September / October 2017

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 VOL. 26 NO. 5

THE WAR ON CELL PHONES

CORRECTIONS

FORUM

Publisher & Executive Editor

Thomas S. Kapinos Assistant Publisher

Jennifer A. Kapinos

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

Associate Publishers Art Sylvie Peggy Virgadamo (480) 816-3448 asylvie@cox.net

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The Pulse

Northeast Central U.S. Sales Managers Bonnie Dodson (828) 479-7472

Editor-in-Chief

Donna Rogers

Tightening Security for Court Appearances

Contributing Editors Michael Grohs, Kelly Mason, Bill Schiffner, G.F. Guercio Art Director

Jamie Stroud

Prepping Staff for Mental Health Episodes ACFSA Conference: Food Service Trends

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(ISSN10729275) is published bi-monthly by: Criminal Justice Media, Inc 565 Pier Avenue PO Box 213 Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 (310) 374-2700 Send address changes to:

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The Pill Drill: Securing Inmate Medication Calling Them Out— The War on Inmate Cell Phones

Reentry Services: Employment Empowerment

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NJ BAIL REFORM New Jersey has changed the way it deals with bail this year, leading to a huge decrease in the number of criminal defendants in jail awaiting trial, while angering a decimated bail bond industry, according to an article on Sept 17 in the Courier-Post by Josh Cornfield, Associated Press The reforms went into effect in January, and fewer than 30 people facing criminal charges in state court have been given cash bail through August. That compares to hundreds of thousands who received bail last year, according to state court spokesman Peter McAleer.

The new practice is being celebrated by reform advocates who say cash bail unfairly keeps poor defendants in jail, but it has led to lawsuits from the bail bond companies that say it is killing their business.

Some lawmakers and law enforcement officials also say the change has led to instances in which people

are quickly released because they aren’t deemed a threat then later re-arrested on new charges.

At least two lawsuits have been filed seeking to overturn the changes, including one from a group backed by reality TV star Dog the Bounty Hunter.

A computer algorithm now helps decide whether a criminal suspect is given bail, let out of jail with an ankle monitor or kept in jail until trial.

The algorithm, created by the nonprofit Lara and John Arnold Foundation, considers nine factors to decide whether a suspect is a risk to reoffend if they are released. The factors include the type of crime, past convictions, age and whether someone has failed to previously appear in court.

Judge Glenn Grant said that the principal objectives of bail reform was to make sure that poorer lowrisk offenders aren’t held in jail just because they can’t afford bail, and also to eliminate the requirement that violent offenders be given cash bail.

“Under both of those measures, I think that the system has worked as expected,” he said.

Bail bondsmen are countering the new system with suits or contemplating other careers. “Most of bail agents are going to go out of business. It was implemented as a complete elimination of bail,” said Jeff Clayton, of the American Bail Coalition, who estimates 6,000 jobs in the industry are at risk in the state.

“A lot of them are looking for other jobs, other industries, some of them are considering moves to other states.”

ILLINOIS TO OPEN INTENSIVE MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT CENTER An August 2 story in the Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois) reported a new addition to the state’s mental health correctional system, a 44-bed hospital-level facility in Elgin, scheduled to open later this year to serve the state's most seriously mentally ill prisoners.

It is in addition to a 442-bed residential treatment center in Joliet. The state's 44,000-inmate system includes people who need high-level mental health treatment; the current system can provide basic care, but not the kind needed for the most seriously ill.

The new Elgin Treatment Center will be the first facility to offer such intensive care to state prisoners who have previously been treated in prison. The new mental health center, along with the existing one, are part of the state’s plan to overhaul the care and treatment of an estimated 11,000 inmates who have been diagnosed with a mental illness.

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SUPPORT OF FUNDING COLLEGE COURSES IN N.Y. PRISONS On August 7 Vera Institute of Justice President Nicholas Turner released a statement of support for the governor’s funding for inmate’s postsecondary education.

The statement read in part: “Receiving higher education in prison is transformational, not only for the individuals who take college courses, but also for their families, the neighborhoods to which they return, and our society. College in prison is a proven and impactful public safety strategy, reducing recidivism by as much as 43 percent, and every dollar invested in prison-based education yields $4 to $5 of tax-

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payer savings in reduced incarceration costs. It also prepares people leaving our nation’s prisons every year to find employment in today’s economy: by 2020, 65 percent of job vacancies are expected to require some postsecondary education and training.”

The College-in-Prison Reentry Program funding announced by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance is a 7.3 million, fiveyear commitment that includes public and private colleges.

PA. TRAINING MENTALLY ILL INMATES TO HELP OTHERS ON THE CELLBLOCK Pennsylvania is training mentally ill inmates to help fellow in-

mates cope with mental illness, according to a August 3 news on Newsworks.org (the online component of Philadelphia public radio station WHHY). At the SCI Waymart correctional facility, which houses the state's most seriously mentally ill prisoners, 11 inmates have been certified peersupport specialists. They go through 75 hours of training and pass an exam plus are required another 18 hours of continuing education each year.

"I've heard voices in my past, so I already know how to do this," said inmate Brandon, whose last name was withheld in accordance with Pennsylvania DOC policy.

"We used to be a medical model," said Lynn Patrone, the

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DOC's mental health advocate.

"The doctor told us what we needed, what the treatment was.

Now, they're able to talk to somebody and that person will say, 'I've been where you are. I've been down in that very dark place.'

And this light bulb goes off. The person says, 'How'd you get from there to where you are now?'"

While peer support has been used in the community for more than 30 years, it is a new concept for the criminal justice system.

But, given nearly 30 percent of Pennsylvania inmates have been diagnosed with some form of mental illness, experts say they are serving a vital need.

"Prison is not a therapeutic environment, so our ideal of course

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would be diverting people with mental health and substance use disorders away from prisons entirely," said Alyssa Schatz, head of advocacy and policy at Philadelphia-based Mental Health Partnerships. "Unfortunately right now, our system just doesn't have the capacity that's needed to divert people away from the system, so in lieu of that it's great to have some services that are appropriate."

$500,000 AWARDED TO STATE PRISONS FOR OPIOID TREATMENT The Massachusetts Department of Public Health will provide $500,000 in opioid abuse treat-

ment funding for five state prisons, according to an August 8 story on TV station WCBV4. The new programs include increased access to medications like buprenorphine and naltrexone, community re-entry programs, and linkages to community-based treatment services. Inmates must be within two months of release to be eligible for the programs.

The treatment and recovery services will be available to inmates up to one year after their release.

JAIL STAFF TRAINED TO USE NARCAN TO PREVENT OPIOID OVERDOSES The staffs at jails and work release facilities in Northampton

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and Lehigh counties in Pennsylvania are now trained to use naloxone to reverse opioid overdoses according to a September 17 article in newspaper The Morning Call.

Despite efforts to keep contraband out, authorities acknowledge that drugs still make it into jails. This summer, both county jails announced a program to offer in-

mates Vivitrol, a drug used to block cravings for opioids and alcohol. The program also offers inmates educational therapy, including advice on coping skills and strategies to stay clean.

MD. STATE OFFICIALS SHOW OFF NEW CONTRABAND DETECTORS Maryland corrections officials have announced $1.8 million worth of advanced metal detectors that can locate the smallest pieces of contraband. The Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services has purchased 161 Cellsense metal detectors, reported The Baltimore Sun on August 30.

Officials said they are being used in all 24 facilities across the state to curb smuggling of drugs, weapons and other items. The state purchased them after federal authorities announced the largest federal indictment in Maryland history last year at the Eastern Correctional Institution in Westover. Dozens of corrections officers and inmates were charged in an alleged conspiracy to smuggle heroin, cocaine, cellphones, pornography and other contraband into the facility.

In the first month the detectors were used at the Eastern Correction Institute, officials said, officers collected 70 weapons. At one facility, the new detectors were able to locate a small sewing machine needle.

J. Michael Zeigler, deputy secretary of operations for the corrections department, said the devices are being added to existing security measures, which include standard stationary metal detectors and drug- and cellphone-sniffing dogs.

“It’s going to be a force multiplier,” he said.

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BY G.F. GUERCIO, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Tightening Security for Court Appearances Butler County Sheriff Herzet and 4PC’s Coby Hayes check footage of activity on the Honeywell system.

