administrators are trained to set up their unique workflows and field options early on during system implementation.”

When it comes to trends, says Eash, “It comes down to practicality. Without question, agencies are looking for a system that allows them to efficiently perform those tasks that are required every single day within a facility.

A lot of jail software today has been over-complicated at the expense of quickly managing those daily tasks and the Number One request we were hearing from jails across the country was to help them target and complete the most critical activities they face.”

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KRONOS Jennifer Dowd, senior manager, Public Sector Practice Group at Kronos Incorporated, points out that efficient employee scheduling and timekeeping are vital in helping facilities streamline how they manage their workforce.

Automating these processes, says Dowd, is an effective way to improve scheduling accuracy, facilitate compliance, and control labor costs.

Workforce Dimensions from Kronos automates time and attendance tracking while Workforce TeleStaff allows supervisors to pre-build schedules based on demand, employee preferences, and accrual balances. “Together, these integrated solutions help correctional facilities eliminate scheduling inefficiencies and control labor costs with a consistent application of work and pay rules; minimize compliance risk by tracking and enforcing the necessary labor laws and union rules; improve

accuracy for schedulers, administrators, and employees by reducing manual and timely administrative tasks; and optimize the workforce through real-time data and reporting.”

In the COVID era, says Dowd, setting up management and HR with a formalized process for carrying out contact tracing within their facility is vital as is introducing policies or technologies to limit contact at work. Kronos introduced a new automated reporting capability in April 2020 to simplify the process of contact tracing in the workplace.

Organizations using the contacttracing capability have the means to analyze existing labor records and the time and attendance data they already collect to quickly identify employees who have been potentially exposed to COVID-19 at work. “Kronos has not streamlined contact tracing all together, but we have automated critical aspects of what

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ate, agencies rely on Securus’ Investigator Pro (IPRO) voice analytics software, which identifies if an incarcerated individual attempts to hide his/her identify through unlawful acts such as PIN theft and even recognizes elevated voice tone for suspicious activity. Investigators can classify individuals as “highinterest” to easily sort within the database for ongoing cases, search for outside call parties through voice samples, and utilize more features that makes information easy to find.

THREADS puts critical information at investigators’ fingertips.

might otherwise be a manual and perhaps less accurate process.”

SECURUS Securus offers, among other things, a full suite of operational and investigative software solutions. The central system for all Securus software is NextGen SCP, which aggregates data to support enforcing policies, managing procedures, facilitating investigations, and ensuring safety.

NextGen SCP consolidates all incarcerated individual communications into the unified interface so staff can easily collect, report, and investigate data and rely on the intuitive system to prompt real-time alerts highlighting suspicious activity. The NextGen SCP platform centralizes necessary data, identifies patterns, delivers real-time alerts, and creates easy access to files and information for effective and efficient facility management and

investigative efforts. The proprietary features of Securus solutions create an investigative intersection of incarcerated individual management and communications management, integrating the data into easy-to-interpret reporting. The platform is also highly configurable and can be customized for an agency’s appropriate products and the features within.

THREADS automatically integrates with NextGen SCP and allows investigators to leverage data to recognize patterns and mine intelligence. THREADS centralizes information from numerous resources and uncovers patterns and trends that are displayed in easy-to-understand graphics and reports. By exposing questionable activity and producing quick analyses, investigators can take action and manage cases more effectively.

To ensure telephone communications are safe and appropri-

TEXTBEHIND In 2014, Zia Rana, CEO of TextBehind, Inc., launched the CAMMP System (Comprehensive Access to Mail Management Portal) to assist facilities with mail duties and to enable families and friends to communicate with incarcerated loved ones conveniently and affordably.

Using the application, correctional officers can manage every aspect of the inmate mail review and approval process.

Additionally, the system is equipped with advanced automation functions to streamline mailroom operations to save time and enhance security related to inmate mail. TextBehind eliminates mail-related contraband and streamlines prison mailroom operations to 20% on Day One of implementation.

TextBehind’s website and mobile apps are used to create let-

TextBehind is said to enable family and friends to communicate with incarcerated loved ones conveniently, consistently and affordably.

24 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JULY/AUGUST 2020

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ters electronically instead of sending hand-written letters by postal service (although they process physical letters as well for contracted facilities). With the app and website, a user can select an inmate and send text messages with photos, greeting cards, and kids’ drawings to them. It will then be printed out by officers at the facility and delivered to the inmate just like a regular letter. TextBehind partners with facilities and places printers in the prison mailroom, or TextBehind allows inmates to access mail from the mailing system, and the inmate can review the text letter on a kiosk or tablet inside the facility. If the facility is not partnered with TextBehind, a user can still use the app to send text letters, cards and photos, and the mail team at the service center will scan them, print them out, and send them via US mail.

