Summit County Jail Operations Advisory Commission Report and Recommendations August 24, 2018 SUMMIT COUNTY COUNCIL David Hamilton District 5 Representative Chair, Public Safety Committee August 14, 2018 Summit County Council 175 S. Main St. Suite 700 Akron, OH 44308 To: Members of Summit County Council On October 2, 2017 I introduced legislation to enact the Summit County Jail Advisory Commission, which was later passed unanimously by Summit County Council. The Commission consists of an eleven-member body of individuals who reflect the community as a whole. The Commission was charged with obtaining an understanding of both the financial and operational functions of the jail, identifying best practices and providing a report with recommendations in an effort to improve operations at the Summit County Jail for both staff and inmates. The attached report is the culmination of several months of meetings, professional testimony and hours of research and deliberation on issues pertaining to the Summit County Jail. I respectfully ask my fellow members of Council to review the report in full as your consideration is greatly valued. I would like to wholeheartedly thank all the members of the Commission and their respective staff members for their commitment and service throughout this process. I am proud to live in a community where such dedicated and talented individuals from various backgrounds can come together and work so effectively. If you have questions about the Commission or the report, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at any time. Sincerely, David Hamilton Summit County Council District 5 Representative Enclosure ˜ Ohio’s First Charter County ™ 175 S. Main Street · 7th Floor · Akron · Ohio · 44308-1314 T: (330) 643-2725 · F: (330) 643-2531 · Northern Summit County: (800) 582-2699 www.co.summit.oh.us Table of Contents Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................... 4 Background ................................................................................................................................... 7 Sheriff’s Statutory Duties ..................................................................................................... 7 Sheriff’s Responsibility with Regard to the County Jail.................................................... 7 Jail Personnel ......................................................................................................................... 8 Staffing.................................................................................................................................... 9 Minimum Training Requirements ....................................................................................... 9 Use of Community Corrections .......................................................................................... 10 Budget ................................................................................................................................... 12 Policing Contracts................................................................................................................ 12 Recommendations ....................................................................................................................... 14 FINANCE ................................................................................................................................. 14 USE OF FORCE & JAIL CONDITIONS ............................................................................ 17 IMPROVING INMATE SERVICES .................................................................................... 20 3 Executive Summary The Summit County Jail Operations Advisory Commission was convened at the request of Councilman David Hamilton to identify and explore the Summit County Jail’s operations, staffing and conditions. Due to limited financial resources, the opiate crisis, and increased State funding cuts, operations at the Jail have become increasingly strained. Increased arrests due to the opiate epidemic, as well as prosecutions and incarcerations for drug related offenses have created a situation of population control, which is further straining the staff and inmates at the facility. The purpose of the Commission is to provide advisory input for improving operations at the Jail, for the benefit and safety of Jail staff and inmates. The Commission appointees embody a cross-representation of the criminal justice community, as well as a consumer. The Commission appointments include: • • • • • • • • • • • Ilene Shapiro – Executive, Summit County (designee Lori Pesci) Randy Briggs – City of Akron, Mayor’s Office Vince Morber – Police Chief, City of Barberton David Hamilton – Councilman, Summit County Sherri Bevan Walsh - Prosecutor, Summit County (designee John Galonski) Amy Corrigall Jones – Judge, Summit County Common Pleas Court (designee Robert Gainer) Jaland Finney – consumer Judi Hill – President, Akron NAACP J. Dean Carro – Attorney and former Professor of Law, University of Akron Beth Scruggs – Former Sheriff’s Office employee Sheriff Steve Barry (designee Shane Barker – Captain, Summit County Sheriff’s Office) The Commission held its first meeting on December 13, 2017 and established the following goals: • Obtain a thorough understanding of the operations of the Summit County Jail, including but not limited to, staffing, inmate services, medical services, population control measures, and force protocol. • Identify best practices used in similarly situated jails for matters including, but not limited to the same. • Obtain a thorough understanding of the financial constraints limiting the staffing and inmate services, and impact population control at the Summit County Jail. • Identify potential financial solutions and operational savings that allow for improved staffing levels, inmate services and population control at the Summit County Jail. 4 • Obtain a thorough understanding of the steps