Sheriffs have their work cut out for them—securing the courtroom for an inmate’s appearance requires adept handling of a number of steps— from transport to screening to courtroom restraints. nmate Escapes from Cell, Punches Officer in Courtroom” announced a New York Post headline July 18, 2017. A similar headline and article about the incident appeared in the Daily News. While details vary as to whether the defendant punched his way out or a cell was left open, the ensuing melee reads the same: the inmate ran into a courtroom, and using an attorney as a shield, punched an officer before he was subdued. The final outcome: Officers with bruises

“I

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and one broken ankle.

The harshest response came from New York State Supreme Court Officers Union President Patrick Cullen who calls the incident "…a continued negligence on the part of the Department of Correction to deliver inmates safely to court.…"

One can only hope the incident doesn’t become a “blame game” but instead a chance to say “how can we keep this from happening again?” There are physical resources out there—in

addition to training and policy changes—that can help. From heavy-duty to specialty restraints, detectors that screen for hidden blades, and panic alarms that are transportable to security cameras that can be viewed from iPads, as well as bullet-resistant frames for when a shot can’t be stopped— they offer the latest to court security officers.

“If a guy is in for life, he has no reason not to try to hurt someone or get away or both,” says Brad Myers, owner and presi-

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dent of Myers Enterprises, Inc., maker of Stun-Cuff.

He tells of a detainee who kept acting up as he was being readied for trial. “So they demonstrated the Stun-Cuff, you just hit the button—you see and hear the electric current—the detainee didn’t give them any trouble. That’s the beauty of this; you rarely have to activate it. Just the demonstration and wearing it is the biggest deterrent.

“Stun-Cuff is used in courts a lot,” he says, often during trial the offender has to appear innocent so no visible means of restraint can be seen. “StunCuff is worn under the pant leg so if the offender jumps up to grab the judge, the officer can activate the device and it puts him down on the ground.”

It’s a great deterrent because you demonstrate before you put it on, he reiterates. “When you acti-

The CEIA SMD600 Plus Walk-Through Metal Detector finds some of the smallest, most challenging threats.

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Color-coated handcuffs from Bob Barker keep track of the restraints and identify prisoners.

vate the device it contracts the muscle in the leg so it pulls the foot up to the rear.” He says there has never been any litigation which he attributes to the forewarning it sends and its accountability. It is a wireless unit so the time and date it was fired can easily be pulled up. And Myers points out: “The data port will coincide with them trying to escape, fight, or go after someone.”

Glenn Newby, inmate transport product manager for Bob Barker, says they have a transport kit that is applicable for a variety of situations. It’s a build-yourown transport kit that covers restraint needs in a convenient carrying case. He suggests: “Just like an admission kit, choose items from the chart to make a custom Transport Kit that fits your facility's needs.”

Along with regular restraints, users can customize which products are included in the kit. “The color-coated handcuffs and leg irons are a great way to keep track of the restraints and identify prisoners; the disposable cuffs are low-cost alternative to handcuffs.” The transport hood helps deter biting and spitting, and the Quick Cuff Temporary Restraining Device can be used as a single cuff, doubled locked, ankle restraints or to secure to a chair arm. The orange transport bag has a side zipper for storing handcuff keys, rescue tool, small items, etc., and a removable 12 CORRECTIONS FORUM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

shoulder strap.

For those times you want eyes on whatever is happening as the inmate is delivered to the courtroom, video surveillance is key.

In an installation, four Apple iPad devices were configured for the Sheriff, Undersheriff, and shift supervisors at the Judicial Center and Adult Detention Facility in Butler County Kansas to access the video surveillance system remotely. “Equipping our shift supervisors with iPads gave them the flexibility to be away from their desk and interact with deputies working in the field,” says Sheriff Kelly Herzet. “The iPads are set up to access the video surveillance systems at both facilities and can be used anywhere there’s Wi-Fi access.”

Several years ago, the Sheriff’s

Office, which provides security at the Judicial Center and operates the Adult Detention Facility, had a system that began to show its age. Security specialist 4PC, based in Augusta, Kansas, replaced the analog cameras with 1080p equIP series cameras and pan tilt zoom cameras, doubling the facilities’ monitoring capabilities, and installed three MAXPRO NVRs (network video recorders) from Honeywell to store video. The digital storage allows the deputies to pull up video footage quickly and remotely, if needed.

“From the security desk our deputies can see who is entering and leaving the building from multiple access points and follow individuals of interest throughout the courthouse,” says Sheriff Herzet. At the Adult Detention

Insulgard armors the judge’s bench, witness and clerk boxes with ballisticlined millwork utilizing bullet-resistant fiberglass panels.

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The Stun-Cuff deters unwanted activity during court appearances.

Facility deputies are able to quickly assess an incident, identify any potential dangers and respond to the scene with a game plan. “Previously, we identified people in the footage from the color of their clothes and physical mannerisms,” he says.”Now with the new high-definition cameras we can see faces clearly and zoom in on objects so finely as to read handwritten words on a piece of paper.”

At times the ability to see clearly what is going on extends past clothing and paper to what lies beneath—what is possibly hidden on an inmate’s person. To overcome these hidden obstacles, Luca Cacioli, director of Operations, CEIA USA, details several products and functions.

“The CEIA HI-PE Plus WalkThrough Metal Detector is affordable, with superior performance to detect guns, knives and cell

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phones.

“The CEIA SMD600 Plus WalkThrough Metal Detector detects the smallest, most challenging threats and is NIJ Standard compliant. The CEIA PD240 HandHeld Metal Detector provides a wide search area that combines high reliability with advanced detection and operator signaling features, indoor and outdoor operations with floor rebar rejection. The CEIA Magneto Static

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TTI’s Guardian system alarms duress messages to LED signs, pagers/ phones, and/or security centers.

Detector (MSD) is a highly portable detector that targets concealed cell phones and other ferrous threats and provides the highest detection capabilities in the industry.

“Once you set a CEIA metal detector to a certain security level we assure the detector meets or exceeds the security standard that corresponds to that security level,” Cacioli asserts. Metal detectors need to work in a variety of locations that present unique challenges, he furthers.

Electrical and mechanical interferences can disrupt screening operations as they are seen as noise by the metal detectors.

“CEIA metal detectors have builtin functions to recognize these noises and filter them without affecting screening operations.”

And in the cases where an inmate is aided, or wrestles a weapon, there are several options. Cassie Schlosser, southeastern representative, Insulgard Security Products, notes that even with all the improvements, security can be breached, which explains the increased demand for ballistic protection within the courtrooms. “We recommend armoring the judges' benches, witness and clerk boxes with ballistic-lined millwork utilizing bullet-resistant fiberglass panels.

Insulgard provides rigid sheets of woven fiberglass that can be retrofitted and attached to existing courtroom furniture, she says, “or we can provide the actual 14 CORRECTIONS FORUM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

millwork for installation into a new courtroom. In some instances, we have received requests to add a custom barrier on top of the judge's bench to allow for protection above and below the bench, although this is rare. We have installed custom doors and windows at the judges' chambers on some occasions.”

Products include windows, doors, glazing, framing, counterline barrier systems, fiberglass armor and custom millwork assemblies.

In addition, to alert that an inmate has a weapon or has escaped, the Guardian solution provides numerous methods of alarm delivery including into a manned security center, to LED signs, as a text message, to emails, and even to two-way pagers on the Guardian system, says CEO, Craig Badrick, Turnkey Technologies, Inc. (TTI).

“Being a completely wireless solution, the Guardian system provides protection regardless of where you are in a facility,” says Badrick. “No longer is the duress protection available only in static locations such as under a desk or on a wall, the Guardian solution allows complete mobility as the small wireless duress fob is kept on the staff member and is always within reach.”

The man-down alarm will raise an alert even if the user is incapacitated and unable to manually raise an alarm.

TTI’s Guardian solution is using the newest innovations in wireless technology to create a self-organizing, selfhealing wireless network, Badrick adds, which protects staff anywhere they roam, including outdoors, if required.

Requirements to safeguard a courthouse during an inmate court appearance have

become a call to action, especially in the light of violent incidents such as the one that made headlines this past summer. While this incident ended with relatively minor injuries, mobilizing your security options can make all the difference in keeping judges, juries and court staff secure. ✪

For more information: Turn-key Technologies, Inc., 732.553.9100, www.turnkeytechnologies.com/guardiansecurity-lone-worker-alarm Insulgard Security Products, 800.624.6315, www.insulgard.com Stun-Cuff by Myers Enterprises, Inc., 303.986.0803 - www.stuncuff.com CEIA USA, (888) 532-2342, www.ceia-usa.com, security@ceia-usa.com Honeywell Security Products Americas, 800.323.4576, www.honeywell.com/security Bob Barker, 800.334.9880, www.bobbarker.com

The Bob Barker transport hood helps deter biting and spitting.