The hand-written response letter will also be scanned and sent to the recipient electronically.

able objectives and interventions or to accept the ones recommended by the Treatment Pathways Module. Case managers can assign clients to traditional programming options available in the community and/or to digital programming available through Vant4ge’s learning management system.

Programming can even be scheduled through the system.

With the inclusion of

Vant4gePoint’s Provider Portal, this feature allows real-time communication and attendance tracking. The system includes a database of over 200,000 easily searchable programs. If a client is 20 hours into an 80 hour course and is released as a result of COVID, he or she can continue the program using a phone or tablet, and the parole officer can take over and assign new programs. %

VANT4GE Sean Hosman, president and CEO of Vant4ge, explains how Vant4gePoint allows “seamless supervision” regardless if an inmate is in a facility or the community. It was developed for the criminal justice field and connects referring agencies, service providers, and clients in an online community through the entire rehabilitative process from assessment to completion of supervision. Users can collect, manage, and exchange information in one platform in real time and determine what is needed.

Upon completion of an assessment, Vant4gePoint uses the results to display a narrative and graphical representation of criminogenic needs as a starting point and recommends treatment and program interventions. The Case Plan Module then guides officers and case managers through a sequence of screens that formulate customizVISIT US AT WWW.CORRECTIONSFORUM.NET

CORRECTIONS FORUM • JULY/AUGUST 2020 25

BY G.F. GUERCIO, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Pandemic repercussions remain great, thus agencies must become fluid for green initiatives to survive and thrive.

T

he Coronavirus changes everything, even sustainability in corrections. It has impacted what gets done and has sprouted new ideas. In some areas, things remain relatively unchanged, but for the most part agencies have to adapt, at least for now.

Virtually all correctional facilities have gone into some type of modified lockdown. These limitations have had a devasting impact on many of the practices that are the backbone of most institutions’ sustainability efforts, including recycling and solid waste management, says Tommy Norris, founder and CEO of GreenPrisons.org.

Most outside crews, particularly those involved in highway litter control have been suspended to reduce the exposure of inmates and staff to the virus.

Chad Naugle, the Sustainability Programs manager for the Oregon Department of Corrections (ODOC) points out prior to COVID the Departments’ Material

26 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JULY/AUGUST 2020

Recovery Facility processed an average of 225,000 pounds of waste monthly. Oregon is experiencing increased operating costs of $2,000 for minimum-security and double that for medium-security and co-located prisons due to changes it must institute.

On a positive note, ODOC was able to maintain its beekeeping, gardens, and endangered-butterfly rearing programs identified as essential. During this pandemic, they have had 20 adults in custody receive their beginner beekeeper certificates, Naugle says.

“The butterfly rearing lab has collected 2,246 eggs from 18 adult Oregon Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies that were collected by USFWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). These eggs are being reared until the endangered butterfly hatches.”

Recently thriving, large-scale gardening programs Norris refers to, such as the newly minted aquaponics programs in Texas or the gardening/reentry program

developed by the Insight Garden Program (IGP) in California, Ohio and Indiana, have all been affected. Restricted inmate movement has limited participation in the gardens, however. The outside staff has been able to send in academic materials and assignments to allow inmates to maintain some level of involvement in the program and continue to work toward their certifications as state restrictions vary, according to Beth Waitkus, executive director.

Bolstering the Bounty A new COVID-inspired garden emerged in response to the pandemic, explains Janelle Guthrie, communications director with Washington State Department of Corrections (WA DOC). As we became aware of a 70 percent drop in donations anticipated by the WA Food Fund, The WA DOC developed a plan called the Corrections Hope Gardens to help fight hunger,” she says.

Garden expansion projects at

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correctional facilities across the state give more incarcerated individuals an opportunity to garden while allowing facilities to increase the amount of produce to donate to local food banks and community kitchens, Guthrie explains. The department started planning in early March, at the beginning of the growing season.

Building on its existing gardens of nearly 19 acres, the department put another 100-plus acres into production this spring, allowing facilities to bolster the bounty between their correctional kitchens and local communities.