presently being taken to improve diversity amongst the staff at the Summit County Jail and identify best practices. • Provide County Council, the County Executive, and the County Sheriff with a report documenting the steps taken to fulfill the objectives above, and make recommendations to the County Council, the County Executive, and the County Sheriff to address operational and financial issues at the Summit County Jail, including but not limited to, staffing, inmate services, medical services, population control measures, use of force protocol, and diversity of jail staff. The Commission identified key issues to be addressed and divided into three subcommittees: • Finance (Lori Pesci, Randy Briggs, Vince Morber) • Inmate Services/Understaffing/Overcrowding (David Hamilton, John Galonski, Judge Amy Corrigall Jones, Jaland Finney) • Use of Force & Jail Conditions (Judi Hill, J. Dean Carro, Beth Scruggs, Shane Barker) The three subcommittees submitted a narrative of their respective processes and preliminary recommendations. Many of the recommendations overlapped and there was a definitive focus on inmate services being restored and addressing staffing deficiencies of both sworn and civilian staff. There was a sincere and general consensus that increasing the available activities for the inmates would serve to decrease tension for both the inmates and the deputies. An emphasis was placed on the mental health of the inmate population in their ability to access services as well as suicide prevention. Each subcommittee addressed the positive impact the re-designation of the Glenwood Jail facility to a Community Alternative Sentencing Center (CASC) may have on the operations of the Jail, specifically regarding the restoration of 12-15 deputies to the Jail. As the reports displayed significant overlap, some of the proposed actions are listed in multiple locations. The Finance Subcommittee identified concerns with policing contracts, including developing a mechanism to ensure accuracy of costs attributed to services and ensuring the necessity of these services while balancing statutory requirements. Community Corrections was a prominent area of focus, with recommendations including utilizing deputies from the Glenwood Jail as well as potentially refilling retiree positions at Glenwood with corrections officers. Additionally, while not a replacement for deputies, the installation and use of cameras would also help to reduce overtime costs and allow for more effective and safe operations for deputies and inmates. Staffing could also be improved with new scheduling software, exploring the option of all/most deputies moving to 12-hour shifts, which would shift savings to yield the availability of additional deputies, and explore options of moving towards corrections officers at the Jail. Reevaluating the current staffing structure and CASC designation of Glenwood to yield additional deputies back to the Jail are also additional considerations. 5 The Inmate Services and Understaffing/Overcrowding Subcommittee’s focus was the ultimate reduction in inmate and staff stress levels through the reimplementation of inmate programming at the Summit County Jail. Increasing services requires an increase in staff levels. Therefore, the primary recommendation is to hire additional inmate service workers. The types of services the group felt should be restored included reopening and providing additional/restored equipment in the gymnasium, expansion of the library to a “resource room” and religious services, allowing for Clergy to have broader access to inmates and providing a wider range of religious materials. In addition, the Subcommittee identified the need for a reentry liaison to assist in coordinating services for individuals being released from jail. Finally, the group also acknowledged the need to improve inmate access to mental health services. The Use of Force & Jail Conditions Subcommittee identified areas of concern surrounding the need for continued training for deputies, reduction in stress levels, and inmate services. Continued training for deputies is crucial in providing updates on use of force, training that is specific to inmates with mental health issues and concerns, diversity and inclusion, as well as trauma informed care. Another area of concern is the importance of reducing stress levels at the Jail for both deputies and inmates. To reduce stress, the Jail should be adequately staffed with more consistent shift alignment, additional support services for staff. Stress levels would be further reduced following the restoration of inmate services such as gym access, library/resource center, AA/NA meetings, access to Clergy and religious services, and due process in disciplinary actions. As a group, there was agreement that there is no panacea, and no singular recommendation will make a total improvement, however, a combination of the recommendations provided in this report will have the most meaningful impact. 6 Background The Summit County Sheriff’s Office was established in 1840. To date, 37 individuals have held the position of Summit County Sheriff. The office is currently led by Sheriff Steve Barry, who was first elected in 2012 and re-elected in 2016. The Sheriff’s Office consists of two divisions: Operations and Corrections. The focus of the Operations Division is to provide community outreach and response policing services. As a result, community policing has been the impetus behind such programs as our D.A.R.E, School Resource Officer, Senior Visitation Initiative, and numerous other services. The philosophy behind these initiatives helps to improve the quality of life for everyone in our county. This mission is carried out by various units, including Patrol, Training, Communications/Dispatch, Investigations, Court Services, Personnel, and Fiscal. The Corrections Division is charged with operating the Summit County Jail (capacity 791) and Glenwood Jail (capacity 