Fall 2022

CORRECTIONS

Media,

CORRECTIONS

Digital Commissary Developers Alleviate SNAGS in Account Management

The support that software and hardware brings to account management benefits the overall facility, staff and residents.

WHEN dealing with commissary and trust accounts, and the myriad of services by association, incorporating software and hardware eases the management and internal organization. Most providers of digital account management also supply communications platforms and sometimes add on grievance, education and entertainment offerings. A few even add the ability to produce ID badges and handle requests, work release and visitation scheduling, among other options.

Along with the access through kiosks, smart devices and apps, typical issues such as money handling and contraband introduction through mail and visitation decrease while opportunities for 24/7 availability and cross-vendor platforms increase.

For example, Tyler Technologies’ Resident Resources,

Microtronic US Cashless Solutions rids facilities of money handling and the issues that come with it.

formerly known as VendEngine, “provides a complete integrated cloud-based technology solution ranging from trust fund management to commissary ordering to mobile deposits,” according to Silas Deane, vice president, VendEngine Management. It includes a full, four-tiered grievance/appeal process along with systems for inmate request management, education, work release, and staff-to-inmate communication.

The cloud-based approach offers 24/7 app-based management tools that enable officers and the general public to access information and data anytime, anywhere. The free CorrectPay app is available in the Android and Apple stores for relatives of the incarcerated to set up accounts, deposit money for commissary, phone, visitation scheduling, electronic messaging and more, with the convenience of their smart devices.

“Our resident tablet and handheld mobile solutions offer an advanced suite of functionality that can eliminate or supplement the wall-mount kiosk for everything from grievances, commissary ordering, phone-based apps, education, entertainment, and financial management,” Deane says. Tyler’s picture-based commissary point-of-sale system integrates with any facility commissary provider or in-house commissary systems, he says, allowing facilities to self-manage their own commissary. Orders are made through kiosk or tablets.

As for communications avenues, friends and families can send unlimited electronic messages directly to individuals at no-cost, he says, “reducing physical mail to a facility by up to 85 percent.” The messaging system is also provided at no cost to the resident’s family and is a reference for intelligence resources “as we provide a keyword search index that pre-screens each message before delivery, flagging unwanted content for review

prior to delivery.”

Deane delineates the advantages of the technology: “Tyler’s cloud-based approach is simple and easy-to-use. Since we operate in the cloud, all the information is in real-time. Our outside-facing apps allow family and friends to easily communicate with residents and our administrative tools make it easy for a facility management to monitor, administer, and communicate with residents instantly for better behav-

“Chetu is able to develop, integrate, customize, optimize, and implement solutions that not only meet the functional needs of our clients,” says Paul Bracht, director of sales, “but also solutions that will seamlessly connect with their current software suites.”

Chetu is a global provider of software development solutions and support services, explains Atal Bansal, founder and CEO. With a team of technology and industry experts, Chetu provides “custom software development, mobile/app development, systems integration and software security,” he says. Bracht, and Director of Operations Pravin Vazirani, expound that the custom jail management software provides a comprehensive set of capabilities to manage the entire jail management lifecycle from booking to release including financial management systems to automate inmate funds and commissary orders, among a host of other modules.

Chetu’s Paul Bracht, director of sales, says its custom management software can provide a comprehensive set of capabilities and also offer solutions that seamlessly connect to each facility’s current software suite.

ior management.” And, he says, Tyler offers a “pure play” technology platform that is phone and commissary vendor agnostic, allowing a facility to choose any vendor it wants while still experiencing advantages of cloud-based technology solutions.

Alleviating Bottlenecks

Another software development firm is a one-stop shop that provides custom software solutions for the corrections industry, removing the hassles of managing multiple vendors, logistics, and technological bottlenecks.

“Our software developers can integrate custom features into existing jail management solutions,” says Vazirani, “to make the management of funds, people, transportation, finances or security much more streamlined and easier to manage in one system instead of having to switch back and forth between several different ones.”

Chetu develops and integrates customizable inventory management systems to provide full control and visibility over everything that comes, goes, and stays within the confines of the correctional facility. And the development of financial management systems simplify, streamline, and automate billing and invoicing, along with inmate funds, bond collections, commissary orders, and more, they outline.

Cloud-based commissary management solutions are designed with a comprehensive set of capabilities that streamline processes for commissary orders, deposits,

payments, shipments, and deliveries. When implementing inmate telephone systems (ITS) software, it is integrated with a wide variety of systems, including inmate trust fund, commissary, kiosk, banking, and jail management systems.

With regards to expertise, says Bracht, “Chetu’s developers are not only technical experts who provide the latest in technological solutions, but also industryspecific experts, ensuring that all solutions can address the needs and trends the corrections industry is experiencing.”

Distinct Payment Transactions for Corrections

The experiences dealing with commissary and inmate trust accounts affirm the transaction is a very different payment and service than a typical customer to customer (C2C) or consumer-tobusiness (C2B) payment, explains

Western Union’s Jeremy M. Cox, senior manager of C2B Payments Strategy & Business Development. “It is truly a C2B2C (consumer to business to consumer) transaction and that makes for a unique customer base and partners within the corrections arena.”