Precautionary measures include limiting the number of individuals working in the garden during shifts to allow for adequate social distancing, explains Rachel Friederich, WA DOC communications consultant. “All staff and incarcerated individuals are required to wear appropriate personal protective equipment and all gardening materials are cleaned and sanitized before and

Incarcerated individuals working in a garden at Stafford Creek Corrections Center in Aberdeen, Washington, as part of the WA DOC Hope Gardens program instituted to help fight hunger in response to Covid-19.

after each use.”

Also longer-standing endeavors of WA DOC in collaboration with Evergreen State College in Washington, called Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP), are wide ranging. Friederich details two SPP programs: “In one of the projects at the Washington State Sustainability Practices Lab incarcerated individuals are using

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materials to build water filtration systems for countries without fresh water systems, and another project at prisons uses recycled materials to create items for charitable organizations.” While WA DOC had to curtail or suspend many correctional programs to prevent the spread of COVID-19, gardening is one program they have been able to continue.

CORRECTIONS FORUM • JULY/AUGUST 2020 27

Butterfly Crew with Oregon Zoo Contractor (seated) and Chad Naugle, Sustainability Programs manager, with the ongoing ODOC butterfly project.

A wider long-running garden program, Harvest Now, founded

by Brooks Sumberg in 2010, reports food donation totals in the last four years (with this year’s numbers undetermined as of yet): In 2016 142,952 pounds were collected, 2017 totals 394,813 pounds, 2018 numbers reached 434,909, and in 2019 407,067 pounds were donated.

Sumberg says there are about 95 prisons in 15 states that participate in the program: Indiana, Illinois, West Virginia, Washington, Ohio, North Carolina, Michigan, New York, Maine, Oregon, Minnesota, Massachusetts, South Dakota, New Jersey, and New Mexico.

Despite COVID’s question mark for any and all programs, he describes the program’s success thus far, “The outreach of the program is as follows: 5,518,964 servings were donated. I like to say we fed this many people.”

Many programs that highlight 28 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JULY/AUGUST 2020

sustainability also aim to equip inmates for re-entry. The Roots of Success Environmental Literacy and Work Readiness Program (ROS) prepares youth and adults for environmental careers and enables them to improve environmental and social conditions in their communities, says Raquel Pinderhughes, program creator and executive director. Taught in prisons, jails, juvenile facilities, and reentry programs throughout the United States, more than 28,000 students have graduated with almost 50% taking the course while incarcerated.

In addition to its incarcerated instructor-led course, Roots of Success created a self-paced digital version that is being used during the pandemic when individuals are confined to their cells and/or limited in their in-person interactions. Pinderhughes explains the version was designed in 2016 for program directors unable to train or hire incarcerated instructors

due to short sentences, and this version has now been updated to fit the needs during the pandemic.

As an incarcerated instructor, Eugene Youngblood in Monroe Prison, Wash., expresses, “Being a teacher in the Roots of Success program, I have found that not only can we contribute to the health and sustainability of our planet, but we can help ourselves and one another improve and become better people. You cannot measure this impact by getting perfect scores on tests; this is all about change and personal development that also serves to benefit the environment we all live in.”

Sun Power While COVID has proven to be a challenge in some areas, it has highlighted other sustainable opportunities, Norris relates. Solar projects provide a way to utilize unused acreage on prison grounds to provide energy to the prison as well as returning power to the

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installation of its kind in North America, reportedly saving the ODRC (Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction) hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Additionally, SAS provided an offender installation training program that graduated offenders certified in solar thermal installation. Along with the installation training, SAS contracted with Ohio Prison Industries to produce the frames on which the solar thermal collectors were mounted, Slavik says. “So, the project was truly a win-win-win for the ODRC: dramatic cuts in emissions and natural gas costs, offender training in construction skill sets that would give offenders a leg up in their job search upon release, and providing work for offenders through Ohio Prison Industries.”

Slavik adds, “We also offer a classroom/educational program for GED programs that provides an introduction to solar power designed to fit seamlessly into an existing science curriculum.”

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COURTESY: ROOTS OF SUCCESS

grid. For correctional newcomer, Green Street Power Partners (GSPP), “It’s an exciting time to be developing these projects because we’re now able to establish major electric savings for correctional facilities,” says Craig Dwyer, director of Utility Markets. GSPP is currently proposing projects to several correctional systems, one of which is expected to result in $479,445 in savings in Year One and approximately $28 million over the 35-year term of the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), accomplished with no capital outlay by the agency, he details.

Solar America Solutions (SAS) has installed large-scale hot water and space heat solar thermal systems in several correctional institutions and facilities, in Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee and Nevada, says Charlie Slavik, president.

