MONTGOMERY COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY
COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD
November 18, 2003
Members Attending:
- Bina Allgood- DOCR
- Mary Jones-Brown -Deputy Warden, DOCR
- Craig Dowd- Workforce Program, DOCR
- Nancy Hislop- Up-County Services Center
- Steve Howie- Clarksburg Civic Association
- Antoinette Kelley- Mental Health Association
- John Williams- Local Dentist
- Mark Wulff-Administrative Services, DOCR
Deputy Warden Mary Jones-Brown will chair tonight's meeting in Warden Green's absence.
REVIEW OF MINUTES - No Changes were noted
MONTH IN REVIEW
Deputy Warden Jones-Brown reported that everything at the facility has been going well in the last month. The population is increasing at both MCDC and MCCF. It is not unusual that the population increases at this time of year (from now until March). The average daily population today at MCCF is 690 inmates which includes 51 male and 8 female Federal inmates.
In consideration of the holidays, there will be no December meeting. The MCCFCAG meetings will resume on January 20, 2004.
GROUP COMMENTS / ISSUES / CONCERNS
Steve Howie still has questions concerning the woodchips pile (as a result of the storm) on the MCCF property. Warden Green had contacted Mr. Gennetti for an update after last month's meeting. Steve Howie has not heard from anyone as of this date. Deputy Warden Jones-Brown will follow-up with Warden Green.
FEATURED SPEAKER
Craig Dowd is our Workforce Program Supervisor at MCCF.
Approximately 95%-97% of the inmates released from this facility are released back into the community. The Workforce Program's philosophy is to enhance the individual's propensity for success when they are released by putting them to work or in an educational program.
Putting the inmate to work will give them the basic work skills needed to enhance their employability once released. In many cases these are skills that the average individual would learn during their childhood. Many of the inmates do not have these basic skills (e.g. completing this part of a job before going on to the next part). The time frame an inmate is in the Workforce Program before being released is three to six months.
There are a number of different training facets with the Workforce Program. There are two crews of community service workers that do landscaping for DOCR and other County agencies. There are two shops within MCCF with inmate workers who work daily on projects. The work being done not only benefits the individuals in the Workforce Program, but revenue is also generated, there is cost savings for the department, cost savings for other County departments, and a benefit to the community with the work being done on community service projects.
There are two workshops in the Workforce area. One is called the 'Job Shop' which is where bulk mail and collating projects are processed. Hygiene kits to be used at MCCF, MCDC, and homeless shelters are packaged in the Job Shop. Blankets and hygiene items are packaged for the Fire Departments to be issued in an emergency. The second workshop is the 'Digital Imaging Shop' where daily news articles are clipped, scanned, digitized by an inmate, and an officer downloads the articles to the County Intranet. The inmates work on isolated PC's and do not have access to the Internet or the County Intranet.
DOCR has a joint partnership with the Career Transition Center who sends a representative to MCCF to work with inmates who are due to be released. This person is the link between the inmate and an employer. He helps to set up an appointment for the inmate (who is about to be released) with a possible employer.
Some of the agencies that the Workforce Program do work for are Montgomery County Permitting Services, Board of Elections, Public Schools (Science Center), Liquor Control Board, Public Information, Public Works, Health and Human Services, Economic Development, the Library, as well as United Way, Montgomery Works, and the Visiting Bureau.
There will be no December meeting.
The next meeting will be January 20, 2004
at MCCF, in the Community Room