In that light, “To provide more focus, added resources, a better customer and partner experience, and create a digital platform devoted to this,” he says, “Western Union will be launching a new, standalone app and website designed specifically to the corrections industry and customer base.” Current retail and TMT (technology, media, and telecom) customer experience will not change, he says, adding that the launch is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2022 and is “something we are extremely

A facility can use Tyler Technologies’ kiosk for everything from grievances, commissary ordering, phone-based apps, education, entertainment and financial management.

excited about sharing with the industry here soon.”

Currently Western Union offers a platform for commissary payments in many correctional facilities across the United States. This platform consists of a retail network of 50,000 locations, a digital platform via a WU (Western Union) app or the homepage, and a telephone transfer (TMT) system as well.

“Our services allow loved ones to provide needed financial support to those incarcerated allowing them the opportunity for video and audio communications platforms, email services, canteen

Youth who enter through the doors of the justice system do so in the face of deep personal crisis and upheaval. Children that become court-involved have histories of trauma and deep suffering. They are one of the most vulnerable populations on earth. According to a research paper titled MindfulnessBased Interventions For Young Offenders: a Scoping Review justiceinvolved youth often experience

Youth

poor social situations, poverty, adverse childhood experiences, and struggle with poor mental health.

Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) provide courtinvolved youth with enhanced coping skills and psychological resilience. MBIs allow them to deal with the difficulties of incarceration and the hardships that brought them there in the first

place. So, what exactly is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is derived from Buddhist meditation practices that have been secularized. Jon KabatZinn, the creator of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, describes mindfulness as "awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-

judgmentally, in the service of selfunderstanding and wisdom."

A study titled Mindfulness-based Interventions for Youth in the Criminal Justice System: a review of the research-based literature found that MBIs provided incarcerated youth with decreased stress,

and group homes. A co-founder of HLF, Andres Gonzalez, explains, "Our program provides court-involved youth with life skills that allow them to self-regulate, focus, be present, control their emotions and anger, and deal with conflicts peacefully."

incarcerated youth come from underserved communities. HLF assists underserved communities both inside and outside of school programming; they often work with previously incarcerated youth.

The Foundation has served 10,000 children through its

“Nearly 60,000 children under 18 are incarcerated in juvenile jails and prisons.”

—American Civil Liberties Union

increased self-regulation, and improved anger management. It suggests that MBIs can reduce recidivism by helping youth to respond to high-stress and difficult situations.

Non-profits That Help

The Holistic Life Foundation (HLF) is a non-profit organization in Maryland that provides mindfulness training to court-involved youth and kids in underserved communities. HLF teaches mindfulness and yoga at male and female juvenile detention centers

He confirms that justiceinvolved youth have faced trauma in the form of mental and physical abuse, community violence, witnessing a murder or violent act, witnessing drug usage, bullying, and domestic violence. Justice-involved children can be re-traumatized if interventions don't meet their specific needs. That is why HLF takes a traumainformed approach and incorporates a deep understanding of the plight of court-involved youth into its curriculum.

A disproportionate number of

Mindful Moment Program and more than 300 teachers through its training programs. Carlillian Thompson, principal of Robert W. Coleman Elementary School, Baltimore, says, “HLF's yoga program has enabled children to do meditation techniques instead of reacting in anger." In a testament to that, a student of the program reported, "Sometimes when I get mad, I take a deep breath. I think of being a bigger person and doing something maybe a wise man would do."

HLF focuses on a reciprocal

An after-school program offered by the Holistic Life Foundation to underserved youth in Maryland.

teaching model that allows children who have learned the practice to teach others to implement it. "It provides kids with the ability to take care of themselves and others in their community,” Gonzalez says. He agrees that teaching children mindfulness, whether incarcerated or in the general population, supports the wider community. When a child benefits from healing, all benefit from healing.

Understanding Childhood Trauma

Shanthi Project in Pennsylvania also aims to help court-involved youth recover, heal, and transform, says Maureen Wendling, executive director. She explains that working with court-involved youth requires an understanding of the trauma that they face. Exposure to trauma affects the development of a child's brain. This change in brain development can manifest in behaviors that result in incarceration.

Incarcerated youth face various and cumulative types of trauma. For example, there are lifelong consequences for children taken away from their families and friends. "Incarceration cuts them

off from their families, compromises their education, disrupts their social relationships, and increases their chance of recidivating while simultaneously exposing them to further trauma and violence," adds Wendling.

The United States has the highest rate of youth incarceration in the world. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) reports that nearly 60,000 children under 18 are incarcerated in juvenile jails and prisons.

Shanthi Project's mindfulness program is evidence-based and trauma-informed. It is proven to be effective at treating childhood trauma and chronic stress. The training program combats emotional dysregulation, advances coping strategies, improves problem-solving, and implements positive self-correction skills.

