Joint Performance Review (JPR) – August 10, 2009
Posted on August 11th, 2009
Date & Time: Wednesday, August 10, 2009 at 10:00 AM
Location: Cummins Correctional Unit, Grady
Agenda: http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2009/Lists/Meetings/Attachments/11999/I7697.pdf
Attachments: none
This committee has the authority and responsibility to make random and periodic performance review of specific governmental programs and agencies; Conduct investigations into specific problem areas of the administration of state government as may be brought to the attention of the committee; Refer specific problems regarding the operation of state government to appropriate interim committees of the General Assembly for continuing study; Conduct hearings on citizen complaints and views regarding the operation of state government and serve as a forum for citizens to air their complaints and suggestions regarding the operation of state government; Review the expenditures of the various agencies, departments, and programs of state government to assure that they are being administered in accordance with legislative intent and are being administered in such manner as to provide the taxpayers with the greatest service at the lowest reasonable cost; and make reports and recommendations to the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Legislative Council as the committee deems necessary or appropriate to promote more effective and efficient operation of state government. (A.C.A. 10-3-902)
10:07 am – Senator Farris called the meeting order with a few comments, Rep Steve Harrelson and Senator Altes declined additional comments. Representative Rick Saunders, as usual, didn’t miss the opportunity to speak to a crowd.
10:09 am – Benny Magness, Chairman of the Arkansas Board of Corrections is welcoming us to the Cummins Unit and is providing background about the Department of Corrections and the Board of Corrections. He mentions that the Department of Community Corrections handles parolees and also the DOC School District.
10: 11 am – Mr. Magness is briefly talking about the members of the board. David Gunthar – Director of Community Corrections. Dr. Allen is the head of the school board.
10:13 am – Mr. Magness said “The Arkansas Correction System has won the “Eagle Award” which has only been awarded to twelve other states. Our correctional/prison systems is in the top echelon.”
10:14 am – Mr. Magness is giving a brief overview of the recent escape and providing a lead in for a more details accounting that will be presented to the legislators.
10:15 am – Am I the only one that finds it humorous that we finally have a bunch of politicians exactly where a lot of people in this state want them… in a prison. Hey, as least we aren’t like New Jersey politicians, a bunch of those guys should be in prison for an extended stay.
10:16 am – Larry Norris introduced Wendy Kelly, Deputy Director of the Cummins Unit who is not giving a detailed accounting of the recent escape. When I say detailed, I mean DETAILED! The prisoners while doing work in the prison discovered the uniforms in a closet during the course of normal work detail. There was several levels of security breached by doors were remotely unlocked by guards as the prisoners in guard uniforms moved to exit the facility.
10:23 am – Representative Dismang is asking how it was determined that there were not employee collusion to assist in the escape. The complexity of the failures seem to indicated that it would be highly unlikely, but Ms. Kelly said that extensive interviews with “voice stress” analysis was performed.
10:29 am – Senator Pritchard asked how many guards are leaving and arriving at a shift time. The response was “around fifty”. (I am not disclosing the exact number that was given.) The shift change is not a mass change because each guard does not leave duty station until the relief has arrived and all “hand off” information is exchanged.
10:30 am – Representative John Edwards was asking about training requirements. He seemed to be asking if the escape due to lack of training. The training requirements seemed to extensive, and Ms. Kelly said that it was a matter of a lack of complacency.
10:33 am – Rep. Ann Clemmer is asking about the accounting and storage for the uniforms. Apparently the uniforms were put together for display and training. Otherwise they would not have had all their patches on them. Most uniforms that were manufactured here do not have patches and the patches are not manufactured here.
10:34 am – Rep. Rice asked about why the keys were left in the car that was supposed to just be a drop off for cigarettes.
10:35 am – Senator Jimmy Jeffress is asking about where the inmates got the cash to get gas they put in the car.
10:36 am – Senator Hendren is asking about the six correctional officers that were dismissed. There was a captain who had 24 years in service. Most of the other employees had three to eight years.
10:39 am – Representative Kidd is asking about why murders would have that much freedom to store stuff and freedom of movement. The response is that the escapee has a clean record in prison and has worked through a process that allowed that amount of access.
10:42 am – Senator Sue Madison is asking the access to contraband, particularly cigarettes. Mr. Magness is explaining just how much of a problem this is and some of the measures being taken to stop the flow of contraband.
10:44 am – Rep. Dismang is concerned about how proactive the Department of Correction is being to stop an escape. He stated that he recognized that prisoners has 23 hours a day to try to figure out how to beat the system, but the recent escape had long long series complacency mistakes. Rep. Dismang asked if there was any kind of “tests” of the system run periodically to help maintain diligence and identify problem areas. The answer was rather unresponsive.
10:51 am – I followed up with a more direct question asking if the system was tested without the the employees knowing that a drill was occurring. The response was negative, but they do conduct drills. An employee is never complacent during a drill, while a drill serves to train, it does not serve to identify problems of complacency.
10:53 am – Rep. Burris followed up asking why that sort of testing was not occurring. The initial response was that sort of testing could get someone shot, tazed, or maced. So does every person that walks up to a checkpoint get shot, tazed, or maced? Under further clarification from Rep. Burris, Mr Norris then said that they are currently “discussing” doing those sort of tests.
11:01 am – Rep Davy Carter issued an apology for a misunderstanding to Warden White prior to asking a follow up question about contraband, particularly drugs, and the addiction rates of prisoners. We will be briefed on this further later.
11:03 am – Gaylon Lay, Warden of the Cummins Unit is taking about new procedures put in place due to the recent escape. You can guess at the type of solutions, I don’t think I will make those details public.
11:08 am – Deputy Director Larry May is making a presentation about biometric systems discussing the strengths and weaknesses of each type.
11:10 am – I cannot get a cell phone connect nor a net connection, so this will all be posted this evening. I hope you don’t mind that it is not “live.”
11:13 am – The presentor is talking about the future plans to implement RFID and biometrics for each person that may enter and exit the prison. There has been a grant received for about $500,000 for RFID at the maximum security prison. (I think he is referring to the Varner Unit.)
11:19 am – Larry Norris is discussing the history of Cummins. He said that back in the 70′s the Cummins Unit used to be called “Comings and Goings” because of all the escapes. But he points out that is not the current situation. He is correct when he says that, the statistical research that I have done shows a very good job in comparison to other states. That does not mean there are not some areas in need of improvement, i.e. addressing the apparent complacency that led to the escape.
11:27 am – Rep. Burris is pointing out the conflicting statements by the Warden, Director, and Chairman of the Board about mock escapes. He is visibly agitated and rightfully so. The legislators need to be getting consistent information. Mr. Magness states that “under no situation will we be doing mock escapes” which was counter to what Mr. Norris stated earlier.
11:32 am – I had been rather satisfied with the proposed measures except for the failure to create a concrete method of evaluating complacency. Now however, I believe that there are some issues that the legislators need to be chasing with renewed vigor.
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