133) as both are classified by the State of Ohio as "full service" detention centers. That means they are operated twenty-four (24) hours a day, three hundred sixty-five (365) days a year. It is, therefore, required that the facility be properly staffed for the safety and protection of the inmates and staff twenty-four (24) hours a day. The Summit County Sheriff’s office employs 342 sworn and 78 civilian employees and operates with a $32 million budget. Sheriff’s Statutory Duties Throughout this evaluation, the Commission was mindful and cognizant of the Sheriff’s statutory duties as established by Ohio Revised Code 311.07 and Chapter 341. The three duties that every Sheriff in Ohio has are to operate the Jail, provide security for the Common Pleas Court and the Court of Appeals and to serve all warrants, writs, orders and other processes (sex offender registration, CCW license) as directed by a lawful and proper authority. Anything else that the Sheriff undertakes is an extra and self-imposed duty. Sheriff’s Responsibility with Regard to the County Jail R.C. 341.01 designates the sheriff as the officer in charge of the county jail, and all persons confined within the jail. The sheriff’s duties are broadly defined and include responsibility for the safety of the inmates, maintenance of the jail facility and operation of the jail according to the jail standards promulgated by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (DRC). The sheriff must also prepare written operational policies and procedures and prisoner rules of conduct, and maintain the records prescribed by these policies and procedures in accordance with the jail standards (R.C. 341.02). Failure to properly operate the jail could subject the sheriff to criminal penalties (R.C. 2921.44(C)) and may result in civil liability. 7 Specifically, the sheriff must do the following: 1. Maintain a jail register with each inmate’s name, date of and reason for incarceration, and date and manner of discharge (R.C. 341.04). 2. Visit the jail at least monthly to gauge condition of inmates (R.C. 341.04). 3. Keep an account relative to the actual cost of care and feeding of inmates; furnish account to the county commissioners or county council (R.C. 311.20). 4. Make both the account and register of inmates open and available to the public (R.C. 311.20). 5. Maintain, where possible, separation of inmates relative to classification (R.C. 341.09). 6. Keep juvenile offenders separate from adult inmates relative to sight, sound and touch, including any booking time (R.C. 341.11). 7. Permit inmate contact with an attorney and furnish facilities for this purpose (R.C. 2935.20). 8. Convey sentenced felons to state penal institutions within five days after imposition of sentence (R.C. 2949.12). Jail Personnel Jail personnel manning levels tend to be subjective. Federal judges, state judges, sheriffs, jail administrators, deputies, jail staff, and commissioners may all disagree on what constitutes adequate jail staffing levels. Under R.C. 341.05 the sheriff is responsible for assigning sufficient staff to ensure the safe and secure operation of the county jail but is bound by the funding which is appropriated by the board of county commissioners or County Council for the jail operation and staffing. This section also allows a sheriff to use civilian jail officers who are not deputies to conduct security duties in the jail. It is important to remember that, as in most other public safety services, a jail is a 24 hour /7 days a week /365 days a year operation. As such, certain constraints result regarding the number of full-time equivalent employees required to “fill” a position and mandatory overtime requirements. Whether the sheriff chooses to utilize his commissioned deputies or other personnel there are basic training requirements based upon the position description and not “deputy” status that must be met. An employee’s job responsibilities within the jail will also be a factor in determining employee and employer contributions into the state’s Public Employees’ Retirement System (OPERS). 8 Staffing The jail standards address the adequacy of staffing and require a staffing plan but do not establish any criteria regarding the actual number of staff members necessary to run a jail of any classification. The jail standards (OAC 5120:1-8-17) require full service and minimum-security jails to: 1. Have a designated jail administrator who is qualified by training or experience to supervise and control prisoners as outlined in a written job description. 2. Complete pre-employment background checks prior to hiring of jail staff. 3. Complete annual standardized performance reviews of jail employees. 4. Maintain a written staffing plan that includes jail personnel assignments and all posts and functions, a calculated shift relief factor, sufficient numbers of male and female jail staff on-duty and available to perform sensitive functions and procedures as necessary by prisoner gender, and total number of employees required to fill identified posts and functions. 5. Reflect in the staffing plan that the facility has staff for administration and supervision; prisoner programs; prisoner supervision, custody and back up; support services including medical, food service, maintenance and clerical; staff training; and other jail-related functions such as escort and transportation of prisoners. 6. Provide for annual review of the staffing plan and revision as needed. Minimum Training Requirements Training requirements (OAC 5120:1-8-18) are not subjective. The jail standards identify three categories of jail employees: administrators and supervisors; correctional officers/jail staff; and jail support staff. Training hours for each category of employee are set in the jail standards and the programming within those hours is developed by the Ohio Police Officer Training Commission (OPOTA) (OAC109:2-9-02). Jail Support Staff: persons whose job function does not reflect a primary responsibility for the security and/or supervision of prisoners. Training requirements: 1. Prior to or in conjunction with assignment to jail duties - training in pertinent agency policies and procedures. 