"Our programs have a host of benefits,” Wendling notes, “including reducing recidivism rates and providing courtinvolved youth with more stable mental health and a better quality of life." Children learn to reduce stress, improve impulse control and reactivity, and gain greater control over their emotions, including anger and hostility.

Currently, Shanthi Project

works with the Northampton Juvenile Justice Center in Easton, Pennsylvania, providing one-hour mindfulness and yoga classes 16 times per month. The Project's trauma-informed model requires that mindfulness instructors complete 14 hours of traumainformed training based on the neurobiology of trauma, current behavioral research, and evidence-based yoga and mindfulness practices designed to heal post-traumatic stress.

"Shanthi Project is committed to recognizing and treating behaviors associated with exposure to trauma; our goal is to help youth regulate their emotions," emphasizes Wendling.

Helping court-involved youth deal with adversity and trauma requires a greater emotional investment than the current system can provide, says Micah Anderson M.A, licensed family therapist and clinical director of the Mind Body Awareness Project (MBAP) in California. He mentions that generalized mental health interventions are limited in their capacity to effect change on highly traumatized children.

MBAP's mindfulness-based programs train both justice professionals and justice-involved youth. The Just Minds program trains correctional officers, law enforcement, probation officers, and court professionals, while its Keeping It Real (KIR) program trains Juvenile Institutional Officers (JIOs). The KIR program is culturally responsive and trauma-informed, and examines the intergenerational, historical, systemic, and environmental forms of trauma that impact adolescents and justice professionals.

KIR incorporates the frameworks of Developmental Trauma Disorder and Adverse Childhood Experiences to understand the root causes of trauma. It provides trainees with practical mindfulness-based techniques. These techniques help JIOs and incarcerated youth to respond, rather than react. It builds their resilience and

Mind Body Awareness facilitators at the 20th Anniversary fundraiser at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California.

helps them access greater compassion and understanding. "When JIOs have trained in the basics of stress reduction techniques, an actual shift in facility culture occurs, a shift that is promoted by staff," says Anderson.

The training teaches staff

about the effects of trauma and how to mitigate those effects. The result is improved well-being for both the juvenile officers and the incarcerated youth.

Anderson explains that working in the justice system is more challenging than ever. Outdated

Youth enjoy a Holistic Life Foundation yoga class.

“When JIOs have trained in the basics of stress reduction techniques, an actual shift in facility culture occurs, a shift that is promoted by staff.”

—Micah Anderson, Director, Mind Body Awareness Project

policies and protocols leave justice professionals and the communities under their care struggling to get the support they need. The KIR program provides JIOs and justice professionals with additional support; it enhances team communication and collaboration and addresses the unique challenges of working in a high-stress environment, he notes. It teaches juvenile leaders how to recognize and respond to triggers of burnout, stress, and anxiety while in a highly charged and volatile work environment.

The benefits of the training program include reduced depression, anxiety, perceived stress, and increased emotional well-being and happiness. It also decreases burnout, anger, fatigue, and difficulty sleeping. Further, the KIR program increases the health and safety of a facility through mindfulness-based de-escalation and conflict resolution tactics rooted in compassion and cultural awareness, the director says. JIOs who

complete the program feel more equipped to meet the demands of their jobs; they acquire the necessary skills to promote effective mindfulness-based interventions amongst the populations they serve.

The Mind Body Awareness Project has trained justice professionals and court-involved youth for 20 years. Its trauma-informed mental health approach treats the whole system, not just its parts. "On a practical level, our curriculum meets kids on their level; we speak the language of the youth because we have lived it, and the result is a program that is highly accessible to them," stresses Anderson. The MBA Project has worked with San Mateo County Youth Services Center, Alameda County Juvenile Hall, San Francisco Juvenile Probation Department, San Francisco Juvenile Hall, and the Santa Cruz Juvenile Hall, as well as adult facilities.

Anderson notes that the effectiveness of mindfulness practice

lies in the simple truth that the brain can change; people can change, especially at a young age.

Mindfulness gifts practitioners the tremendous power to reflect on their actions and make decisive changes through a deeper understanding of themselves and their connection with the world around them. "Justice-involved youth are a product of a system which has largely created the conditions they face, yet it fails to meet the strategic needs and emotional investments required to break the cycle of youth incarceration."

He says that traumatized kids have spent most of their lives reacting to difficulty. Reactivity to chronic stress and trauma has kept them from making sovereign choices. When children learn to change their brain structure through mindfulness, a shift happens inside them that allows them to change not just their actions but to transform their lives, freeing them from the cycle of incarceration. ✪

Publisher’sPicks

Stacking Trays

The Classic by Plastocon is designed for performance and longevity. Seamless and durably molded, it can be stacked with or without lid for easy storage. The tray provides traditional styling with five deep compartments so that food does not touch the next tray when stacked.

The tray can be stacked, carted or independently transported to serving areas, meeting all your facility food service needs.

For further information contact: info@correctionsforum.net

Institutional Tattoo Removal

Inkoff.me has mobile units that provide fully insured and HIPAA compliant customized tattoo removal programs with state-of-the-art laser equipment and board-certified staff that works with all levels of rehabilitation.