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BY MICHAEL GROHS, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Calming the Storm In an unpredictable environment, preparation is key.

P

rison is a stressful place.

Tension mounts. Pressure builds. It’s even worse for people with mental health issues. As Krissi Khokhobashvili, Public Information Officer Supervisor at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) says, “Mental health is a complicated issue in general, and even more so in a correctional

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setting.” Inmates call it bugging out, netted up, J Cat, or off the chain. Practitioners likely just say episodes.

There will be incidents, and staff will have to deal with them.

Sharen Barboza, vice president of Clinical Operations, and John Wilson, vice president of Clinical Development, both at MHM Services, Inc., point out that among the most important issues for all staff is being aware of the four primary causes of inmate agitation.

The first cause is medical.

Inmates may become agitated, confused, incoherent, angry, and disinhibited due to changes in body chemistry or the presence of toxins. Delirium is a medical emergency that can mimic a mental health crisis. “Primary features of delirium include confusion, reduced awareness of the environment, and most importantly changes in the patient’s level of consciousness, which may range from stupor to hypervigilance. Treating delirium as a

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Crisis intervention involves listening.

mental health problem can have life-threatening consequences for the patient, so it is critical to rule out delirium as a first step.”

Another medical cause of agitation and incoherence is substance use or substance withdrawal. Agitation can be a side effect of certain medications.

Synthetic drugs have caused a rise in medical crises that resemble mental health “episodes.”

Individuals who use these substances can experience altered vital signs, increased respiration, pulse, and body temperature.

They might experience hallucinations. Since the drugs function as anesthetics, the inmate may not experience pain and exhibit unusual strength. In these situations, say Barboza and Wilson, mental health de-escalation is not going to be helpful and emergency medical care is required.

The second reason inmates may become agitated, angry, or aggressive is when they are frustrated, feel disrespected, afraid, or have goals that involve violence 18 CORRECTIONS FORUM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

against others, themselves, or property. In these cases, there may be situations that are driving the agitation, and the inmate may have reached his or her tolerance level. Barboza and Wilson compare the situation to “road rage” in the community.

A third cause for agitation may be hypersensitivity and hyperreactivity due to traumatic brain injury or a developmental or intellectual disability. “These conditions can be accompanied by intense irritability and difficulty in modulating auditory, visual, or tactile input so that everything feels too intense. Compounded with this hypersensitivity may be poor impulse control and proneness to become quickly overwhelmed by social interactions.”

The combination of frustration and bewilderment that can arise as the result of brain trauma or developmental or intellectual disability can give rise to intense agitation and suffering.

Fourth, inmates may become upset, agitated, belligerent, or

aggressive as a result of a serious mental illness (SMI). Symptoms that commonly give rise to agitation include paranoia, hearing voices that may be derogatory or may command violent behaviors, flashbacks, delusions, and mixed or depressed mood states.

“More than a reactive ‘mood swing,’ these symptoms are intense and prolonged and may be accompanied by increased energy, decreased sleep, hopelessness, restlessness, and an inability to change mental perspective. The trick is to determine what is going on and address the cause of the episode rather than just assuming that the inmate’s behavior is driven by mental illness.”

Crisis Intervention Barboza and Wilson note that “the goals for crisis intervention are to prioritize safety for the inmate, staff, and the institution while simultaneously using the least restrictive intervention that is clinically appropriate.”

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Correctional and mental health or medical staff hope to lessen the intensity of the patient’s experience, assist the patient in returning to his or her pre-crisis level of functioning, and to build and maintain trust and rapport.

Doing this involves listening.

Again, it is critical to ensure that medical causes of the crisis have been ruled out or addressed. If the inmate appears to be confused, delirious, intoxicated, or medically ill, these symptoms must be evaluated and treated first. After potential medical factors are assessed and addressed, active listening becomes a “number one” strategy.

The procedure that needs to be employed depends on the nature of the inmate’s crisis. There are some inmates who will only quiet in response to staff gathering—what used to be termed a show of force, but say Barboza and Wilson, is better termed a show of support. These inmates are looking for and respond to safety boundaries, and the presence of multiple staff members helps them to calm down. Other inmates will only respond when the staff is smaller. As long as there are multiple staff members present, such inmates may interpret the number as threatening.

“In these cases, reducing the audience and settling in to oneon-one de-escalation is the way to go.” Whether more or fewer staff members are needed, multidisciplinary communication is essential to ensure correctional and mental health staff are on the same page and that no one is placed in danger.

Barboza and Wilson note that diffusing agitation takes time.

“Trying to rush to the desired outcome without taking the time to process the crisis with the inmate is a common error. Aggressive confrontation is also unlikely to be successful.” De-escalation “dos” include validating feelings, being patient, being realistic, separating facts from feelings, listening and being empathetic, and seeking to

distract when emotions rise. The “don’ts” include using sarcasm, unclear statements, “you” statements, showing anger or displeasure, and making promises you might not keep. One mnemonic used by MHM and Centurion for de-escalation is to “use your VOICE” (Validation, Observation, “I” and “We” statements, Caring Statements, Explain the Plan.”

Says Dr. Joel Federbush, Corizon Health’s Northeast Regional Mental Health Director for Community Corrections: “A

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qualified mental health professional should always be contacted when a mental health crisis arises in a facility, even if only for consultation. We recognize that in some situations, it is not safe for civilian staff to be present.

This is why it is critical that all staff are trained in crisis de-escalation techniques to manage a crisis from the start. We find that when the staff has the skills they need to better manage a situation, they are more likely to make a good and safe intervention

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before a crisis has the opportunity to escalate.”

“At our facility,” says Federbush, “we included de-escalation techniques for our staff that have proven effective in verbally de-escalating most potentially violent situations.”

These techniques include minimizing background distractions, having only one person speaking at a time, introducing self, stating that we are here to listen, keeping voices firm but calm, and not letting voice pitch rise or speech-rate quicken in response to frustration, irritation, or provocation. Other techniques include adapting conversation to the appropriate vocabulary level, not talking over or talking down to inmates, and allowing inmates to speak freely and express frustrations and disappointments.

“Lying is never acceptable,” he furthers. “It will negatively affect future interactions and relationships with the inmate. For example, if the inmate asks to speak to the President of the United States, one should never tell the inmate this will happen. (“I’ll work on that; I’ll need you to do something for me.”). The passage of time expends adrenaline and allows fatigue to set in,” Federbush adds. “The more time that passes without injury, the more likely a non-lethal outcome to the crisis.”

Khokhobashvili says that inmates are considered to be in crisis if they require immediate mental health care, even if they are behaving in a way that seems more like “acting out.” Inmates in the mental health program are housed at low, medium, and high levels of care, and observation is increased as the level goes up.

Some inmates require an acute level of care such as hospitalization, which is around the clock.

There are also conditions, namely suicide risk, that warrant one-toone observation.

CDCR and California Correctional Health Care Services 20 CORRECTIONS FORUM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

have instituted Crisis Intervention Teams—trained interdisciplinary teams consisting of mental health, nursing, and custody staff who work together to identify underlying reasons for emergent mental health referrals, address immediate needs, and determine if a Mental Health Crisis Bed referral is appropriate. “The purpose of the CIT is to address inmate crisis through a multidisciplinary approach to assess the underlying need and develop a solution in order to return the inmate to a state of equilibrium.” CITs are used in correctional agencies nationwide.

Studies by the National Institute of Justice and National Alliance on Mental Illness have shown that CITs reduce incidents and improve triaging for mental health patients.

CITs are trained in defusing intense emotions, effective communication, empathy and rapport development, identifying precipitating events and major concerns, preventing immediate harm, returning inmates to normal functioning levels, and making appropriate recommendations and referrals.

Anticipating an Incident Barboza and Wilson state that the first signs of a mental health crisis are often physical. Rapid breathing, a flushed face, tense muscles, balled fists, poor eye contact, and hard staring may be indicators of an imminent incident. Changes in behavior may also signal escalating agitation.

Inmates may be escalating if they are normally talkative and respectful but become sullen or resentful. For some inmates with mental illness, refusing medication or an appointment “may be an early indication of dissatisfaction.” The missed medication may not directly cause the episode but may instead be a form of protest that the inmate is dissatisfied with the care he or she is receiving.

As is commonly taught in suicide prevention training, say Barboza and Wilson, there are certain circumstances that raise the risk of agitated mental health states. Early stages of incarceration or being new to a facility,

Inmates call it bugging out, netted up, J Cat, or off the chain. Practitioners likely just say episodes.