2. 40 hours of training during the first year of assignment - including legal aspects of corrections, security concepts, emergencies, interpersonal communications, first aid/CPR, unarmed self-defense and the jail standards. 9 3. 16 hours of in-service training each subsequent year of employment - addressing specific job assignments and/or jail related issues. Corrections/Jail Staff: persons whose positions consist primarily of duties that require prisoner supervision, direct interaction with prisoners, and responsibility for the safety and security of prisoners and of the facility. Training requirements: 1. Within sixty days of employment - training in jail policies and procedures. 2. During the first year of assignment - training for the number of hours and curriculum established by OPOTA which must include training in the following areas: administration, legal, jail security, human relations, special inmate needs, and technical skills. 3. 24 hours of in-service training each subsequent year of employment - addressing specific job assignments and/or jail related issues. Administrators and Supervisors: have managerial responsibility for the jail or supervise employee’s security assignments or activities in the jail. Training requirements: 1. Prior to assignment to jail duties - completion of the training required for correctional officers and training in jail policies and procedures. 2. 40 hours of training during the first six months of assignment - including legal aspects of jail management, managerial principles, labor relations and records/information management. 3. 24 hours of in-service training each subsequent year of employment - addressing special issues, skills-enhancement and other assignment related topics. Use of Community Corrections Currently Summit County contracts for Community Corrections programming, providing judges sentencing alternatives, which may be in addition to or in lieu of incarceration and allow the courts to follow a continuum of sanctions model and assist in diverting people from jail. Individuals are referred to these programs through the various courts, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction or Adult Parole Authority, as well as direct referrals. Upon referral, the individual is given a risk/needs assessment [Ohio Risk Assessment System – ORAS] to determine which program is best suited based on the individual’s risk and needs and may include services or training for: cognitive skills, employment, education, family issues and substance abuse. 10 There are two types of programs: Residential and Non-Residential. Residential programming includes placement at: • Glenwood Jail – for various levels of DUI offenders and driver intervention • Halfway House – for adult felony, misdemeanor and traffic offenders and parolees in need of long-term rehabilitative programming. • Work Release and Employment Placement – specifically focused to assist individuals who are unemployed or in school • Community Based Correctional Facility (CBCF) – highly structured and secure program assisting individuals reentering into the community • Medication Assisted Community Based Correctional Facility (MAT-CBCF) – to provide medication assisted treatment to opioid dependent clients • Special Housing Adjustment Residential Program (SHARP) – to provide a structured living environment for severely mentally disabled clients and to assist with reintegrating them into the community • Alternative Environment Program – to divert clients with developmental disabilities from the Summit County Jail, providing them with a restrictive, structured residential community corrections environment pending trial and disposition Non-residential programming includes: • Day Reporting and Transitional Services • Electronic Monitoring and GPS Programs • Alcohol Monitoring • Recovery Housing • Specialized Court Dockets programs o o o o Akron Recovery Court and Turning Point (Common Pleas) Summit County Reentry Court Akron Municipal Family Intervention Program Summit County Prosecutor Pretrial Diversion Program Currently, the County spends over $5 million in general fund dollars and receives some grant funding to support these programs. 11 Budget Summit County Finance and Budget Director Brian Nelson, provided an overview of the County’s budget and how the Sheriff’s portion fits into the overall budget. The Sheriff’s Office personnel emphasized how big a financial hardship it has experienced since 2008. That is true. However, it’s a decade later and the economy is what it is. Every county and local government entity, agency and department has been affected and needs to change and adapt to the new normal. According to Director Nelson, the Sheriff’s operating budget dropped 10.1% from 2008 to 2016. During that same period, cuts of 19 to 40 percent fell on other county agencies. Recognizing the economic outlook, in 2009 County Executive Russ Pry ordered the Sheriff’s Department to start charging appropriately and begin paying the true costs of what it costs to police communities that contract with the Sheriff’s Office. At that time, the cost of dispatching started to be included into contracts. Previously, contracting communities received free dispatching. Since then, prices for Sheriff’s Office services have gone up because as Sheriff Barry stated in 2014, “… the county government can no longer use general fund monies to subsidize additional personnel in those areas and that’s what’s going on here.” The questions asked most are these: Are the Sheriff’s Office contracts today charging the true cost of policing? Or are other Summit County taxpayers with their own police departments continuing to subsidize policing protection in