“Our thermal systems regularly cut traditional fuel costs and emissions by 50 to 60 percent.”

Ross Correctional Institution in Chillicothe, Ohio, is the largest

Roots of Success uses incarcerated instructors, here working with a student at Stafford Creek Correctional Center, a state facility in Aberdeen, Washington, and more recently moving to a virtual platform due to COVID concerns.

CORRECTIONS FORUM • JULY/AUGUST 2020 29

COURTESY: ROOTS OF SUCCESS

Roots of Success (ROS) Environmental Literacy and Work Readiness Program classroom at Stafford Creek Correctional Center, a state facility in Aberdeen, Washington. Classes have since moved online.

Yet Slavik notes a significant problem moving forward is how to pay for it. Even though payback periods are within accepted timeframes, correctional budgets are always strained, especially with the current COVID-19 situation.

“We have managed to overcome cost issues by offering PPA (power purchase agreement) programs that require no out-of-budget funds from correctional facilities.”

Dispersing Chemicals Because COVID-19 has taken precedence over sustainability initiatives in many correctional facilities, the sanitizing aspect of protecting a 24-hour population and essential employees has become the focus of companies, such as PortionPac, over and above nowaste products, Norris notes.

Also of concern environmentally, a number of cleaning and sanitizing products have been rushed to market, says Caryn Stetz, chief strategy officer for PortionPac Chemical Corporation and a member of ACA’s Sustainability 30 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JULY/AUGUST 2020

Committee. She points out that the misinformation has become so pervasive, the EPA recently released a compliance advisory statement addressing concerns about product claims not reviewed by the EPA that may pose a risk to consumers: https://www.epa.gov /sites/production/files/202005/documents/cornavirus-compliance-advisory.pdf. Traditional spraying and wiping of all hightouch surfaces throughout the day is still the best defense against the spread of any organism on that surface, according to Stetz.

Reverting focus back to green packaging, Bob Barker’s RapidPak, 3-in-1-dissolvable pak for hygiene items has several sustainable qualities, says Erin Howell, product manager. It eliminates wrappers and bottles littering the floor, avoids costly, clogging issues with toilets and drains from bottles or partially used bars of soap, it reduces inventory by eliminating gallon containers, pumps, and dispensing cups, cuts down on spillage and wasted product with

its one-time use paks.

The clean green initiative also spans laundry. “Because of the COVID-19 impact on inmate populations, Laundry Loops provide an efficient and hygienic improvement to correctional laundry systems,” say founders Peggy and Mike Durney, adding that garments washed inside mesh bags cannot be effectively sanitized.

Over the last five years, many correctional facilities adopted Laundry Loops to keep inmate and staff laundry sorted while it washes and dries, primarily because garments dry much faster which provides the added bonus of energy savings. “Laundry supervisors reported cleaner, dryer, less wrinkled clothing; and sustainability officers reported at least 50 percent reduction in energy consumption required to dry clothing.”

Although COVID has presented unique challenges to everyone, sustainability managers from across the country are constantly Continues on page 36

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BY BILL SCHIFFNER, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

When Do We Meet Again?

COVID-19 still keeping trade shows in check

COVID-19

continues to play havoc with trade shows in every industry, including corrections. Most of the major shows have been postponed and cancelled, while others still on the docket for later this year are putting in place severe restrictions to safeguard the health of all that are attending.

The latest show to be cancelled in the corrections industry was the 150th Anniversary Celebration Congress of Corrections that was scheduled for Cincinnati, Ohio, August 6-10. In making the announcement, ACA said that their Winter Conference will be held in Long Beach, California, in February 2021.

Looking for New Opportunities

In addition to cancelling shows, COVID-19 has also caused many companies to think outside the box as they continue the challenge to meet their customer’s needs. Bob Barker Company has developed a coronavirus response team, CROSS (COVID-19 Response Outreach Service + Support.) The company has set up a product category for purchasing personal protective

equipment (PPE) as a well as a COVID-19 resource page.

“COVID-19 has impacted production and supply chains worldwide. Fortunately, at Bob Barker Company, we maintain millions of dollars of in stock inventory at all times to minimize any impact to our customers,” says Nancy Johns, COO of Bob Barker Company. “However, many items that are used specifically to slow the spread of COVID-19 have had unprecedented demand at the same time that production and transportation has been slowed. We are working diligently on behalf of our customers to continue to meet their needs during this difficult time.”

The virus continues to provide some obstacles to health care and food services in facilities as well.

