Good Afternoon,

 

I have two topics to think about.

 

First, see the attached email and it’s attachments.Over the years, many of you have asked about the idea that fines are a more meaningful sanction for certain inmates. Apparently, at least 12 states do just that; General Counsel can confirm whether any of those are in the 4^th Circuit.

 

Feel free to discuss and propose policy a change if needed.

 

Second, I am glad that you all were able to see the progress and improvements that Warden McCall and his team have made. As Mr. Ward noted during your meeting, a large point of having meetings in other prisons is to illustrate that even in prisons where standards are being met and maintained consistently, there are always ways to improve.

 

            If you were focused issues such as how Perry managed to get more paint, you missed the point.

 

What Warden McCall and other Wardens around our system have done is to make improvements that they can make, at every opportunity. Improvements like the vegetable garden, the faith based dorm, inmate uniform compliance, and the control and order in medium dorms and cafeteria’s are process oriented, not resource oriented; that is, they are the result holding people accountable for doing things right, over and over, every day.

 

By the way, did any of you notice that even the garden at Perry is worked maintained in such a manner as not to detract from the overall appearance of the prison? I did.

 

            Several years ago, a friend asked for my counsel in dealing with a subordinate. The two had been friends and equals in the organization and now one had advanced to a position of authority over the other. He struggled with holding this person to the same standards as others and he was honest enough to know that others probably resented the favoritism. Here was my advice. Call him in and explain that whether the two of you like it or not, your new position has changed their working relationship. While you still want to be his friend, your duties to the organization and to the other employees must now come first. Your loyalty to him as a friend cannot become an excuse for violating the principles of accountability and consistency. Then, whether he understands or not, you have made your expectations clear and the next move is his.

 

             A shorter example is found in a story told by a federal judge. This is the version that was relayed to me. Soon after he was appointed to the bench, one of his best and lifelong friends asked the new judge if he would really sentence the friend to prison. Without hesitation, the new Judge replied, “Absolutely. While I certainly would not expect to have to do so, I would do so without hesitation, because it is my higher duty. Furthermore, assuming that for some reason it fell upon me to preside over your sentencing, my goal would be to sentence you just as I would any other similarly situated defendant whom I had never met.”

 

            It is never too late to have that conversation.     

 

At Perry and most of our prisons, the constant cleanliness and perpetual outstanding conditions of the grounds are a reflection of that atmosphere of accountability and attention to detail; at those prisons, inmate movement, uniform compliance, key control, quiet and orderly cafeterias are the also beyond reproach. That has always been the point: if you are still struggling in the highly visible and easily noticeable areas of cleanliness and appearance, you are also struggling in other areas, whether you recognize it or not. Your problem is not the lack of paint or broken lawnmowers; the problem is that folks do not feel it necessary to be prepared for such contingencies. That is a lack of accountability.  Where there is an unwillingness to hold people accountable, marginal and weak performers will be marginal and weak. Eventually, even good performers will get discouraged.

 

Again, focusing on a new coat of paint goes well beyond missing the forest for a single tree.

 

On the other hand, I suspect that most of you left Perry impressed by what you saw and ready to compare each area there with the corresponding area or function of your prison. You may have noticed one or two good ideas that really caught your eye. Frankly, most all of us have made this statement or something similar to it: “Well, that is our/a medium custody unit,…”  We are making excuses that allow for lower standards of cleanliness, appearance, and order. In most cases, we get exactly what we expect and demand.

 

All in all, I hope that you left intending to think about, or even discuss, what you saw and beginning to prioritize your ideas to focus on one or two improvements in your prison; or, you left with a single, specific priority in mind. Some of you were already planning to meet with appropriate staff, perhaps send them to Perry or another prison. You were already anticipating what you could do to assist and empower your folks to implement the change and you already expect that they will do so effectively, since they are accountable.

 

That is the attitude and expectation of an effective leader. On Tuesday of last week, was it yours? If not, will that be your attitude today?

 

Have a great week.

 

 

 

Members ~

Attached please find the ASCA membership responses and summary to the Inmate Fines for Infractions Survey recently requested by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.  

Thirty-eight responses were received, out of which 12 Departments assess monetary fines against an inmate if the inmate is found guilty of a rule violation at a disciplinary hearing.  The average minimum fine is seven dollars, and the average maximum fine is 59 dollars.  Twelve Agencies deduct these fees from the inmates’ accounts.

Please note that also included is additional information supplied by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Thanks to those Departments that contributed to the collection of this data.  We hope the information in helpful.

Terry *


Terry Czepiel ~
Association of State Correctional Administrators
213 Court Street, Suite 606
Middletown, CT  06457
Phone: (860) 704-6410
Fax:  (860) 704-6420
tczepiel@asca.net