For further information contact: info@correctionsforum.net

Electronic Water Conservation Controls

The Willoughby water management control system takes plumbing fixture control from inmates and puts it back in the hands of corrections staff while saving time, water and, money. The WSS11 system requires only a standard 110V outlet in the chase and features an optional operator display with a facilityspecific floor plan for simple administration and troubleshooting.

Facial Recognition

Global’s FOCUS Advanced Facial Recognition Software provides the ability to identify suspects, improving both the speed and accuracy of facial identification through easy-to-use machine learning software. A classification algorithm inspects a subject’s facial features by measuring head orientation and allows for any optical distortion. FOCUS uses a neural network to translate the face into a digital signature used for matching.

For further information contact: info@correctionsforum.net

Publisher’s Picks

Data Analytics in Health Care

Many of those in prison do not get diagnosed with conditions or a chronic illness until after being incarcerated. But treatment in the correctional health care system is complex and requires multiple steps and staff intervention to achieve better outcomes.

To help achieve that goal, Centurion’s onsite Chronic Illness Clinics help to increase patients’ education, assign diabetic patients with wearable continuous glucose monitors and more. In addition, Focus on Wellness, the health care provider’s telephonic disease management and lifestyle coaching program, strives to clarify management of conditions with individually tailored applications. Furthermore, the health care provider’s use of analytics includes databased population health models to identify persons who need more aggressive care or multidisciplinary treatment teams to stabilize their conditions and reduce the likelihood of off-site care requirements.

For further information contact: info@correctionsforum.net

Mail Screening

The VeroVision™ Mail Screener from ChemImage uses powerful imaging spectrometers and modern sensor technology to quickly and efficiently detect illicit drugs and common cutting agents through envelopes and paper, mixed with marker, crayon, paint, and even under stamps and stickers. Further, the mail screener can intercept inmate mail that has been sprayed with, or soaked in methamphetamine and certain kinds of synthetic cannabinoids.

The screener also has the capability to generate official reports with imagery for proper tracking and recordkeeping.

For further information contact: info@correctionsforum.net

Getting Mean on Clean

From ultraviolet germ zappers to hood-to-boot disposable

gowns and other PPE, how prison and jail officials can go head-to-head with bacteria, viruses and spores.

While contagious disease has always been a concern in prisons, jails and detention centers, the past few years have been especially trying. The close quarters and sometimes lack of basic hygiene faced by those living and working within an incarceration setting leads to an increased transmission of contagious diseases. In fact we have seen in the past two-plus years that prisons and jails have become an epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic. They were consistently among the largest single, site cluster out-

breaks of the virus throughout the country, with the rate of infection among incarcerated people being four times as high and the age-adjusted rate of death three times that of the general population, according to the September 13 article "Monkeypox In Prisons: Urgent Action Needed To Avoid A Public Health Crisis," Health Affairs Forefront.

The United States now leads the world in monkeypox infections, according to the CDC. As of late August 2022, there have been more than 17,000 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the U.S. The virus has been reported

in nearly every state. And several cases of monkeypox have already been reported in jails nationwide. Yet, as the above article details, there is no centralized tracking of the number of monkeypox cases in carceral facilities nor is there any guidance for prisons and jails from the CDC or state health departments.

The team of researchers, analysts and educators who wrote the above article made recommendations for monkeypox guidance and reporting in correctional settings. It is worth visiting the brief, but consequential, recommendations regarding

this poten tial new outbreak in prisons and jails.

Germ Killing Machines

The following are items that this writer found that may be able to assist preventing or slowing the spread of communicable disease to these vulnerable populations.

For 12 years MRSA-UV has been selling one of the most advanced, yet affordable lines of UV room disinfection products to hospitals, clinics, schools, prisons, police departments, EMS and for all types of transport vehicles. UV-C applications are effective against viruses such as Covid-19, monkeypox, MRSA and more.

During the pandemic, prison officials have been especially concerned about the safety of their staff and well as their prisoners when it relates to microbial contagions, points out Chris Chilvers, president, MRSA-UV, LLC. We know that aggressive bacteria and viruses can easily spread throughout congregate settings such as a jail or prison facility at an alarming rate, he adds.

Manual cleaning efforts are often insufficient, he furthers, leaving microbial contamination present on many high-touch surfaces. “Recent peer review articles state that manual cleaning and disinfection miss up to 50% of all surfaces. But combining manual cleaning/disinfection with UV-C light application is an extremely powerful combination and should be employed whenever possible.”

Application of UV-C light for sanitizing spaces has been an accepted practice for almost 100 years now. Treatment of air and surfaces with UV-C light is effective at mitigating all types of bacteria and virus by splitting their DNA and preventing replication. UV-C is clean, green and especially mean toward all microbes.

During the pandemic, Chilvers relates that “our Number One selling product for correction facilities has been our Vortex-UV

portable room sanitizer, [which is] easily rolled into a room and remotely turned on. Within fifteen to thirty minutes, depending on the size of the room, the space is disinfected and the unit is ready to go onto the next room.”