communities other than their own? It is a particularly poignant question because other than Akron (which pays for misdemeanor beds) suburban communities cannot take a person charged with a misdemeanor to the Summit County Jail and it is getting more difficult to get felons into the County Jail. Policing Contracts As to the Sheriff’s statutory duties discussed earlier, they do not include police patrol. Patrol has been a historical function of the Sheriff for townships and unincorporated areas, but it is not today. Some believe that the Summit County Jail suffers at the cost of maintaining patrols in Green, Coventry, Northfield, Twinsburg Township. The Sheriff says that is not the case. His office maintains that the contract communities pay for all the costs associated with policing and he is giving them what they pay for. Using materials provided to us by the Sheriff’s Office, the monies collected from the contracts go into their own fund. It is called the Rotary Fund, Account #10124-3025-15077/19002. All these contracts are for contracted policing patrol services. 72 people are listed as being paid out of that fund; (1) direct indictment officer, (9) dispatchers, (7) sergeants and (55) deputies. Charges for radio fees and cruisers are included also. This all sounds good and fair. But when one looks at the Sheriff’s own organizational chart, it has 103 individuals listed in Operations – Patrol. How can that be? Who is paying for them since the contract (Rotary) fund is only being charged for 72 people? It begets other questions such as how police patrol operates with just sergeants? Using the information provided to the Committee, it did not list any supervisors over the rank of sergeant being paid out of the contract (Rotary) fund. Who is paying for the other 31 12 employees that are listed as being in patrol? Shouldn’t those costs be included in a patrol policing contract? Are the taxpayers of Summit County are continuing to subsidize policing in contract communities? An in-depth follow up meeting with Summit County Finance and Budget Director Brian Nelson shed more light on the issue and answered most of these questions. By going over and explaining/showing the Excel spreadsheets and actual calculation factors in greater detail, he demonstrated how the Executive’s Office truly endeavors to capture all costs that are specified in the policing contracts. For example, administrative costs are charged for a Lieutenant, relative to the amount of time his job is calculated to deal with the Patrol function. Other more indirect costs, such as insurance, legal, human resources and other back end costs are charged back proportionally as well. The other 31 listed employees in Patrol on the organizational chart is the result of a not so up to date or truly reflective accounting for Patrol. Director Nelson’s frankness and transparency in explaining how known costs are calculated is appreciated and it’s clear he continues to work at peeling back the layers of operations to understand and charge those full costs. The Executive’s Office leadership discuss and talk to the Sheriff’s Department staff on a regular basis to understand operations and fully capture all the costs. Some current topics that they are exploring are how special services are operationally used. D.A.R.E., Senior Services, Canine, Quick Response Team, Crime Scene, S.W.A.T. and others are used exclusively and/or primarily in contract communities. Should those costs be charged accordingly also? Which jail(s) are arrested individuals from contract communities being booked into and are they charged? The City of Akron pays a significant amount for jail beds at the Summit County Jail. Suburban communities incur costs operating their own jails (Cuyahoga Falls and Barberton) or contract with a local jail to take misdemeanants and low-level felons that the Summit County Jail won’t accept; especially pre-arraignment prisoners. How much time are general assignment detectives spending on cases in contract communities versus other jurisdictions? Are general fund jail deputies used to relieve patrol deputies when they are out/off for any number of reasons, further exacerbating the personnel issues at the Jail? These are operational questions that the Finance and Budget Office are asking to come to a truly reflective and equitable accounting in policing contracts. As Sheriff Barry told Green City Council in December, “There are nine law enforcement agencies in this county whose population in area is way less by thousands of people – anywhere from 500 to 2,000 clear down to 3,628 people for their entire village – that paid more in 2016 than the City of Green paid the Sheriff’s Office.” Even with economies of scale going for it, we find it hard to believe that the Sheriff’s Office can do that without operationally robbing Peter to protect Paul. 13 Recommendations FINANCE Recommendation: Explore additional Community Corrections Alternatives. Presently the Sheriff’s Office has fifteen (15) Deputies assigned to the Glenwood Jail, a nonviolent minimum-security facility run by Oriana House. These Deputies are paid from the County’s General Fund. The average cost of a Deputy with 5 years plus experience is about ($80,000.00) thousand dollars per year. This is at a cost to the General fund and the Sheriff’s budget of $1.2 million dollars per year. That is the minimum cost of providing security to this community corrections facility. Consideration should be taken, and the idea explored by the Sheriff and the County to shift those fifteen (15) Deputies back to the Summit County Jail. The Sheriff could use those additional Deputies to provide security for the initiation of certain inmate programs that have been lost by budget deficits, and for additional security for other programs. This would in turn help to reduce the stress caused by the lack of programming and the long hours of lockdown time for both prisoners and deputies. As a