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returning from court, undergoing detox, experiencing a loss, or increased stress can be difficult for most inmates and may be particularly difficult for inmates with SMI. Data indicate that restrictive housing can raise the risk of symptoms, anger, and agitation, so it is important to know which housing units can be challenging for inmates.

MHM’s Barboza and Wilson further note that inmates who have a history of mental health crises need to have individualized mental health treatment plans developed to address and reduce the risk of future crises. They may require housing in a residential mental health unit. On a temporary basis, they may require mental health observation or watch status, but this is rarely a good idea as a long-term plan. Regardless of their housing placement, observation status, or treatment plan, it is critical that medical, mental health, and cor-

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rectional staff communicate with each other to ensure a consistent and coherent plan of treatment and management is maintained.

Corizon’s Federbush notes that while the biggest predictor of future violence is past violence, all staff should be trained on the foreshadowing behaviors of aggression. Clenching fists or jaws, expanded chest, staring, feet placed apart, pacing, impatient behavior, verbal abuse, swearing, speaking in a loud voice, and standing uncomfortably close are all signs that could be predictors of an incident.

He furthers there is a significant benefit to isolating inmates who have the potential for violent behavior. Identifying these inmates based on these predictive behaviors may prevent a violent act from occurring. “When making the decision to isolate an inmate, it is imperative that a specific treatment plan is developed with the ultimate goal

either to re-integrate the inmate back into population or to move toward hospitalization if symptoms do not improve.”

Khokhobashvili says that custody staff at CDCR receives mental-health training as cadets and on an ongoing basis throughout their careers. While there are no “general” situations in which inmates may go into a crisis state, some common scenarios that may contribute to crises in the prison environment include personality conflicts, housing issues, medical concerns, self-injury, psychosis, and severe disabilities.

Louis Pasteur once remarked, “Chance favors the prepared mind.” There’s no way to see the future, but there are ways to prepare for it, and an environment that strives for predictability, deals in unpredictability, and that has unexpectedly become the nation’s de facto mental health providers has more reason than most to prepare for chance. ✪

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BY G.F. GUERCIO, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Food SERVICE Trends Trends spotted at the ACFSA Conference in September include those that impact inmate diets, offer offender culinary skills and deliver high-performance kitchen equipment.

All the trendiness of Fashion Week in New York City is blowing up the Internet, but take a sidestep across the country to San Diego to find the Association of Correctional Food Service Affiliates (ACFSA) Conference and let’s direct our focus to “what’s fashionable” in food service in our industry.

With the conference theme of “Doing More with Less” industry leaders give CF their thoughts on trends they see now and emerging that can help in that goal, while equipment and products listed in “Trending Now” also deliver high performance solutions for heating, serving and washing, as well as imparting vocational skills.

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Food Service Trendspotters Tim Thielman, Lieutenant, CFSM, CCFP, ACFSA International President, Ramsey County Corrections, Minn.

Cuts in food budgets and personnel have been a trend for some time now and I believe will continue for the indefinite future. Menu trends include streamlining special diets such as low fat, cardiovascular, low sodium into one heart-healthy diet that will cover the entire population. Some institutions, including mine, have eliminated a hot dinner meal and serve bag meals

Tim Thielman, ACFSA International President, left, presenting Michael Robertson from JonesZylon the ACFSA Founders Award at last year’s conference.

at night that are passed out by the line staff. By operating an inhouse bakery we can produce bag

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meals at a fraction of the cost of a hot meal.

In other trends, food service managers are being used for other functions within the facility such as overseeing the laundry, commissary, facility warehouse, and I even know food service managers who are overseeing building maintenance and a facility barber/beauty shop. Culinary programs, laundry programs, horticulture programs, and even janitorial programs to help offenders gain employment skills they can take back out into the community are being overseen by food service managers.

Marlene Tutt, MS RDN, Dietitian, County of San Diego Sheriff Department The current trends in correctional nutrition are meal plans for food allergies, medical and religious needs. We have clients of all ages with chronic and complicated medical conditions along with aging clients. The clients in California county jails are staying longer in local custody versus going to state prison.

Barbara Wakeen, MA, RDN, LD, CCFP, CCHP, Principal/Owner Correctional Nutrition Consultants, Ltd., Chair ACFSA Dieticians in Corrections

like putting a puzzle together in a big frame with the pieces being standards, accreditations, contracts, budgets, products availability and compliance.

Recently, I had to modify therapeutic diets where fruit is offered as the alternative to a baked dessert because administration banned fruit from the facility since the inmates were making hooch (homemade alcohol).

While this is a security issue, it often filters down to food service.

Some facilities are offering sack lunch or dinner meals to save on staffing and other foodservice related areas. Most often these meals contain processed lunchmeats and/or cheese or peanut butter. Mandates such as these create new challenges such as trying to keep the sodium content in the menus within a reasonable range and then modifying therapeutic diets with alternative options.

Given budget constraints, many facilities provide fortified beverages as alternatives to juice or milk as these positively impact food costs. Some are incorporating soy into meats, such as ground beef, for example, to maximize usage, offer vegetarian alternatives and positively impact nutritional content and food costs.

relate to equipment specification and culinary design, identifying a solution that will work not just for an immediate budgetary requirement or operational need, but for the long term. It is vitally important to evaluate not just initial investment and financing options, but also comprehensive lifecycle costs, inclusive of equipment longevity, water and energy usage, along with preventative maintenance expectations.

It’s easy to say, “a refrigerator should cost X,” or “that flight type dish machine should cost Y.” However, the better questions to ask are, “over the next 10 years, what is this brand’s unit going to cost versus the others?

Will this piece of equipment meet our production needs and be flexible enough to support population fluctuation? How well am I going to be supported in the event something goes wrong?”

Jennifer Klein, Corrections Sales & Product Innovation, National Food Group Replacing just half your animal protein with vegetarian protein

Stephanie Gilbert, CFSP, LEED GA, National Sales Manager, Consultant Services, Hobart Food Equipment Group We work with clients, in terms of key considerations as they

For dietitians, we are always trying to maximize resources and products to produce the most nutritionally-adequate menus and diets within constraints imposed by budgets, administration and product availability. It’s 28 CORRECTIONS FORUM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

can result in up to a 50 percent reduction in meal cost.

Correctional feeders around the country are serving our textured soy protein to mimic beef or poultry; some replacing animal protein 100 percent, while others use 50 percent animal protein and 50 percent soy protein.

Sustainable and versatile, our soy VISIT US AT WWW.CORRECTIONSFORUM.NET

vegetarian protein is Kosher, Vegan and Halal and even used by many for emergency preparedness.

Tracy L. Zuber, Administrative Manager, POST Master Instructor, Orange County Sheriff's Department, San Diego Regional Training Center Providing conceptual knowledge and tangible competencies to meet current challenges of achieving compliance with inmate rights is critical.

Understanding such often overlooked or unknown areas of compliance better prepares agencies with a best practices approach to not only recognize how inmate’s rights are violated, but also how to prevent such violations before they occur.

Jail operations and inmate custody serve as one of law enforcement’s most substantial areas of risk, liability, and litigation.

Inmate rights are broad and highly regulated. Incarcerated individuals are afforded a certain set of rights that are often violated unintentionally. Oftentimes violations occur not because of malice, rather, because of ignorance or an honest mistake due to lack of training.

Arthur Kessler, West Coast Representative, Global Food Industries The federal and statewide budget constrains have required correctional facilities to consider innovative ways to manage food service. In the past few years, the 30 CORRECTIONS FORUM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

easy storage. Color options make trays and lids easy to organize and track. www.plastoconinc.com correctional food marketplace has also seen a large increase in demand of specialty dietary items, such as Kosher and Halal meals.

The state of California, for example, spends over $1 million on Halal meals for its 9,000 inmates in various correctional facilities. The same is true for other large states that are struggling to keep up with the growing demand for vegan and gluten-free meals, with individual meals costing double the amount of the cost for mainline meals.

To alleviate the budget constraints and improve dietary options, Global Food Industries (GFI) product innovation led to texturized vegetable proteins (TVP) for vegetarian soy-based meals for special religious diets.

With high nutrition, rich taste, high-content protein, and low price, GFI’s TVP Complete Instant Cooked Meals are now used in many of the correctional institutions mainline.