For safety purposes, the VortexUV has two types of safety shutoff systems (PIR/Radar) that turn off the unit should someone inadvertently enter the room while the unit is on. When they

leave the area, the unit will automatically turn back on and complete the preset cycle time. He says it sells for $695 and the UV bulb lasts thousands of hours before requiring replacement.

In conclusion, Chilvers says: “While we are challenged now, the future looks no better. Waiting in the wings are numerous other emerging and drug resistant microbes including monkeypox, Ebola, avian flu,

Vortex-UV portable room sanitizer from MRSA-UV employs UV-C light application to mitigate all types of bacteria and viruses.

influenza (flu), poliovirus and multi-drug resistant MRSA, MDR C. difficile and many others. Proper application of UV-C light is successful at mitigating all microbes.”

Likewise, Command Sourcing recommends UV-C lights for infection control at the jail or in public spaces. Using these UV-C lights provided by Command Sourcing is much like washing your

hands. The benefit is from consistency, the company says. Every time you run the light, you bring the viral load down to nearly zero. In this way your building, rooms, cars, etc. can be less infectious.

During the pandemic, the company provided corrections and law enforcement with hundreds of UV-C lights, many of which used ARP or CARES funding to purchase them, explains Jack McLaughlin, VP/COO. These lights decrease the burden on staffing from constant wiping and spraying, he says, and track the disinfections automatically. “Jails, for example, have had issues with controlling outbreaks from MRSA, TB, flu, and the like, long before Covid. These lights will help create a safer environment for years to come, as they are effective on all types of viruses and bacteria.”

Command Sourcing’s most popular model is a large, mobile, hospital-grade disinfection solution. “Quick disinfection from its high-powered bulbs allows disinfection of 1,000 square feet in just seven minutes,” McLaughlin details. Thus it allows you to cover more spaces in less time than standard UVC lights. This means you can disinfect more spaces, more often, than by wiping or spraying. It also reduces labor time and chemical/PPE cost required to manually disinfect a room. It is easy to use, safe (sensors detect people) and automatically logs and stores each disinfection in an online platform. The

Every time you run a UV-C light, says Command Sourcing, you bring the viral load down to nearly zero. In this way your building, rooms, cars, cells, etc., can be made less infectious.

Xenex LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robots emit bursts of pulsed UV light that quickly destroy a variety of bacteria, viruses and spores that remain on surfaces even after the room has been cleaned with liquid chemicals.

vendor offers different tools for different situations: smaller UV-C lights for use in cars, chambers for personal or shared items such as cuffs and radios, and installed units for continuously occupied spaces.

In practice, many report fewer outbreaks and fewer sick days as a result of using UV-C light, he concludes.

Other issues arise when jail and prison staff needs to repeatedly disinfect a surface. “Typically chemicals are used to destroy pathogens on surfaces, says Danielle James, senior manager of customer success, Xenex. “But even in the best of environments, a manual chemical clean may not destroy all pathogens on all surfaces. Diluted solutions, application, and long dwell times exacerbate disinfection challenges and leave surfaces at greater risk of not being adequately disinfected.

Further, the surface damage caused by disinfection chemicals may cause safety issues and costly repairs, i.e. rust to locking mechanisms and brittle, cracked equipment, James continues. Transmission of harmful germs can escalate costs quickly, particularly when the germs circulate

throughout the environment, she says. “Costs can include, but are not limited to, the treatment itself, escorting inmates to receive outside treatment, and staff requiring time away, plus it can be multiplied by each affected inmate.”

Xenex manufactures LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robots, which emit bursts of pulsed UV light that enhances traditional disinfection methods. The robot quickly destroys a variety of bacteria, viruses and spores that remain on surfaces even after the room has been cleaned with liquid chemicals. A study confirmed that the LightStrike robot was able to destroy “up to 22 times more bacteria than liquid chemical cleaning alone,” states James.

They are easy to use and work quickly, she continues, so each robot can disinfect dozens of rooms/areas per day. These devices don't require warm-up or cool down time, and have been effectively used for disinfection throughout correctional facilities (i.e., offices, conference rooms, restrooms, and holding cells).

“Xenex’s extensive experience in the health care industry enables us to provide our cus-

tomers with an effective program using industry best practices to help correctional facilities address surface disinfection challenges unique to their environment. We provide comprehensive training for LightStrike robot operators, monthly reporting to track robot utilization rates, and ongoing support in the event of an emerging threat,” says James.

The Los Angeles Police Department purchased LightStrike technology because they were concerned about bacteria on surfaces in its Skid Row station. Dewitt County Jail uses their LightStrike robots in their booking area, kitchen, control room, and group, individual and solitary holding cells.

Masks & Gloves

To help prevent Covid-19 spread, Bob Barker Company offers level 1, 2 and 3 surgical grade disposable masks, and the N95 Particulate Respirator, which is a high-grade mask that’s effective in areas with high Covid-19 infection rates. The mask has a filtration efficiency of greater than 97%, exceeds the Particulate Filtration Efficiency (PFE) per ASTM F2999 Standard, exceeds the Breathability per Test MIL-M36954 C: ∅ P Standard, and is NIOSH certified (TC-84A-9272).