consideration for security replacement for these Deputies presently assigned to the Glenwood Jail, the Sheriff and Oriana House should explore using Corrections officers and new technology to secure this minimum-security facility. This would include exploring contracting with an established Security Company or hiring through either the County or Oriana House. The cost for the use of these officers would be much less than the cost of a Deputy. Combining the use of other security alternatives with technology, such as personal real-time monitoring systems and a camera monitoring kiosk system could provide the type of minimum security and protection which may be less costly and more appropriate for this type of facility. The savings from a system that is less manpower oriented, along with cheaper labor costs, could allow the Sheriff to transfer the present manpower to a use that could help alleviate some of the staffing shortage at the Summit County Jail. Recommendation: Ensure that every contract patrol function and employee is paid for by those who contract for police patrol services. Police contract patrol is not a mandatory function; therefore, the County needs to ensure that costs being charged to the communities accurately reflect the service being provided. The Sheriff’s Office should work in conjunction with the Summit County Finance and Budget Office to identify and assess all contract community services provided to establish a full and complete service charge. To do otherwise is unjust and unfair to the rest of Summit County and could ultimately result in subsidizing police patrol in contract communities diverting much needed funds from being used at the understaffed Jail; which is a mandatory statutory responsibility. 14 Recommendation: Use full-time and part-time corrections officers instead of all full-time deputies Presently, the Sheriff’s Office employs only full-time sworn Ohio Peace Officer Training commissioned individuals as deputy sheriffs. They have full arrest powers, may carry guns and are trained in many areas during a minimum 711-hour training academy. Alternately, the training for corrections officers is a mandated minimum of 145 hours and stays pertinent and on task to the main statutory requirements of the Sheriff’s Office. Summit County is unusual in Ohio as 86 of 88 counties use some form of corrections officers or corrections non-sworn deputies to carry out their responsibilities. One primary reason is the cost. Comparing the most current labor contracts on the State Employees Relation Board (SERB) website revealed that corrections officers earn less than sworn deputies. The rate listed (except for Summit County) is for the top corrections/non-sworn officer rate: County Population 5 year/top rate Cuyahoga 1,266,049 $22.00 Hamilton 802,516 $24.00 Summit 541,106 $28.71 Montgomery 536,270 $23.06 Lucas 437,201 $24.56 Stark 375,105 $23.11 Medina 173,725 $25.69 Additionally, employer contributions to the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) for Sworn Personnel (deputies) is 18.10% while for non-sworn personnel (corrections officers) it is 14%. But the reasons to use corrections officers versus sworn deputies for jail duties goes far beyond the significant cost savings in training, salaries and pension contributions. The current statutory prerequisites for deputies prevents individuals who are interested in criminal justice employment but who do not want or desire to be fully sworn law enforcement officer, from obtaining employment in the jail. There are distinct differences in the job positions and responsibilities. This is reflected in their initial training. The employment pool would be broadened with capable and willing individuals who would like to serve their community as corrections officers in either full or part-time capacities. The Sheriff reports to grand jurors how hard it is now to find qualified individuals. What an excellent time to implement a hiring practice that would allow the 15 Sheriff to fill positions he states he badly needs and would more accurately reflect the community that he serves as well. Implementing this practice would enable the County to more broadly hire qualified individuals. It makes the staffing plan stronger with more potential openings for those of different gender, race, color, national origin or religion that are not as historically represented in law enforcement and corrections. The Sheriff’s Office currently holds a joint police officer training academy (18 weeks) with the University of Akron and could do the same with a basic corrections academy (4 weeks). The hurdles for hiring and training corrections officers are not as high as for sworn deputies. The FOP/OLC Deputy labor unit has fluctuated with membership over the years due to layoffs during periods of economic downturn and would now have a buffer between them and layoffs with the inclusion of corrections officers. The corrections officers would be permitted to organize and be their own labor unit. Corrections officers who have gained experience and would like to take the next step to be a deputy could be afforded the opportunity to do so while their work ethic and capabilities would already be known. The goal is to build up the jail staff to be able to operate that number one (statutory) priority, the Summit County Jail, operating safely at full capacity; effectively and efficiently. It is a cultural change recommendation and one that we feel should be adopted and implemented. Recommendation: Implement a network of cameras throughout the Jail with the goal of increasing deputy and inmate safety and enabling the deputies to more effectively operate in “remote” status, thus reducing the amount of overtime. Recommendation: Implement scheduling software to replace the Excel spreadsheets that are currently in use which would provide for better tracking of training time, plus vacations and extended leaves and would also enable the Sheriff’s Office staff to mine the data to accurately track the impact (if any) of special units (i.e. crash team, SWAT, bomb squad, etc) on jail staffing. Additionally, if an alternate shift plan is implemented (e.g. 12 hour shifts or a mix of 12-10-8) this software would enable an analysis whether savings of any kind were generated. 