Items Trending Now… Tray Longevity The Plastocon product line consists of U.S.-made meal trays, delivery carts, racks and smallwares; everything necessary to serve a hot inmate meal. Trays are designed for performance and longevity. Seamless and durably molded, they can be stacked for

Pro Cart Ultra The only hot and cold transport and holding cart: Customize the cart to support any menu with a choice of active hot (150˚-

165˚F), active cold (32.5˚- 40˚F) or passive holding in each compartment. Energy efficient, active modules draw less than 5 amps each. Cold module uses environmentally-friendly thermoelectric technology. Holds Gastronorm food pans, sheet pans, trays/pizza boxes. www.cambro.com, 1.800.833.3003

Burger Launch Union Supply Group develops products for food enjoyment with

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a recent private label launch. The Back Country Quarter Pound Beef Burger is high in protein, contains no preservatives, is gluten free and priced at a value. www.unionsupplygroup.com, 1.310.603.8899

Versatile Cart The new JZ-168 food delivery cart can be heated/ambient, all heated, heated/refrigerated, or all refrigerated. Short enough to see over while transporting, with room on top for drinks/miscella-

get, maintains stability and safety and keeps inmates satisfied.

Additional programs include inmate vocational training, inmate incentive meals, senior nutrition and officer dining room operation. www.trinityservicesgroup.com, marketing@trinityservicesgroup.com, 1.855.705.5538

Tray Washer The Insinger tray washer was developed to wash and sanitize compartment trays and is the only NSF-approved tray washing system in the industry. By using a vertical spray pattern, tray washers remove debris standard ware-

washers leave behind, compartment trays come out clean and sanitized with the first pass.

Security package is specifically designed for high-risk facilities. www.insingermachine.com, 1.800.344.4802

HDM Packages neous items. A convection-air removable heater can be snapped in/out in seconds with no tools.

Transport meal trays stacked with lids, or use available racks to transport steam pans/sheet pans of food. jzsales@joneszylon.com, 1.800.848.8160

Food Warming Equipment Co. (FWE) has cooking, holding, transportation, refrigeration and

serving equipment with several styles of Heavy Duty Modified (HDM) packages. Solutions are custom designed for the specific needs of an institution’s size and security levels. HDM packages represent a complete retrofit, including heavier gauge stainless steel throughout the body, a retooling of exposed hardware, and components specific to holding product for transport. www.fwe.com/correctional, 1.800.222.4393

Pro Series Depositors The heavy-duty Pro Series includes the Pro1000i FS and Pro 2000i FS depositors, and features large conical hopper, precision height adjustment for use with various pumps and conveyor systems. These are capable of deposits up to 93 oz. and 110 oz. per minute. Stainless steel, tool-free design makes maintenance, change-over, and disassembly easy. Attachments: spreader nozzles, injection needles, cake heads, diving nozzles; different hopper sizes, heated hoppers, hopper stirrers, and agitators offer versatility. www.unifiller.com

Slotted Marathon Tray The Marathon Tray with side cut-out allows visibility in the flatware slot while stacked. A quick glance ensures every tray has flatware going out and when collected. Includes all the benefits of the Marathon Tray: exceptional durability, stackable design and enhanced heat retention. www.cookscorrectional.com, 1.800.956.5571

Operation Solutions Trinity Services Group designs solutions specific to needs; providing outsourced and self-operation support that maximizes bud32 CORRECTIONS FORUM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

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BY BILL SCHIFFNER, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Keys to safer medication management and distribution

34 CORRECTIONS FORUM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

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MEDICATION

distribution can be one of the riskiest procedures in any correctional facility due to the high volume of inmate patients, possible black market selling scenarios and violent situations that could occur. Pharmacists, nurses and support staff administer thousands of doses of medication to inmate/patients in the general population, segregated units, and specialty housing areas on a daily basis. To make sure that things go smoothly, there are steps that must be followed to the letter.

The three most common ways medications are administered are: Med Line (Watch Take), Keep on Person (KOP) and Pre-Pour meds.

Annual Training is a Key Martha Ingram, RN, CCHP, CPHQ, director of Management & Performance Improvement at Wexford Health Sources, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., says their nurses are expected to annually train and refresh themselves on medication administration due to high volume and high risk of medication administration in corrections environments.

“There are several processes in place to ensure this happens. We have policies that spell out the expectations for a safe and accurate med pass which include ensuring the nurse uses two identifiers for patient ID to performing mouth checks to ensure meds are swallowed and not stashed for trafficking purposes.”

She points out that administration at each site determines if the site allows a KOP system. “If a KOP system is in place at the facility it is limited medications that the patient can keep in their cell. Obviously medical staff has little control once the blister pack is given to the inmate. A KOP system is usually limited to medications for chronic conditions and not psychotropic medications, to cut down on the

potential for trafficking of these meds.”

EMR Technology Lacking Ingram says that technology in corrections is far behind other health care industries (e.g., hospitals, long-term care facilities).

“While electronic medical records [EMRs] are being installed in more facilities, we are far behind those electronic systems in hospitals. Nurses can rely on technology a great deal in hospitals but very little in corrections. Many EMRs that are out there for corrections do not yet have a medication administration capability.

Correctional facilities are often physically old buildings with no ability to accommodate wireless technology and much of the care and meds are delivered on the units themselves.”

She says that Wexford Health prefers to use an electronic medication administration record (eMAR) system for their med administration to ensure efficient distribution. “Once this tool is in place and consistently used, we can use the data to monitor compliance.”

Ingram says they believe that the benefits of adding an eMAR to a facility will definitely help to increase the safe and efficient medication administration process. “In turn, by utilizing an eMAR, nurses are provided a failsafe method to ensure that medications are administered appropriately, safely, and efficiently.”

More Options Todd Myers, director, IT Business Development at Corizon Health says with the increase in Correctional Healthcare Technology, facilities now have multiple options for increasing quality patient care while reducing medication administration errors. “While a fully integrated EHR would be the best option, some jail and prison systems have opted to start the transition to

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Healthcare Technology through the implementation of an eMAR.” He explains that building on the 5R’s of medication administration, eMAR checks each barcode scanned RX number before administration to ensure Right patient, Right medication, Right dose, Right route, and Right time of day. “For certain diseases or patient diagnoses, the eMAR will prompt with alerts to ensure adequate measures are taken for specific medication administration.”

Myers adds through the use of barcode scanners, the fully integrated eMAR is synchronized with the pharmacy, ensuring patient profiles are up to date with active medications that have been checked for Drug to Drug and Drug to Allergy contraindications.

“This close integration also grants the pharmacy added confidence the discontinued medications are immediately flagged and automatically removed from the patients’ profile prior to the next administration. Other functions such as Medication Hold, Refusals, and KOP workflows can be applied with eMAR technology.”

Blister Packaging Solutions Gregg Puffenberger, Pharm. D. MBA, vice president of Pharmacy Management for MHM Services, Inc., reports that a unit dose/blister packaging drug distribution and control system is recommended and should focus on patient safety and result in a minimal incidence of medication errors and adverse drug reactions.

“Ongoing processes for the monitoring and reporting of adverse drug reactions and the detection and prevention of medication errors should exist. The system employed should foster drug-control and drug-use monitoring.”

He says that the system should also foster patient compliance, recovery of drugs because of expired orders, and ultimate destruction of all unusable and outdated medications. “Inmates CORRECTIONS FORUM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 35

should not be used in the distribution process. Patient confidentiality should be ensured in the distribution process. The facility should also ensure the proper security of medications stored in each location and that drug products are stored in accordance with manufacturer or USP requirements,” he explains.

Puffenberger adds that a process for minimizing and eliminating unauthorized use of medications by anyone other than the intended patient should exist.

“A process for minimizing and eliminating pilferage should be in place as well as a process for monitoring and preventing the dispensing of unusually large quantities of medications should exist as well.”

He adds that a process for preventing the dispensing of sufficient doses of any medication to enable potential suicide should also exist. “Individuals who are evaluated as high risks for suicide should be identified. A process for the security and dispensing of controlled substances should be in place.”

He says that the facility’s medical staff and other responsible health authorities, should maintain policies and procedures for the routine review and renewal of medication orders and for any automatic discontinuance of orders. “Access to patients’ medication records should be limited to authorized personnel only,” he points out.

Automated Dispensing an Emerging Trend Puffenberger reports that automated dispensing devices are increasingly being used for centralized filling of individual patient prescriptions and unitdose medication orders, decentralized dispensing, and other purposes. “When such devices and the systems that support them are not used appropriately, 36 CORRECTIONS FORUM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

their complexity, design and function variations, maintenance and education requirements, and other factors can compromise patient safety and have other harmful effects.”