Wearing high-grade, effective masks is a proven method of mitigating an individual’s risk of catching or spreading viruses such as Covid-19. Due to Covid19’s high transmissibility rate, officers should not let their guard down when around others, especially in a contained environment like a jail or prison where the virus can spread rapidly.

Bob Barker Company carries vinyl, latex and nitrile gloves, each of which offers a different level of protection. Generally, nitrile gloves provide the most protection. Their elasticity and puncture resistance are both higher than most vinyl or latex gloves. Latex gloves offer medium-level protection, but they do

carry the risk of latex allergies. Both wearers and patients should be aware if latex gloves are being used. Vinyl gloves offer the least amount of protection and are usually the least expensive gloves. They work best during cleaning or food handling.

Gowning Up

Spreading pathogens from cell to cell to inmates and staff in close quarters is a huge concern to corrections staff. Throughout the pandemic, disposable protective clothing options have been critical for containing and preventing the spread of infection. When medical personnel wear multi-use PPE, clothing is worn as they visit patient to patient. Any bodily fluids and viruses that get on the clothing are then carried around and exposed to other individuals, medical equipment, common areas, and so on.

“This is where the proper donning, doffing, use, and disposal of single-use PPE is essential for contamination control,” says Aric Asplund, president, International Enviroguard. When disposable PPE is removed and properly disposed of after interacting with each individual patient, then biohazards are contained and cannot spread to other individuals.

“In addition to following CDC guidelines for treating patients with a confirmed or suspected case of Covid-19, disposable PPE is an incredibly effective and affordable way to contain communicable disease—especially where inmates are in shared or close quarters,” he asserts.

Proper Donning, Doffing and Disposing

Another recommendation for mitigating communicable disease, he furthers, is to educate medical and non-medical personnel who interact with confirmed or suspected persons infected with Covid-19 on how to properly put on (don) the PPE and how to properly dispose of it after an

The ViroGuard disposable biohazard coveralls from International Enviroguard are designed to protect against infectious diseases, blood, blood-borne pathogens, and bodily fluids. Style 2407 has an attached hood, while Style 2404 has a hood and also comes with attached boots.

interaction with a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patient. Also he suggests setting up separate “containment areas” where personnel can safely put on and remove disposable clothing after each patient interaction. This contains any biohazards to one area or one containment bin where they can then be disposed of as hazardous medical waste. This has the additional benefit of not exposing laundering personnel to biohazards that have transferred to or absorbed into multi-use protective clothing, he points out. ViroGuard® disposable biohazard coveralls from International Enviroguard are designed to protect against infectious diseases, blood, blood-borne pathogens, and bodily fluids. Coveralls are

tested for several industrial chemicals and pass both ASTM F1670 for blood penetration and ASTM F1671 for blood-borne pathogen penetration. The biohazard coveralls are suitable for emergency response, crime scene remediation, medical research, category 3 blackwater, wastewater treatment, and more.

All International Enviroguard coveralls are designed with features that enhance mobility and safety, including tear-resistant fabric, a reinforced crotch, a storm flap zipper cover, elastic in back, and seamless shoulders. These features help prevent rip outs and tears in high movement areas. Two styles are offered—one with an attached hood (Style 2407), and one with an attached hood and boots (Style 2404).

“Our disposable garments are designed with proprietary fabrics and materials that have been rigorously tested in health care settings,” emphasizes Asplund. “With proper use and disposal of these garments, the spread of communicable diseases and those spread by bodily fluids (Covid-19, monkeypox, HIV, etc.) is dramatically reduced.

“Disposable PPE can oftentimes be safer, as it is not worn home or beyond the worksite,” he adds. “Prolonged periods wearing contaminated multi-use PPE can dramatically increase the likelihood of these diseases spreading. Multi-use PPE also often suffers wear and tear with repeated laundering, daily use, and transport. This can decrease the effectiveness and safety capabilities of the garment over time, issues that do not affect disposable protective clothing.”

Concludes Asplund: “With disposable PPE, especially in a medical setting, clothing is typically removed after each patient interaction to contain bioburdens and reduce the time spent in the potentially contaminated clothing,” leading to a safer living and working environment for prison staff and populations alike. ✪

FoodThought for

GOOD NUTRITION

can offer improved health, fewer chronic illnesses and an even possibly a more even-keeled, peaceable emotional environment.

According to April N. Hackert, a psychiatric culinary medicine research dietitian, scientist and speaker at the Association of Correctional Food Service Affiliates, food has a definite impact on psychiatric conditions.

Whatever your opinion on her

nutrition-physiopsychic philosophy, in her talk she explored and made a thought-provoking case for integrating culinary medicine in conjunction with Forensic Medical Nutrition Therapy into correctional clinical and administrative strategies.