16 USE OF FORCE & JAIL CONDITIONS The Use of Force & Jail Conditions Subcommittee attended a review at the Summit County Sheriff’s Training Center, on the Sheriff's Office Use of Force Policy and training procedures. The Subcommittee was provided statistics on use of force incidents at the Jail, and statistics on inmate disruptive and violent behavior, going back at least a decade. While these statistics do reflect an increase in disruptive and violent inmate (i.e. inmate on inmate assaults) behavior, a corresponding linear increase in use of force was not observed. The Subcommittee has reflected on the presentations of service providers, materials, and statistics provided to the committee of the whole and the subcommittee. While the terminology, “use of force”, indeed the application of force, is never a pleasant action to view, the application is necessary to the safe operation of the Summit County Jail. Without the ability to apply safe, effective and constitutionally permissible Uses of Force, the security of the Summit County Jail could not be maintained. It is important to note that the Use of Force Policy employed by the Summit County Sheriff’s Office conforms to United States Supreme Court case law, the constitutions of the United States and Ohio, and Bureau of Detention Minimum Standards for Full Service Jails. Based on the presentation by the Summit County Sheriff’s Office Training Bureau, and its review of the provided materials, the Use of Force & Jail Conditions Subcommittee believes the Use of Force Policy provides the deputy staff an adequate and legal foundation from which to operate the Summit County Jail safely. The Summit County Sheriff's Office suffered through layoffs in late 2009. This resulted in a reduction of the sworn and non-sworn staff members. The reduction of services to inmates, due to staff layoffs is still being felt almost a decade later. The staff of the Summit County Sheriff’s Office should be credited with continued focus in the face of the increased stress on staff and inmates. One area of concern was to determine if the reduced staffing has influenced the operations of the Jail. To effectively assess the current situation at the Jail, the Subcommittee decided to interview inmates, sheriff deputies and civilian workers. The Subcommittee is confident that the implementation of the following recommendations will impact the use of force incidents, reduce tension among the inmate population, and enable the deputies in the Summit County Jail to perform their statutory duties more effectively. Based on the interviews and information provided, the Use of Force & Jail Conditions Subcommittee identified the following recommendations: 17 Recommendation: Continued training for the Summit County Sheriff’s Office staff in Use of Force and other facets of operations, as it pertains to corrections. Provide more training for all deputies, medical staff and inmate service workers, i.e. diversity, self-defense, trauma informed care approaches. Recommendation: Restoring inmate programming at the Summit County Jail, including, but not limited to Gym, Library and ecumenical services Recommendation: More & better communication between all staffing levels. Wrap around services are best served when all parties understand logistics, needs and provisions for the day. Recommendation: Review the current staffing and job descriptions [post orders] at the Jail and develop realignment of staff to accommodate current inmate population. All deputies are required to go through the same training and should be able to work any position. Better alignment between staff and inmates will allow more interaction, thereby easing some tensions and giving the deputies opportunities to identify potential conflicts and act to prevent violent conflicts. 1. Reduce the amount of time inmates spend in lock down. Units are in lockdown and let out one pod at a time, at times they use a term referred to as “rolling lockdown”, which is where one pod is allowed time out of the cell. Units 6A and 5D are the only pods that are not in lockdown continuously since these pods house Trustees working in the kitchen or laundry If 15 Deputies are returning to the Crosier Street facility, all pods can be staffed properly. A suggestion might be, five deputies per unit with one designated as pod control. Pod control is especially needed on the units that are all double bunked and require more observation of inmates. The pod control deputies can transport inmates, thereby eliminating the need periodically to lockdown an entire unit or pod 2. Reestablish Medical Transport. With the return of the 15 additional staff, the Medical Transport can be re-established and 2 people at all times can be assigned to Central Control. If this were to happen a deputy on the pod would not have to rely on someone coming from Intake if there is an emergency (fire alarm, fight, etc). 18 3. Move to standard twelve-hour shifts There are too many shifts in the Jail. Currently, staffing includes: • Security Staff, 4PM midnight, 8AM -4PM, 5:30 AM until 5:30 PM – 5:30AM until 1:30 PM (CCTV deputies) • Trustee Deputies shifts are 6AM-2:00PM, 6AM-6PM, 6PM-6AM, 8AM-4PM, 3PM-3AM. There are times when no Trustee Deputy is in the building. • Intake 6AM-2PM and 7AM-5PM, 2PM-Midnight. 