He says the appropriate, accurate, and timely distribution of medications to patients is a wellestablished responsibility of the nursing and pharmacy staff.

“Automation has evolved to ease fulfillment of pharmacists’ distributive responsibilities, expand distribution system capabilities, and improve efficiency in distribution.

Automated dispensing devices are starting to become tailored for use in the correctional environment to increase accountability, security, decrease waste, and streamline the administration process for the healthcare staff,” he concludes.

aged via an automated machine.

“With Medi-Dose, any time you pull a blister from our system it’s a clean sheet. In just under one minute you can package 25 doses of medication with complete labeling capability. It’s a great way for any facility to package their medication either as a primary, back up or for meds that require special handling that can’t be packaged by a machine.

Automated machines have their place and we co-exist with any of those systems,” he concludes.

If your facility is looking for additional products and services in the pharmacy area, here are some providers.

Medication Keepers

Manual Blister Pack Solutions While automation systems are beginning to be utilized, still the most efficient systems are in manual unit dose/blister packaging.

One of the biggest players in this area is Medi-Dose. Robert Braverman, president at MediDose/EPS, Ivyland, Pa., points out that the Medi-Dose manual tamper-evident packaging system provides a solution for all types of correctional facilities.

“We provide any type of facility complete pharmacy solutions.

Even if they have automated systems in place, they still will have medications that need to be manually packaged on a short run basis or if they need a back up to an existing system. That’s where we come in. We provide a manual tamper-evident system with complete labeling capabilities.”

Braverman points out while they are primarily a hospital-based pharmacy company; the beauty of their system is that it works great in a correctional setting.

He reports there are many medications that can’t be pack-

Pharmacy Services Provider Diamond Pharmacy Services is the nation’s largest correctional pharmacy services provider, servicing over 500,000 inmates in over 900 facilities across 44 states, the company says. With over 30 years correctional experience, they promise to deliver the highest quality of healthcare service. www.diamondpharmacy.com, 1.800.882.6337

Packaging System Medi-Dose is a tamper-evident, solid oral unit dose packaging system. Medi-Dose features 13

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the existing eClincial Works EHR. www.corizonhealth.com, 1.800.729.0069

Correctional Services MHM Correctional Services is a wholly owned subsidiary of MHM Services, Inc. MHM and its subsidiaries are under contract with correctional systems nation-

wide to provide a wide range of behavioral health, pharmacy, medical specialty and comprehensive medical services. In 2017, MHM provides services on site to over 350 facilities in 16 states nationwide. www.mhm-services.com, 1.800.416.3649

Health Care Programs types of blisters, including new Mini Medi-Cup Blisters for small medications and Deep & Jumbo blisters for larger or multiple meds. Medi-Dose features 1 year beyond use dating and tamperevidence protection. Their MILT software complements the MediDose system and provides a variety of innovative features for all medication labeling needs… solids, liquids, IV’s, syringes, ampules, even equipment.

Facilities can design labels any way they want. 1-D and 2-D bar codes, graphics, numbering, special fonts; tall man lettering, shapes and logos and packaging logs are all included. www.medidose.com, 1.800.523.8966

Dispensing System Talyst’s InSite In-Facility Dispensing System was the first medication management system designed specifically for corrections. It enables secure, automated medication dispensing throughout a correctional facility 24/7/365, and is 38 CORRECTIONS FORUM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

scalable to work across multiple facilities. The InSite pharmacy automation system is said to provide better inventory control and more efficient workflow to virtually eliminate expensive medication waste. Through effective medication management, the InSite System gives nurses more time to perform other important tasks, and improves overall patient and staff safety. www.talyst.com, 1.425.289.5400

Electronic Medication Administration Record In 2010 Corizon Health partnered with Health Care Systems’ (HCS) to implement their eMAR. Since then Corizon has deployed the product for three large DOC clients spanning 45 correctional facilities and 40,000 patients.

Today, Corizon is actively work-

ing to deploy the latest eMAR release for its Philadelphia Department of Corrections partner. Corizon Health will be working closely with Philadelphia DOC to integrate the eMAR with

NaphCare provides a proactive approach to health care programs for correctional facilities ranging from comprehensive health care,

on-site dialysis, off-site management, in-house pharmacy and TechCare, their electronic health record (EHR) clinical operational tool. www.naphcare.com, 1.800.834.8400

Health Care Solutions Wexford Health Sources provides medical, mental health, pharmacy, rehabilitation, utiliza-

tion management, claims processing, and technology services to state, regional, and local clients across the country. The company aids governments, correctional facilities, and other institutions control inmate health care costs while maintaining quality of care. www.wexfordhealth.com, 1.888.633.6468

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BY MICHAEL GROHS, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

How technology works to ferret out contraband cell phones— and their communications.

A 31- Y E A R O L D M A L E I N S O U T H Carolina has been very active on social media. He updated his Facebook profile picture on July 5, posted a video on July 22, posted on his birthday on July 27, went live on August 4, and posted again on August 8. There’s nothing unusual about any of that. The only reason anyone is even talking about it is because he is an inmate serving a 10-year sentence in Evans Correctional Institution in Bennettsville, South Carolina, and doing this on a contraband cell phone (and in one video he is brandishing a knife).

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As reported by Business Wire, this is not the first time he has been caught with a cell phone.

While this is a clear violation of laws and policies, it also might be considered an annoyance by some: an inmate seeking and getting attention. There is a much darker side, though. In one horrific example, in 2016, a DeKalb County, Georgia, gang leader was indicted for ordering the hit on a nine-month old baby boy in retaliation for the child’s uncle killing a rival gang member. It is events like this that have correctional facilities calling for the FCC to allow correctional facili-

ties to jam cell phones. According to an FCC statement, the FCC has made it a priority to address contraband cell phone use by inmates. Cell phones have been used to arrange the murder of witnesses and public officers, traffic drugs, and continue to manage criminal enterprises while incarcerated. Cell phone jamming technology is illegal, though, and can cause problems.

For one, it can interfere with 911 calls and other public safety communication. The Communications Act prohibits non-federal entities from using cell jamming technologies, and it cannot be

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waived by the FCC without an act of Congress. There is also concern of the jamming signal bleeding to outside the walls of the prison and affecting other communities. In fact, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau has received reports from police and fire departments receiving interference from illegal jamming devices.

There is also the matter of homeland security. If jamming is sanctioned and jammers proliferate, there are criminal and terroristic concerns. In addition to safety concerns, jamming is expensive, in some cases more expensive than other technologies.

According to the FCC release, jammers require extensive engineering design contingent on individual distinctions of buildings as well as continued maintenance and monitoring and other facets such as antennae engineering, cabling, and secure housing to prevent circumvention.

There are solutions, though.

The FCC release touts the benefit of Inmate Call Capture, which is legal when authorized by the FCC. The technology does not jam signals but rather acts like a cellular base station that detects calls made from within the prison and passes along only authorized ones. If a number is on an approved list, it will be routed as normal. If the number is not on an approved list, the call will not be completed, and the caller will receive a message saying the call has not been authorized. At its first trial in a correctional facility in Mississippi, inmate call capture prevented 216,000 illegal calls by and to inmates.

The technology is there to help at various stages of the incarceration cycle. Cell phones can be detected by scanners as they enter the facility. They can be detected once inside even if they are turned off and even then from behind a wall or inside the body. They can be monitored and controlled when inmates are using them. It is a game of cat

and mouse. They say necessity is the mother of invention, and clearly necessity works for both sides. When inmates use drones to introduce cell phones into a facility, correctional personnel can address it. When inmates change strategy to using homing pigeons, there is a solution to that, too. Below are some examples of the cat being in possession of the better technology.

GTL There are many viable solutions on the market today that play a part in combatting contraband cellphones. The milliondollar question is, “Which one is right for your facility?” GTL consults with customers to customize

CEIA The CEIA Magneto Static Detector (MSD) portable cell phone and contraband detector targets concealed cell phones and other ferrous threats and it provides the highest detection capabilities in the industry, they report. The MSD is portable and, with no assembly required, is ready for immediate use.