Darius Holmes, senior vice president of Strategic Development at Wexford Health Sources notes that while COVID-19 has made daily correctional health care operations more challenging, it has also strengthened many partnerships as they work closely with their clients and public health agencies on creating and implementing new protocols.

“Together, we have designed and provided vital staff and patient education on more frequent cleansing of workspaces; proper

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use of PPE; staffing and patient movement for newly created quarantine units; using telehealth for clinical encounters; and multiple other areas that necessitated policy changes due to the pandemic.”

When Will Shows Be Back?

Many trade show industry sources are forecasting a gradual restart to trade shows in the fourth quarter of 2020, and close to normal activity in first quarter of 2021, barring any large second wave of the virus.

This timing will of course be adjusted depending on infections, but if the pandemic is truly under control, businesses will be under huge pressure to start trying to recoup the revenues lost from the lengthy shutdown. Trade shows are essential to a company’s business and branding since they provide a huge opportunity to see lots of customers one-onone, offer live product demos and schedule business meetings in a short period of time.

So, until we get back into a normal trade show routine, Corrections Forum offers in print the latest new products and services for the corrections market.

CORRECTIONS FORUM • JULY/AUGUST 2020 31

Eliminate Coin Jams Microtronic US is a leader in prison and jail “cashless” vending for both visitors and staff and, in some locations, offenders as well.

Its cards can be used as ID Badges and the system can be integrated

ence. The feature-rich design includes sleek casing, an extensive battery life, 40% faster performance, sharp 1280x800 resolution and more upgrades that incarcerated individuals will appreciate. The JP6S is also equipped with optimized security preventive features to keep agencies safe. sales@SecurusTechnologies.com, TabletsImprovingLives.com

Spicing Things Up

into Offender Trust Accounting systems, such as A-T-G. No more coin jams during visitation and sales increase since funds are loaded onto a card so the maximum allowed inside can be increased. Says the company: We help eliminate coin contraband and no extra work required of your staff! In addition, the system is purchased by the vending company so no out-of-pocket costs for your facility.

800.879.3586, www.microtronicus.com

JP6S Corrections Grade Tablet The JP6S from Securus Technologies is the industry’s most evolved tablet purposely built to improve quality of life for incarcerated individuals. As the first major corrections-grade

Those at Union Supply Group know that rice and beans is a staple in most commissaries so they have created seven new San Miguel rice and bean items that will satisfy all inmates, from

Rugged Mattress Bob Barker Company introduces their toughest mattress yet—the Spartan Ripstop Polyester Mattress. Five times stronger than TPU, the two

Jalapeno to Chorizo to Spicy Cheese. All are offered at a friendly inmate value price. These serve as an ideal staple for a corrections commissary, the company notes.

310.604.4626, ddrewry@unionsupplygroup.com, www.unionsupplygroup.com

Face Masks

tablet launch in more than three years, the JP6S was built to provide current Securus and JPay tablet users with an upgraded hardware and better user-experi32 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JULY/AUGUST 2020

amounts of fluid, spray and/ aerosols are produced. They meet EN14683 Rating-Type 11 Standard. The three-ply, singleuse mask with full length ear loops and adjustable nose piece allow a tight but comfortable fit.

Available in 2,000 masks per case.

888-296-6730, wkroberts@oraline.net

Oraline continues to meet the special needs of correctional marketplace with tools to meet the new reality of COVID preparation. BFE Level 1 face masks are intended for use in infection control to minimize contamination caused by exhaled microorganisms and reduce the potential exposure of the wearer to blood and body fluids. They are said to be ideal for procedures where low

heavy-duty layers of vinyl laminate bonded to a 1000 denier ripstop scrim, decreases the likelihood of rips and tears. The 100% sealed seams lock out contaminates and odors and the concealed breathable vent cannot be picked or ripped apart. 100% made in the USA. 800.334.9880, www.bobbarker.com

Streamlining Operations Tyler Corrections is the comprehensive jail management software that helps automate business processes and drive efficiencies at intake, release, and 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

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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.

800.431.5776, cjsales@tylertech.com www.tylertech.com

COVID-19 ID Band & Contact Tracing Solution Protect inmates and staff with low-cost wearable COVID-19 emergency response ID bands that are highly visible.

Proprietary, durable, and water resistant bands are easily printed on a standard color laser printer or available preprinted. It is available with or without the col-

ored Secur Clasp and features color photo, bar code ID, allergy information, tracking, dietary restrictions, risk level information all available for printing on inmate bands along with any COVID-19 warnings and alerts.