4. Review the Central Control Deputy position to determine whether it should be a bid position since the person needs to know how to operate the cameras, alarms and know the location of all of the doors. Recommendation: Review the staffing of Captains and promotions, which continue under an already strained budget. Currently there are some staff members assigned to supervise only 6-7 people. If the supervisory positions were consolidated, it would allow a highly paid and experienced supervisor to manage up to 20 people, which would be more cost effective. This would relieve staff to assist with a changing inmate population more effectively. Recommendation: Review the due process requirements for disciplinary actions against inmates. 19 IMPROVING INMATE SERVICES Improving Inmate Services is made possible by increasing staffing at the Jail, including inmate service workers, supervisors and deputies. Ultimately the Sheriff and County Executive’s Office must work to explore how to provide much needed, additional staffing without necessarily increasing general fund expenditures. Some programs were identified, such as increasing the inmate phone revenue commission contract, vending machine, and commissary fund would be used to help offset the cost of paying for inmate service workers with remaining balance to be paid by General Fund. Considering there are limited resources, there must be an effort to reallocate resources available to bring back inmate services. The services include use of recreation at the gym (basketball, volleyball, other physical activities). Recommendation: Hire additional inmate service workers to support increased services Recommendation: Reopen the gymnasium to provide scheduled time for inmate use. Staff with deputies, inmate service workers and Trustees. The deputies will be used for transporting and supervision of inmates and inmate service workers and trustees will be present while in areas. Recommendation: Broaden religious services by providing books and material for people of all religions and provide appropriate staffing. Recommendation: Expand the current library to serve as a Resource Room. • • Expand the library into a Resource Room within the Jail to provide for reentry services and adult education programming which include computer literacy classes, voter registration, obtaining health insurance and benefits, job searching/resume training, obtaining GED, health and nutrition classes. The Resource Room would bring in reentry services, healthcare services, and family services that would not otherwise be offered in a traditional library environment. Replace books with computers in library/resource room. This will allow inmates to apply for benefits before they leave jail. The Summit County Department of Job and Family Services is moving to a new system of computers called Thin Clients, the Sheriff’s Office could use those old computers. Recommendation: Explore more efficient use of current corrections facilities and resources. Through the re-designation of the Glenwood Jail as the Community Alternative Sentencing Centers (CASC), the deputies used at Glenwood Jail would be moved back to the Summit County Jail which would increase staffing and inevitably bring back inmate services. In addition, it would provide a more flexible use of the current bed space available at the Glenwood facility. 20 Recommendation: Improving Reentry Services, including employing a full-time, dedicated coordinator. • Provide information packet/PowerPoint for available services to help with reentry. • Identify groups within the community who could help with reentry service i.e. clergy groups, NAACP, JFS, Project Learn, Front Porch etc. Recommendation: Reinstitute services like Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, etc. Recommendation: Install cameras in main areas of the Jail, gym, library, hallways, resource/library room Eliminate all blind spots at the Jail, including: • Outdoor • Indoor cameras, second floor with recording (video recording server), audio functions, microphone • Indoor cameras, in main areas, gym, loading docks area, medical room, lobby, laundry, kitchen • Second floor: inmate accounts, and admin halls • Third floor: vending • Hallway cameras, in all hallways and near housing units Recommendation: Increase focus on mental health services and work with the Summit County Criminal Justice and Mental Health Forum to develop a plan for high utilizers 1. Support and work on universal release of information-gives people permission to share private health information exception to HIPPA Laws. 2. Provide additional mental health beds at the Jail Currently there are 24 cells for male inmates and 3 for female inmates who have mental health illnesses. At any given time there are 150 people who are in the behavioral health system [identified by Summit Psychological Associates]. There must be more beds made available. Historically, there were 48 cells available, however that number has decreased to only 24. If there were more cells made available for those with mental health concerns the staff could take better suicide precautions and decrease the risk of suicides in jail by inmates. The recommendation is the Jail revert back to 48 cells reserved for those with mental health concerns. 21 3. Increase staffing on Mental Health Unit 4. Technology Improvements for Mental Health records software There are significant problems in the software [Correct Tech] that must be updated. The software is not easy to use and impractical. This would improve response time of mental health workers and it would translate to them spending more time with the inmates. 5. Improve mental health service access to inmates • Increase mental health staff access by providing additional deputies necessary for supervision. If the Jail was staffed with more deputies, workers could provide more meetings a day increasing availability from 3-2 hour blocks to 5-2 hour blocks • Create separate rooms for individual meetings with inmates and staff/counselors. Large open spaces where counselors talk to inmates are less private and not conducive to counselor and inmate meetings. Also, if there were more rooms dedicated to inmate/counselors, the counselors could see more inmates during the day. 22