Combining high-reliability and lightweight design with advanced

a strategic solution that works for them. Recognizing any contraband to be a symptom of a larger problem, GTL works to implement an intelligence-led corrections approach that gets to the root of the problem. Instead of having to chase new symptoms that arise, facilities shut down contraband at its source. The facility’s strategy may include a managed access system (MAS) since GTL is the market leader with 21 deployments, or other solutions such as the popular ferromagnetic detection device, which GTL deployed to over 250 sites in the last year alone. www.gtl.net, 615.649.5114, Sales Contact, Janet Vogelaar, janet.vogelaar@gtl.net

METRASENS The CEIA Magneto Static Detector (MSD) is a highly portable detector that targets concealed cell phones and other ferrous threats and provides some of the highest detection capabilities in the industry.

detection, the MSD is flexible enough for making surprise checks fast and efficient. The MSD quickly and easily detects items concealed on the person or in body cavities (including key fob cell phones, smart phones, shanks, etc.) and is fully weatherproof for outdoor use. www.ceia-usa.com, 1-888-532-CEIA, security@ceia-usa.com

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Cellsense® Plus is an advanced magnetic detection technology used by prisons and jails for contraband interdiction. Inside or out, Cellsense Plus’ portability adds the element of surprise to stop threats anywhere. It features a 2x sensitivity of detection in areas where contraband is most likely to be found while also reducing environmentally caused nuisance alarms by 50%.

Intuitive controls along with no calibration allows you to be operational in only 10 seconds. In addition to gaining virtually unmatched technology benefits, users benefit from in-depth trainCORRECTIONS FORUM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 41

Securus

ing from the vendor. Behindthe-wall training conducted by accredited trainers with over 40 years of collective experience in corrections security is provided with each purchase. Staff is trained on operational screening techniques and best practices that are proven to produce results. Cellsense Plus has been deployed within 37 DOCs and over 150 counties, in addition to 43 countries, making it a trusted contraband detection system for the corrections industry. www.metrasens.com, 630-541-6509, security@metrasens.com

Wireless Innovations, Inc.

tings for each band. The Arf uses an innovative design to scan and identify any cellular activity over the 130 MHz to 3 GHz frequency bands for both the U.S. and international market. The unit scans 10 independent frequency bands, with each having a settable threshold level allowing for calibration to a specific room environment. Specialized software is built-in to automatically determine the threshold settings and attenuation level for each frequency band, allowing for easy installation. www.wirelessinnov.com, 443.979.3016, info@wirelessinnov.com

Securus’ Wireless Containment Solutions (WCS) prevents and often completely eliminates illegal contraband cell phone communications within targeted areas of a correctional facility without correctional officers having to confront inmates or exhausting facility resources. Securus deploys and fully manages a sophisticated array of distributed antennas, receivers, transceivers, on-premise hardware, and hosted software without the need for facility maintenance or management.

The Securus WCS Dashboard also gives corrections a powerful tool and graphical look into cell phone usage and a unique perspective to assist in other factors to consider for containment solutions. Instead of leaving you wondering whether the system is successfully managing and preventing illegal contraband wireless phone activity, it provides visibility into exactly how the system is performing. The dashboard and user interface allow for access to the number of active contraband cell phones within a facility, the pattern of attempted use by the hour, the number of prevented attempts by unauthorized cell phones, trends and patterns for analysis, custom reports, and more. www.securustechnologies.com, sales@securustechnologies.com

Securus WCS

The Arf cell detector provides the ability to detect contraband phones with an unprecedented low false alarm rate, any cell phone or wireless transmission within range at a very low cost, reports its provider. Its unique design allows it to detect transmissions at greater distances than other detectors while maintaining an ultra-low false detection rate.

This is only possible using a large number of frequency bands with ultra-high performance filters, a large number of dedicated frequency bands with programmable attenuators, and threshold set42 CORRECTIONS FORUM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

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BY DONNA ROGERS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

GTL’s Inspire inmate tablet education solution provides 65,000 pieces of credentialed content from major education content providers.

EMPLOYMENT EMPOWERMENT

Being employed has been proven to help keep ex-offenders out of jail/prison. From advocacy to skills training to job data bases, here are ways they can get help.

P

ablo Gaxiola spent 15 years in prison. Upon release three years ago, he was invited to a job workshop, which he admits to attending with just the smallest bit of hope that something could change. After an initial assessment and orientation he was in fact given a job as an administrative clerk, utilizing experience and skills he learned while in prison.

From that role, he was able to fill an open position as peer mentor, and recently has been promoted to placement coordinator—a job that helps others like himself find employment. He reports that while life isn’t per44 CORRECTIONS FORUM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

fect: “I am confident, self-aware, capable, and most of all, overcome with hope that the future I once feared, is now filled with promise.”

Gaxiola is part of Goodwill of Silicon Valley’s New Opportunity Work (NOW) program, one of a small but growing number of programs that help those with criminal records gain employment.

Now celebrating 115 years, Goodwill Industries International Inc. states that it has helped over 217,000 people get back to work this year.

BACKGROUND

The fact is that about 70 million people in the U.S. have some

sort of criminal record, and nearly 700,000 return to communities annually after being released from jail or prison.

They will all need jobs. Studies have shown that post-release employment has a significant impact on recidivism rates. At the same time, the higher level of formal education they attain, the greater the prospects of employment at sustainable wages.

According to a recent RAND Corporation study called Evaluating the Effectiveness of Correctional Education, “The odds of obtaining employment postrelease among inmates who participated in either academic or vocational correctional education

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was 13 percent higher than the odds for those who did not participate.” Backing those figures, it found that inmates who had no correctional training had a 43% chance of recidivating, while for those who had such education the recidivism number dropped to 30%. In addition, the study found that “those who participated in vocational training were 28 percent more likely to be employed after release from prison than those who did not receive such training.”

However, one of the biggest obstacles for those who were convicted—even if they have changed—is to overcome the stigma of a criminal record with prospective employers. Those hiring admittedly report that they fear negligent hiring liability, workplace violence, theft, or bad publicity if they hire a worker with a criminal history. They often overlook rehabilitation of the offender, the length of time since the last arrest and higher education and/or certificates earned, notes a 2014 article on the webzine Bloomberg BNA. A movement that has been gaining momentum since 2010 that can help exoffenders land a job is the “ban-the-box” policy, a reference to a question on job applications that asks the applicant if they have a criminal record. Nationwide, over 150 cities and counties have adopted ban-the-box legislation so that employers consider a job candidate’s qualifications first, without 46 CORRECTIONS FORUM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

the stigma of a criminal record, states an August 2017 report by the National Employment Law Project (NELP). The advocacy organization explains that the new laws generally allow employers to ask about a job applicant’s criminal record late in the hiring process, such as during the interview or after a job offer is made, delaying exposing the individual and perhaps giving them the opportunity to show who they are and what skills they possess.

To date, a total of 29 states representing nearly every region of the country have adopted the policies, NELP details, and nine states have removed the conviction history question on job applications for private employers, which advocates embrace as the next step in the evolution of these policies.

MOVING FORWARD

Treatment offers offenders a second chance. One such type of treatment with proven results is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or C.B.T. In essence it teaches people to restructure how they think about problems. Within the general population it has been shown to help people reduce their fears or manage their pain. It can also offer assistance to ex-offenders to make improvements in behaviors responsible for the troubles in their lives and conceivably sustain their employment.

An example is Advent eLearning, a cloud-based platform presented with a full portfo-

lio of online evidence-based, education programs using CBT curricula to address misdemeanor offenses and criminal justice agency treatment needs. Aimed at low- to mid-level offenders, its programs are offered in areas such as anger management, bullying, conflict resolution and DUI. This past August Adventfs released a five-year study of rearrest data for offenders undergoing online C.B.T. treatment as part of misdemeanor diversions in Kentucky. It was developed by examining public arrest records of offenders who had taken the courses as part of prosecutor diversions of misdemeanor alcohol, assault, drug, and theft charges.

Findings of the study are: • Of those who took the Advent eLearning courses as part of a prosecutor diversion program, the three-year rearrest rate was 31.6% • In contrast, the Kentucky Department of Corrections (KY DOC) reports a three-year rearrest rate of 46.4% when the same types of offenses are queried from their online recidivism database (http://apps.corrections.ky.gov /Recidivism/SearchRecidivism Data).

• Likewise, offenders taking an Advent eLearning course had a two-year rearrest rate of 25.7% compared to a published twoyear rearrest rate by KY DOC of 37.2% (KY DOC, 2015).

The comparison mostly focuses on first-time offenders who were given a chance to divert via an online course versus others who were incarcerated for similar offenses, points out Josh Hartlage, Adventfs, president.

“The premise behind diversion programs is that you're giving minor offenders who pose little threat to society an opportunity for online treatment using principles of cognitivebehavioral therapy instead of jailing them. So diverted offenders are literally learning from

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their mistakes,” he emphasizes.