With IDMX and Secur Trac contact tracing is also available.

603.758.1488, info@EndurID.com, www.endurid.com

Meal Delivery System JonesZylon is introducing a new meal delivery system. The meal tray is a 5-compartment self-stacking tray that seals off each compartment and has underside compartment height to

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keep food from getting on bottom. The trays are paired with small, medium or large heavyduty corrections grade carts that fit a surprisingly large number of trays. Users can add a heat box right away or add one later to convert to a heated cart if facilities have temperature issues.

800.848.8160, www.joneszylon.com/ServeSmart/

Correctional Healthcare Services Centurion, LLC is a leading provider of healthcare services to Continues on page 36

CORRECTIONS FORUM • JULY/AUGUST 2020 33

BY PERLA JOHNSON PROFILE FROM SECURUS TECHNOLOGIES, NO. 3 IMPROVING LIVES FROM THE INSIDE OUT

Digital Opportunities Inspire Career Plans

Anthony Woodman, an incarcerated individual, uses an employment platform to look for construction jobs.

This profile series will feature interviews with incarcerated individuals who have been empowered with educational technology and communication tools provided by Securus Technologies to help prepare for successful reintegration to society upon release. This third profile focuses on Anthony Woodman and Sacsha Krantz, incarcerated individuals at Kendall County Sheriff's Office in Illinois. Since the interviews, Krantz has been transferred to Sheridan Correctional Center of the Illinois Department of Corrections where he is serving a five-year sentence.

While Woodman and Krantz are serving time, they are actually making up for lost time. The Securus Technologies SecureView® Tablet opens up a digital landscape of opportunity for them with equal access to critical content like education programs, which are complimentary. KA Lite is an offering that is helping both men achieve their goals for the future.

The tablet for incarcerated indi34 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JULY/AUGUST 2020

viduals offers thousands of selfguided education videos. An example of subjects include math, science, computers, language arts and a variety of business topics.

Woodman says he has been remodeling homes for over 10 years, and now is learning how to renew his business license.

“It has taught me how to do my personal and business taxes, save money and rebuild my credit as opposed to filing for bankruptcy,” he said.

Additionally, while on the surface, economics, finance and math may not seem important to a home remodeler, Woodman points out they are vital to calculating exact specifications.

“When you’re painting walls, remodeling porches or decks, each gallon of paint, takes up a certain amount of square feet, so you need to know how to calculate that,” Woodman explains.

In fact, he adds that the tablet is also showing him everyday solutions to saving money like the difference between renting and buying a home. Now, he is considering a mortgage.

Additionally, he uses JobView, the Securus Technologies’ employment platform, available for free on the community tablets, which helps incarcerated individuals identify job opportunities so they can prepare for successful reentry.

The complimentary app also allows the users to be able to learn the skills needed for the positions.

Woodman has learned there are a variety of available construction jobs in his community.

“I feel optimistic and excited. I want to show my kids there is a way to make an honest living,” he concludes.

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Sacsha Krantz, an incarcerated individual, prepares for the GED with the help of KA Lite.

Since I will have a GED, I will tend to get paid more, which will make it easier to live on my own,” Krantz adds.

Another Securus Technologies’ digital tool that is having a positive impact on his life is Securus Video Visitation.™ The web-based system allows friends, family, and attorneys to schedule and participate in video visitation sessions with an incarcerated individual from anywhere with internet access using a smartphone, tablet or PC. Remote video visitation provides opportunities to share life’s special moments like birthdays

and holidays. Studies show a link between inmates maintaining relationships with their loved ones while incarcerated reduces recidivism. Krantz adds that video visits after work are convenient for his family. “The visits help me keep in touch. My grandmother, mom, and I have become a lot closer. It brings me hope and lifts my mood. They’re proud of me. They see how I’m changing,” Krantz concludes.

Contributed by Perla Johnson, marketing communications manager, Securus Technologies.

Meanwhile, Krantz also watches videos on the tablet for career building, but first, he is working on his education. “I was able to prepare for the GED with the help of KA Lite,” he explains.

Dep. Commander Jeanne Russo helps supplement the GED program at the sheriff’s office with the community tablets. “The Secure View tablet has increased the potential for our population to successfully complete a high school equivalency program.

Inmates use the application to supplement the classroom instruction they receive. It enables them to complete the life-changing milestone of earning their GED, which is increasing the incarcerated individual’s feeling of self-worth and positively impacting the morale in our institution.”