Skyrocketing food costs and inmate labor shortages are other challenges food service managers are grappling with at this time. Ways to package food for special diets, lockdowns, and for proper

portion control are issues food service teams need to address. Finally the latest methods in packaging, trays and heating/chilling carts, as well as distribution and delivery, can save many dollars on food waste due to spoiling.

Managing a food service business—from supply chain though to food service team, nutritionist and administration and budget— is a key consideration, and software can automate all those pieces (see CulinarySuite below).

Inmate labor shortages, sky-high food costs, nutrition for mental health…these are some of the issues food service managers must consider this fall.

A final issue, at the very end of the food service production line is getting rid of the food waste— also a costly proposition. Food scraps can clog the plumbing, costing high maintenance and repairs, require copious amounts of water for rinsing, and incur exorbitant expense when carting away tons of organic matter. A dish scrapping solution can cut some of clogs, reduce water usage and provide less impact on the environment.

These are a few solutions we found that tackle these issues head-on.

“The Number One issue I’ve been hearing over the last couple weeks is rising food costs,” says Austin Frederici, with meal delivery systems provider JonesZylon. This is almost always attributed to inflation, says the marketing and regional sales manager. “I’ve recently been in multiple circumstances where people are being forced to forego capital improvements in order to stay within budget. In one case,” he points out, “this was a facility with chronic food temperature issues.” To deal with shortages he finds that agencies are sometimes forced to substitute ingredients to close the gap.

“The other issue is staffing,” he adds. “Right now, particularly at the state level, it’s been hard to retain employees. I’ve heard a variety of reasons this is happening, but it does put stress on food delivery from our standpoint.”

There are a number of ways our system can help with these ongoing issues, Frederici relays. “Without a doubt our meal delivery system is one way food cost can most closely be controlled. It allows managers to ensure that the proper portions are being distributed. Additionally, we can provide peace of mind that food doesn’t need to be discarded due to temperatures that are not being maintained.”

Oftentimes, he emphasizes, “food cost is more impacted by waste than it is by improper portioning.” The JonesZylon carts can

help ensure that food isn’t being discarded due to poor temperature control.

“Because our carts can have active refrigeration and/or heat, both sides can be kept at the proper temperature for hours,” he notes. “This provides flexibility for food service teams. Delivering a meal within a specific window of time after it is placed in the tray is crucial. Well, we’ve been able to help managers open that window significantly wider. Food can now be trayed much further in advance before carts are deployed and still hold food safe temperatures.”

Highlighted at the ACFSA booth, was JonesZylon’s newest cart, the JZH-54, as well as the JZH-192, its largest low-profile cart. Both of those feature a removeable heater. The vendor will also show a new squat tumbler drinkware and samples of its signature SmartTray, which is resistant to weaponizing.

With the cost of food skyrocketing, echoes John M. Mikulka of Allen Packaging Company, corrections facilities need solutions to help recoup some of those losses. In addition, inmate labor shortages create the need for automation in food processing, packaging and delivery, he adds. Allen Packaging, as well as Oliver Products, for which they offer distribution, offer products such as meal trays, perforated bags that help with portion control

and safety, as well as heat sealing equipment.

Mikulka notes, “Oliver’s Speedseal® Packaging System is ideal for special diets, lockdowns, and general population feeding to satellite locations. A single source for meal packaging equipment, trays, and film, our 100% certified compostable fiber trays are designed to assist with portion control and provide a tamper-evident seal.

“Heat sealing equipment for smaller and larger meal programs drives efficiency in operation,” he continues. “A new one-compartment tray will be launching in Q4 of this year, adding to our current two- and three-compartment styles. All three tray types are available in standard or deep options.”

The multiple compartment meal trays made of compostable fiber and plastic are provided by Oliver’s Products, while Allen Packaging offers perforated poly bags, lidding films and cook chill products.

Seeing the whole picture of the operation can be key to success. From supply chain to menu to food delivery to front office, your food service operations need to be managed efficiently. Answering that call is CulinarySuite from Culinary Digital, a comprehensive, modular and SaaS-based ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) solution to automate food service

Research shows that over 200,000 tons of food waste are generated each year in American prisons.

businesses. It seamlessly connects your supply chain with your front and back offices with individual components designed for Foodservice, Nutrition, and Front Office management.

From intuitive menu planning to inventory management, to vendor management, food costing and nutrition analysis across multiple locations in any given timeframe, CulinarySuite equips your kitchen staff to run more effectively with reduced waste and enhanced automation, the company notes. It places everything at the staff’s fingertips to optimize price per inmate per day and forecast needed ingredients to ensure food management is fully prepared weeks or months ahead of time.

automation frees up employees so that they can pursue tasks with a more significant impact on the bottom line.”

Additionally, says Krishnaswamy, the corrections industry needs to modernize their legacy systems to include capabilities for scaled recipes and week-at-a-glance (WAG) reports. “Without these features, challenges in high cost per inmate, food wastage, and inefficiency are inevitable. [Our research shows that] over 200,000 tons of food waste are generated each year in American prisons.

ucts we manufacture provide solutions for any size operation.”