Incarceration as an alternative to diversion, he continues, is not only less effective in changing behaviors, but it is likely negatively-instructive by placing young offenders together with their more savvy criminal peers.

Therefore, says Hartlage, “diversions aren't just good economic policy to ease jail overcrowding, they're good social policy for lowering criminality overall.”

EDUCATION: A TICKET TO FREEDOM

RAND Corporation has done a series of research papers on the effects of education on recidivism. One of their major contributors, Lois M. Davis, Ph.D., senior policy researcher, and professor, Pardee RAND Graduate School, notes: “Those who participated in postsecondary education programs in prison had a recidivism rate that was more than 50%

lower than those who did not participate in such correctional education programs.”

The Department of Justice reports that 76.6% of inmates return to prison within five years, points out Dr. Turner Nashe, senior vice president of Education Services at GTL, but attaining an educational degree enormously lowers the recidivism rate: • Associate degree holders return at a rate of 13.7%.

• Bachelor’s degree holders return at a rate of 5.6%.

• Master’s degree holders return at a rate of nearly 0%.

GTL, for its part, seeks to educate inmates within the walls of correctional facilities while eliminating the need to transfer inmates to a campus or computer lab to complete coursework. Its tablet-based education, known as the Inspire inmate tablet, is offered to inmates in a variety of content areas, and is reported to be engaging for the “digital

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native” population and also approachable for those who are not yet digital natives.

Tablets enable facilities to offer more educational programs to more inmates than a traditional classroom setting allows.

Inmates can learn at their own pace in this flexible format, explains Dr. Nashe. From educational packages that focus on foundational skills to options for inmates looking to obtain higher education degrees, GTL’s education solution provides 65,000 pieces of credentialed content from major education content providers. These include self-help courses; practice exercises; 7,000 instructional videos; and a personalized learning dashboard, all available on a secure platform and a hardened tablet.

Learning Management System (LMS) course areas, which consist of courses, videos and eBooks, are offered in GED, life skills/C.B.T, vocational training, business and

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Edovo works on a learn-and-earn model, where users earn points by completing courses and spend those points on entertainment content.

leadership and computer literacy/IT skills, and others. Inspire program certifications include: Administrative Medical Assisting, Janitorial and Athletics (e.g., Certified Personal Trainer).

Inmates can also engage in entrepreneurial courses.

A Documents Application is now available on the Inspire tablet. This allows a facility to broadcast PDF documents, so they can post educational documents, manuals, job postings, etc.; inmates can access them via their tablets through the facility’s Intranet server. Early next year, GTL plans to add an Alcoholics Anonymous app—which will provide free access for inmates to continue their AA journey towards recovery.

Also in the works, GTL will be partnering with various organizations to provide support for exoffenders as they seek job placement. It will include access to tips, information and resources to help search for, apply for, and begin a new job. Finally, the delivery system provides post release resources such as housing, food and medical care, finding legal assistance and getting a driver’s license.

Brian Hill, CEO of Edovo, a firm that supplies tablet technology to incarcerated individuals, echoes the educational aspect of the RAND study above, and notes 48 CORRECTIONS FORUM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017

his firm has collaborated with the independent research firm on a long-term re-entry research project. He says: "Education and communication with loved ones has been shown to decrease recidivism among returning citizens, but these opportunities are limited for the average prisoner. The main daily program for the typical incarcerated person is daytime television. With a set of people with nothing but time on their hands and the motivation to make changes in their lives, we are failing as a society at giving them resources to make those changes.”

Edovo is also a secure digital learning platform hosted on tablets. Its educational suite for jails and prisons includes over 10,000 hours of academic, vocation and social-emotional learning courses and tools for inmates to work through at their own pace. Inmates can request certificates and transcripts of their work to show to courts and loved ones. Students also have the option to continue the program after they’re released.

Edovo works on a learn-andearn model, where users earn points by completing courses and spend those points on entertainment content. This model keeps users motivated and engaged and helps them make the best of their time on the inside, notes Gina

Grant, Edovo’s director of content.

While some feel that inmates who traditionally have a low level of formal education, are uninterested in learning, to the contrary, "There’s a thirst for knowledge across the board, and facilities are reporting more peaceful environments since adopting Edovo,” in the view of David Northridge, senior vice president, who handles measuring metrics and impact for Edovo. He says feedback from the field reveals that 80% of users are working on the platform on a weekly basis, finishing about two lessons per day. The more engaged inmates are, the faster their rehabilitations, he furthers. “Today, we have nearly 9,000 users in 39 facilities in 17 states, and that impact is constantly growing."

HELP WANTED

The government and many nonprofits offer assistance to exoffenders seeking jobs. On the federal level, the National Institute of Corrections’ Community Services Division coordinates the efforts of federal, state, local, and nonprofit agencies to improve employment programs for offenders and exoffenders. They collect and disseminate information on offender employment programs and provide training for staff that provides employment services to offenders and ex-offenders, among other services (see https://nicic.gov/owd).

Another strong support, the non-profit public interest organization known as the Legal Action Center says its mission is to fight discrimination against people with histories of addiction, HIV/AIDS, or criminal records, and advocate for sound public policies in these areas. Its National H.I.R.E. Network (Helping Individuals with criminal records Re-enter through Employment), established in 2001, is a clearinghouse of information that provides training and technical assistance to agen-

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cies working to improve the employment prospects of people with criminal records. It also promotes research that strengthens workforce development and works to improve correctional policies and programs to provide more educational opportunities, better job preparation and skills training, and better transitional services.

Among the many resources on its web site are local service providers in every state, including The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), a New York program that offers rigorous preemployment training, short-term work crew experience, and longterm job development services to prepare clients with criminal records entering permanent employment.

Jobview, LLC, is a custom computer programming service that has developed, deployed and operated hundreds of employment kiosks in markets nationwide since 1995. These kiosks provide job seekers, including offenders and ex-offenders, with thousands of current, local and nationwide employment opportunities. The kiosks, called 2nd Chance in the corrections market, are offered in both secure and Internet versions.

Provided turnkey, the devices provide employment aid to inmates by granting access to thousands of local and nationwide jobs. The user can scroll through 2 million listings from all 50 states through a single interface that organizes the various job opportunities from many different sources into 31 specific job related categories.

2nd Chance kiosks are deployed in state and federal correctional facilities; the Federal Bureau of Prisons gave their approval for use in 2009.

A job seeker using a 2nd Chance Kiosk will initially be presented with access to jobs in the state. The job seeker would select the city of interest and have instant access to the jobs currently listed in that area. The job

Edovo tablet’s educational suite for jails and prisons includes over 10,000 hours of academic, vocation and social-emotional learning courses and tools for inmates to work through at their own pace.

seeker can then view and print jobs in that city, and likewise any city they target. If the individual is still serving time, their counselor can help them apply via the supplied URL; if an ex-offender is using the Jobview services in a halfway house or parole facility they can apply for the job directly from the kiosk or workstation.

Today Jobview software and kiosks are functioning in 35 federal prisons and 50 Texas jails, release centers and parole offices.

Thousands of offenders and exoffenders are being served on a daily basis, notes company president Bob Bro. Jobview helps ease the crucial transition period, giving reentry users a 30-60 day head start on finding a job.

Making a big splash upon its launch in 2010, The Next Step, Inc. (wwwthenextstep99.com) brings together recently released felons looking for work, the agencies that supervise them and felon-friendly employers willing to take a chance to give them a fresh start. That year, the company was recognized by the Kansas Small Business Development Center as a 2010 Emerging Business, and since then its job data base, CoFFE!, is used “by dozens of federal and state agencies with hundreds of releasees employed monthly through the leads it provides.” CoFFE!, which

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stands for the Cooperative of Felon Friendly Employers, has been recognized by some of the most prominent people in the transition field and is offered free to participating agencies and residents.

The company gets paid when the employer that hires the individual places them in a job and contacts The Next Step to help them get the federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) tax credit. The credit varies from $1,200 to $9,600 depending on the employee hired, according to the Department of Labor. As of now, the law is in effect from January 1, 2015 through the end of 2019.

While change is slow to occur, some employers are stepping up to the plate and taking a chance on ex-offenders, according to the advocacy organization NELP. At an event this past summer in Oakland for employers to discuss reentry issues and fair employment opportunities, one business owner spoke to the personal benefit he finds from hiring people with records.

“I’ve seen how a job makes all the difference,” says Derreck B. Johnson, founder and president of Home of Chicken and Waffles in Oakland. “When I give someone a chance and he becomes my best employee, I know that I’m doing right by my community.” ✪ CORRECTIONS FORUM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 49

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