Krantz feels he is a good selflearner and watched educational videos on the tablets to help him get ready for the test. He shares that he enjoys the flexibility of the learning program with the opportunity to teach himself with whatever tools work best. “The videos teach us how to do it, so the information sticks in our brain.”

He shares that working on the tablet makes him feel positive.

Ideally, he would like to work with his hands and get experience in brick laying.

“KA Lite is also preparing me with good job skills like grammar.

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CORRECTIONS FORUM • JULY/AUGUST 2020 35

Continued from page 30 searching for ways to reinvent themselves and the programs they manage, Norris recounts.

With the cancellation of the recent American Jail Association conference in April, and the upcoming Summer Congress of Corrections by the American Correctional Association (ACA) in August, practitioners such as GreenPrisons.org and others are left with few ways to network and share ideas about maintaining and expanding sustainability in the age of COVID, says Norris.

Immediately after the cancellation of this summer’s ACA conference, Sustainability Co-Chairs George Berghorn and Lois Fegan announced that the Sustainability Committee will conduct a ZOOM meeting around the time of the proposed conference for committee members to convene.

Practitioners who are not members of the committee but would like to learn more about the meeting and how they can participate should send an email of interest to INFO@Green Prisons.org. % For more information contact: GreenPrisons.org, 859.582.1900, INFO@GreenPrisons.org Harvest Now, 203.293.4130, bsumberg@earthlink.net Insight Garden Program, www.insightgardenprogram.org Roots of Success, raquel@rootsofsuccess.org, rootsofsuccess.org Laundry Loops Inc., 888.246.5667, info@laundryloops.com, www.laundryloops.com Solar America Solutions, 317.833.9961, charlie@solaramericasolutions.co m, www.solaramericasolutions.com Sustainability in Prisons Project, www.sustainabilityinprisons.org Bob Barker, www.bobbarker.com PortionPac Chemical Corporation, 800-289-7725 x 5706, cstets@portionpaccorp.com Green Street Power Partners, LLC, 203.496.8950, gspp.com 36 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JULY/AUGUST 2020

Continued from page 33 LiquiDose Butterfly labels for syringes, ampules and small containers, EPS has introduced 5 new colors of Direct Thermal

state correctional agencies and serves eight state correctional systems (Delaware, Arizona, Kansas, Florida, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, and Tennessee). Founded by two of the oldest and most respected companies in correctional healthcare and managed Medicaid—MHM Services, Inc. and Centene Corp.—Centurion brings a level of innovative care coordination services never before available to large correctional systems. www.teamcenturion.com

Heat & Eat Pouched Entrées Vistar introduces Good Eats pouched entrées in five all natural, healthy and tasty flavors.

Butterfly Labels to call attention to medication requiring special handling. Available in bright Blue, Red, Green, Yellow and Orange as well as the original White, all EPS LiquiDose Butterfly labels can be printed with either a regular laser or Zebra Direct Thermal printer.

The label’s distinctive hourglass design provides practitioners ample area for medication identification without covering important markings on the item being labeled.

1.800.523.8966, www.MediDose.com

Managing Correctional Health Costs Since 1992, Wexford Health has offered economic, clinically

Minimally processed with no artificial ingredients or preservatives.

The company suggests viewing the complete line of shelf stable pouched products in the Vistar Corrections 2020 Correctional Commissary Catalog.

1.888.358.8696, JennyServiceCSR@pfgc.com

Direct Thermal Butterfly Labels To complement their popular

sound programs to manage correctional health care costs while maintaining quality of care.

Contact them to learn how Wexford Health’s comprehensive clinical expertise, state-of-the-art technological solutions, and innovative strategies can help improve your facility’s bottom line.

1.888.MED-MGMT (1.888-633.6468), www.wexfordhealth.com

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Continued from page 8 scientific evidence about that technology. Some of the technologies sound really cool—like autonomous disinfection robots— but aren't proven to work (bring infection rates down) in a busy hospital [or prison] environment.”

She states that 35 peer reviewed and published studies validate the efficacy of the LightStrike technology—with hospitals reporting 50%-100% reductions in their infection rates after they began using LightStrike robots for room disinfection.

LightStrike robots use a xenon lamp to create bursts of intense, broad spectrum (200-315nm) UV light. The light damages the microorganism in four ways so it can't reproduce or mutate—effectively destroying the pathogens on surfaces such as doorknobs, tables, bedrails, etc.—even after the room has been cleaned with traditional cleaning methods.

