Clarksburg Citizens and Business Advisory Group Monthly Meeting
Montgomery County Correctional Facility | Telephone: (240) 773-9700
MEETING DATE: June 17, 2003
ATTENDANCE
Bina Allgood, Rob Green, Nancy Hislop, Steve Howie, Loretta McClintock, Lt. Brian Roynestad
CBAG RESTRUCTURED
The Restructuring Work Group met tonight before the CBAG meeting. There will be continued work sessions and a progress report will be given at our next CBAG meeting.
At our last meeting it was decided that the Issues Matrix in draft form would be reviewed by the members before closing it out. The opportunity for questions, comments, and/or additions to the final Issues Matrix will be tabled until next month's meeting due to tonight's low attendance.
Steve asked that the statement for the record by the Clarksburg Civic Association opposing the closing of the County budget deficit through the proposed revenue initiative (housing Federal Inmates), be added to Issue #5 resolved column of the Issues Matrix.
WARDEN'S REPORT
Rob addressed the question from last month in reference to the sensitivity of the metal detector at the lobby entrance. He reported that he had contacted the metal detector vendor to have it re-calibrated. It was adjusted to 75%, which means that a piece of metal the size of a quarter would be detected.
MCCF has exceeded 90 days of full operation. We are very pleased with the progress up to this point. We are approximately 50% ahead of where we anticipated we would be in relation to security and programs. Rob reported that the Model Learning Center is almost back up to, and in some cases exceeding last year's numbers with our adult basic education. Staff have almost tripled the testing of inmates to get them placed into their program areas.
PROGRAMS
Our next focus is programs. Rob will see that the flow of communication is kept open with our Volunteer Coordinator. There will be a Volunteer Orientation this weekend (49 people are scheduled to attend). We're trying to fill the void of the part-time Library Assistant with volunteers. This is more difficult sometimes than recruiting for faith based and substance abuse volunteers. We've expanded our AA meetings to 28 meetings a month. Loretta asked for the breakdown of male and female participants in NA and AA. Rob's figures did not break it down into male and female. Is the Spanish AA program up and running? He will try to get these figures by our next meeting.
Steve asked if the volunteers coming this weekend for orientation were local community members. Rob stated that there was quite a few local volunteers, but did not have their exact community locations. In our initial volunteer orientations approximately 70% were continuing at MCCF who were volunteers at MCDC (previously volunteering). We are trying to bring as much service to the pods as possible, as well as providing recreation and leisure time. How do we get enough volunteers and enough services to be able to continue to put volunteers into the pods to deliver programs? This is being done very well in six of the general population pods, but in the medium-max population pods it is not as successful. We are trying to do what the inmates want, but are listening to the volunteers as to how they feel about going into this environment. Should the groups be broken down into smaller groups? Should there be additional staff support? Out of an average daily population of 621 inmates there are approximately 500 inmates in some type of program. There is so much happening that inmates are having trouble choosing which programs will be most beneficial to them.
INMATE COUNCIL
The Inmate Council is up and running. The Inmate Council is a group of inmates from each of the living areas who vote on issues that they want to fund. The Inmate Council has limited control over the commissary funds and it takes two signatures to approve the dispensing of inmate money (money that is made from the sale of commissary items). The money is utilized to benefit all inmates. They meet monthly, have by-laws and keep very detailed minutes. A few things that they voted on this year were to fund two additional Life Skills classes, books for the MRT program, cable TV, the volunteer banquet, and Christmas gifts for the children of inmates. With the Inmate Council as it is set up, the inmates do have some responsibility and input into their living environment.
BUDGET
Steve asked when the County budget would be approved. Rob stated that the County Council has to vote on the budget by June 21.
KINGSLEY WILDERNESS SCHOOL
They have received occupancy and expect to begin teaching with next year's school term in August. They have not moved in as yet.
The next meeting will be July 15, 2003 at MCCF, in the Warden's Conference Room (second floor)