Highlighted at the ACFSA conference, JonesZylon’s newest cart, the JZH-54, features a removable heater.

“As outlandish as it sounds,” he continues, “research indicates that automation can save employees up to two hours a day, which amounts to nearly 240 hours per person per year. In other words, automation can help existing employees accomplish more work when new hires are hard to come by. “Additional benefits of CulinarySuite include reducing food waste up to 3.75% with efficient food production and reducing your price per inmate per day by 3% through better decision-making. “

Lastly, food waste needs to be disposed of somehow and that requires labor to cart it away. Scrapping systems can help reduce waste, the water required to handle the waste and thus costs in trash removal.

“With labor in high demand and short supply,” describes Abilash Krishnaswamy, VP of Products, food service operations must increasingly rely on technology that automates basic, repetitive tasks and functions, such as food labeling or even menu creation. By automating small, time-consuming tasks,

As for the squeeze in the economy facing corrections managers, says Jim Ottmer, national sales manager with Salvajor, “Unfortunately, we are subject to the same challenges our entire industry is working through. Labor shortages and supply chain are areas we are working diligently to resolve. “Proper handling of food waste is critical to our health and environment, and the prod-

Salvajor manufactures dish scrapping solutions, including disposers and disposer controls; disposer based scrapping systems; and food waste collector systems. Salvajor products are specifically designed to save water/energy and to provide a low maintenance, sanitary alternative to other methods of food waste disposal. The company had on display its ScrapMaster (Disposer System) Model SM and its Scrap Collector (Collection System) Model S914 at the ACFSA conference in September.

Concludes Ottmer: “Salvajor products are efficient with cost, space, and time. Handling and removing food waste safely, getting wares sanitary and keeping the food service operation moving while having minimal impact on agencies’ resources is a huge benefit.” ✪

For further information: JonesZylon austin@joneszylon.com or jzsales@joneszylon.com, 800.484.8160, www.joneszylon.com/ContactJones-Zylon-Corrections-LongTerm-Personal-Care-Products/

Allen Packaging Company

Oliver Products 714.259.0100 x144, Johnboxman@allenpkg.com, www.allenpkg.com

Culinary Digital 201.523.7555, info@culinarydigital.com, www.culinarydigital.com/

Salvajor Jim Ottmer, jottmer@salvajor.com, www.salvajor.com

purchases, and other available amenities allowed per the respective facility,” Cox says.

This platform of services imparts benefits “based on the size and convenience of the retail network partner locations and hours, the privacy and ease of digital platforms, and the help provided by TMT agents to customers who may require extra information or directly-engaged customer support.”

Western Union aspires to pass the same related benefits on to the correctional facilities themselves since it has the means and technology to integrate into respective facilities and their commissary accounts. “We can provide multiple options to fund these accounts for customers and tie into facilities via customized API (application programming interface) connection, so administration of the facilities know that the strength of our brand is behind the funds sent.”

Cox acknowledges that the goal is to provide value to both the customer receiving needed support and the corrections administration managing the financial support. “We want to continue to create partnerships with corrections facilities and companies, provide value to the customer who trusts our brand and product and look at ways to increase that value and be the preferred provider of the trusted services we offer.”

No More Cash

For Microtronic US Cashless Solutions, Inc., the greatest value it offers correctional facilities, according to President Terri Starnes-Bryant, is the removal of cash in visitation. “The card is the only item allowed into the visitation area so there is less of a chance of contraband getting into the facility.” This also ensures no coin jams and maintenance of such, she says. “When used in visitation, visitors pur-

Tyler Technologies utilizes an easy-to-use interface on its kiosk for residents.

chase our card from our card dispenser, then add funds to the card at our loading station.”

The cashless system is also provided at no cost to the correctional facility unless they will use the cards as ID badges. StarnesBryant says Microtronic has a number of facilities that use the card as an ID badge for the incarcerated, as well as for staff. Otherwise, all equipment is purchased by the vending operator and the readers can be added to any existing vending machine, she says.

Another advantage she cites is that the solution operates completely offline, so no Internet is needed; it is based on NFC (Near Field Communication) and is a read/write between the card and the readers. “We are also integrated with ATG [Advanced Technologies Group] for commissary management and banking.” She explains that ATG, which falls under the Keefe Group company umbrella, provides inmate

banking, as well as other services. Since the funds are held on the card itself, with locations using ATG, the incarcerated individuals can move funds from their card back to their account for security reasons.

And since many facilities “still use coin and since coin is in short supply, our system eliminates that need,” she says. “It also eliminates the need for facility staff to count visitor’s coins when they come in.” Meanwhile, she adds, facilities that are using Heartland/Debitek are no longer being supported. But, “we have a transfer station that will allow funds on those cards to easily transfer to our card, eliminating the need of onsite personnel and refund issues.”

Because alleviating issues is the principle behind these speciallydeveloped digital apps, software and hardware, each solution has the possibility to overcome technological bottlenecks and effectually fulfill corrections managers’ account management needs.

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Tie-Top Laundry Bag