“What separates our technology from other UV strategies is the speed of our robot and the intensity of the UV light it produces,” she furthers. “The robot is proven to kill COVID-19 in two minutes and doesn't damage materials or equipment, so they can be used virtually anywhere—and each robot can disinfect dozens of rooms or spaces per day.”

Laundry Line of Attack Another not-so-unconventional method that prisons and jails have at their disposal to combat disease is proper laundering. Gary Gaunthier, regional sales manager with Milnor Laundry Systems, relates that many of the states he works with have had infections, and both state and federal correctional facilities in his home state of Louisiana have had inmates and staff die. “Both the warden and medical director at one state facility died earlier this year from COVID-19 complications.”

Gaunthier is careful to explain that the spread of COVID-19 has

not been traced to specific laundry practices in any of the hardest-hit institutional settings—specifically, nursing homes and prisons.

However, he says, “extra care should be taken to protect workers and ensure that laundry is being carefully cleaned.” Gaunthier recommends these tips for the laundry. “We encourage all facilities to double-check their wash formulas.

Hot water can sanitize but chemistry and/or ozone systems can do a better job of killing pathogens.

Engage your chemical supplier on a review of wash formulas.

Sometimes, these reviews can be done with a phone call,” he notes.

“Appropriate wash formulas will provide maximum safety.

Items should be dried completely.

Please note that dirty laundry that has been in contact with an infected person can safely be washed with other people’s items,” he points out.

“Viruses hate heat, and drying clothes will further prevent the spread of the disease. [In addition,] clean and disinfect baskets and carts. Clean these items as often as possible and use a bag liner, if available.”

He notes that laundry is a highly routinized process. When properly done, it allows for safe spacing of workers and careful separation of work processes. To that end, he encourages limited movement of workers in the laundry area, limited staff rotation between facilities, barriers created to separate workers, masks and sanitizers and increased disinfection of surfaces.

Elusive Control As we move forward, prison and jail administrators discover the ways to control infection inside a facility may not be clear cut. Although some facilities have engaged in efforts to curtail outbreaks, states the Johns Hopkins/ UCLA study, “the findings suggest that overall, COVID-19 in U.S. prisons is unlikely to be contained without implementation of more effective infection control.” %

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AD INDEX Page No.

ABC Companies..............8 ACFSA ...........................16 Black Creek Integrated Systems Corp. ......23,33 Bob Barker....................39 California Coast University ....................5 Centurion .......................2 Endur ID Incorporated .............25 Institutional Eye Care ....................38 Jones-Zylon Co. ............13 Keefe Group .................40 Keytrak, Inc...................21 Laundry Loops..............38 Medi-Dose Company.............5,9,29 Microtronic US .............22 NCCHC .........................35 Real-Tite Plugs, Inc .......27 Securus Technologies ...34 StunCuff Enterprises, Inc. ........33 STV Architects, Inc .......29 Totemic Solutions...........8 TrinityServices Group, Inc. ................11 Union Supply Group ....15 Western Union .............19 Wexford Health Sources ........................7 This advertisers index is provided as a service to our readers only. The publisher does not assume liability for errors or omissions.

CORRECTIONS FORUM • JULY/AUGUST 2020 37

COMPLETE EYEGLASSES

$14.95

VisiTect™ Basketball

RX Eyeglasses On-Site Optometry On-Site Ophthalmology Testing

VisiTect’s vibrant colors are easily seen from a distance to help increase security by reducing the potential of contraband entering a facility. The basketball’s one-of-a-kind design reduces the ability for it to be replicated.

1000 Facilities Nationwide 44 States - Federal in all 50 States Correctional Vision Care Since 1983

1-800-334-9880 www.bobbarker.com

Institutional Eye Care LLC website: institutionaleyecare.com email: info@ institutionaleyecare.com

Pair-It™ EVA Uni-foot Sandal The Pair-It Sandal is interchangeable to fit right or left foot comfortably which helps cut back on excess inventory by replacing one broken sandal versus a pair. The lightweight material reduces the risk of the sandal being used as a weapon.

1-800-334-9880 www.bobbarker.com

Clearly identifying medications requiring special handling, such as those covered by USP <800>, is important for the safety of your staff and patients.

Medi-Dose has now added 5 more brightly colored Lid-Label Covers – Blue, Red, Orange, Green and Pink - to help you call attention to specific classes of drugs.

www.MediDose.com.

38 CORRECTIONS FORUM • JULY/AUGUST 2020

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