What's next? One step forward, two steps back for prisons

What's next?
One step forward, two steps back for prisons



The clouds of chaos continue to hover over the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Just as we are about to celebrate some good news for California's beleaguered prison system, more unsettling news emerges.
Less than two months after the state corrections chief quit his job, it was announced Wednesday that his replacement also has resigned. On Thursday, the governor appointed a state finance expert to temporarily take over.
Granted, there are a number of critics who might celebrate the departure of Jeanne S. Woodford, but for those of us outside the system, we can only shake our heads and wonder how much more damage this already broken system can sustain. No disrespect to appointee James Tilton, but we really see his placement as a temporary stopgap measure. His financial background will certainly be welcomed, but without experience in corrections, he is simply not a long-term option.
Ms. Woodford's predecessor, Rod Hickman, quit the same position in February, saying that he felt politics precluded him from getting the job done.
And what a job it is. Reform is not just needed, it is mandatory.
The prison system, as we have lamented for years, is in a deplorable state.
We have learned, through a series of hearings, letters, lawsuits and reports that the state's prison system is rife with corruption, neglect and abuse. We have heard testimony about correctional officers' "code of silence," and heard horror stories of needless deaths. Last year, a federal judge ordered the prison's troubled medical system into receivership.
Safety is an issue, not just for the inmates, but also the people who work at the prisons. With two prisons in Vacaville, we are naturally concerned. Not only are there some 9,000 inmates between California Medical Facility and California State Prison, Solano, but more than 2,400 employees, many who live in our communities.
Staffing continues to be a problem, especially at the medical facility, where nurses are always in demand. Inmate care is especially critical at CMF, which houses a wing for AIDS patients, a geriatric unit and deals with psychiatric inmates.
The governor will have his hands full, finding a more long-term replacement.
So what about that good news? Well, it dims somewhat in comparison to the latest shakeup, but it is still worth noting.
A report released this week by the state inspector general says that the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has improved its policing of correctional officers who were accused of abusing inmates.
A backlog of cases involving officer discipline has been nearly eliminated.
In addition, Inspector General Michael Cate noted that employees and individuals have moved quickly to make improvements.
Delays, however, have been experienced at the department's headquarters.
In addition, the report found that most of the state's prisons are still doing a poor job of keeping inmates healthy, much less preparing them to return to society.
In reviewing 22 previous state audits, Mr. Cate found fewer than half of the audit recommendations regarding inmate medical care had been implemented by top medical administrators, and fewer than 70 percent of nonmedical reforms had been put in place, according to an Associated Press story.
On the upside, Mr. Cate's 400-page report, compiled after an eight-month study, notes some significant progress and substantial improvements, including recidivism rates.
Just this week, the court-appointed receiver, Robert Sillen, has stepped in and immediately toured San Quentin State Prison, one of the most troubled, according to audits.
His arrival "is a huge step in making the changes that need to be made," said department spokeswoman Elaine Jennings.
We hope so. There is still much work to be done to improve inmate health care, reform parole and record-keeping functions, and address the system's soaring inmate population.
Unfortunately, it appears that the system is taking one step forward and two steps back.
http://www.thereporter.com/ci_3735203



Carol Leonard
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/PrisonMovement
Prison Reform is NOT soft on crime


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