| Corrections News On-Line June 2002 |
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| From Dave Cook: Changes,... |
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Farewells and Tomorrows
Georgia Senator Zell Miller tells the story of how, as a boy standing in front of their small Appalachian home, his mother pointed down the road saying: "The best thing about this place is that you can get anywhere in the world from here."
As I prepare to leave the Oregon Department of Corrections, that is a message I want you to remember: That although the department is already among the best programs in the nation, we can and will move on beyond where we are today … we can get anywhere from here.
The seven years I have led the department are short in comparison with the department’s long history. The ODOC of today was built on more than a century of vision, hard work and dedication by its leaders and employees. Just as modern society is greatly different from that of a hundred years ago, so are today’s corrections institutions, policies and practices.
Some of the changes were brought about by legislative and voter mandates. For example, during my tenure Ballot Measures 11 and 17 combined to cause a simultaneous rapid growth in the inmate population as well as requiring us to provide full-time work and training for those inmates. The last seven years have seen the largest prison and prison work expansion in our history. I am pleased to report we rose to the challenge. We developed meaningful inmate work and training programs and constructed new prisons, while continuing to operate safe and secure institutions and lowering recidivism rates.
Other changes in Corrections were brought about by internal vision, planning and development. One accomplishment of which I am most proud is that we developed and are implementing the Oregon Accountability Model. This model recognizes that preparing inmates to successfully return to our communities after release from prison has never been more important to our department and our society.
At the core of the Accountability Model is a question: Once an inmate is in our custody, how do we ensure he or she won’t come back again? In answering that question, we now assess inmates more carefully than ever before. We discern the specific set of interventions and skill development they need to become citizens who contribute more than they take. The Accountability Model is crime prevention at its most basic level. The DOC is giving inmates the means to be productive members of their communities. To avoid criminal behavior. To be better parents.
However, the Oregon Accountability Model is just a starting point. The department can and must go on from where we now are. I look forward to watching this agency continue to challenge people to think about the future, take leadership in shaping criminal justice policy, and tackle new challenges. If I leave this department with only one thing, I hope it would be that I helped to spark new curiosity about how things can be done differently and better … that you constantly ask yourselves: "What are the next things to work on? What will have a positive influence on inmates?"
The future holds innumerable challenges. It will take the concerted effort of the thousands of DOC employees to fully implement the Oregon Accountability Model to increase public safety by reducing recidivism. This state needs public safety policies that recognize that the crime problem can’t be solved by continually building new prison cells to house an ever-growing number of inmates. We also need a stable funding base to support these policies.
On many levels, I regret I will not be here to help you tackle these issues and others that we can’t even imagine today. However, I am confident that at the end of the month I leave an agency that can meet any challenge. The Oregon Department of Corrections and its leadership -- from Deputy Director Ben de Haan and the rest of the executive team through the superintendents, program managers and other leaders – is highly respected by the Governor’s Office, the Legislature, citizens, and other state and local government agencies. Our excellent agency performance is a direct reflection of the dedication, integrity and professionalism of our employees.
While my road in life now leads me toward other opportunities, know that I will always remember and be proud of my time with you at the Oregon Department of Corrections. Thank you for all you have done to make my tenure more successful, enjoyable and rewarding than I ever could have anticipated.
Warm regards and best wishes,
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| How it Works: The... |
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Legislative Concepts Process
Ever wonder how new laws come into being? At the state level, there are three primary ways: by the Legislature, referrals to the voters, and initiative petitions by the voters. This month we’ll talk about the Legislative process and the department’s proposals for the next session, which begins in January.
Legislation is the way most Oregon laws come into being. More commonly referred to as "bills," legislation includes proposals submitted by state senators and representatives, by legislative committees, and by the governor. Of those the governor submits, some are recommended by individual state agencies to correct problems with current laws or to allow or prohibit something new, and are called "legislative concepts."
During the 2001 session, several of the DOC’s legislative concepts made it all the way through the legislative process as bills and become laws, including:
- Increased penalties for inmates assaulting corrections employees;
- The authority to release inmates on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday to avoid holidays and weekends; and
- Allowing special police officer status for medical transport staff crossing state lines.
The department is now in the process of legislative concepts for the 2003 session. This year, the DOC has submitted eight concepts. Each will undergo close scrutiny by the Department of Administrative Services and its Budget and Management Division, the Legislative Fiscal Office, and Legislative Counsel. It will be late in the year before we know which – if any – of our concepts the governor will submit as bills for the consideration of the 2003 Legislature.
The department developed its eight legislative concepts to solve specific problems, propose budget-balancing measures, and to make operations more effective. The eight concepts submitted for consideration are:
- Amends civil stalking protective statutes to bar inmates from obtaining order against ODOC officials. This concept would prohibit inmates in DOC correctional facilities from obtaining anti-stalking orders against corrections officials carrying out their official duties. There have been four such cases brought by inmates in the past year. This concept is primarily a deterrent to prevent a flood of civil anti-stalking orders that could undermine the department’s authority to manage the inmate population effectively. (No significant fiscal impact.)
- Extends earned time credit to selected Ballot Measure 11 offenses. The concept would allow earned time credit of up to 20 percent for future Ballot Measure 11 offenders convicted of second degree crimes, except manslaughter (this would include assault, kidnapping, robbery, rape, sodomy, and unlawful sexual penetration). Research indicates a relationship between the amount of earned time that person-to-person and statute offenders achieve and their recidivism rates. Those inmates who achieve the greatest amount of earned time have a three-year recidivism rate of 10 percent, while those without earned time recidivate at a rate three times higher. (The first projected savings would begin in 2007-09 Biennium, with a reduction of 32 beds; by the beginning of 2012 there would be a reduction of 103 beds.)
- Restructure the Alternative Incarceration Program (SUMMIT). This concept would change the alternative incarceration program from a military basic training model that emphasizes military drill to one that focuses on self-discipline, physical fitness, education, treatment, and the development of pro-social values. This concept would give the DOC the flexibility to expand the program while developing the most-effective model. The current intention is to expand the program at SCCI by 50 beds and at PRCF by 100 beds. (Potential savings in the 2003-05 Biennium: $1.6 million.)
- Release authority. This concept authorizes the DOC director to release inmates based upon the Sentencing Guidelines Grid when sufficient resources are not available to the department to adequately house the inmate population. This alternative recognizes the seriousness of an inmate’s crime and personal history. Inmates are released to mandatory post-prison supervision. The DOC does not have the resources to match the number of offenders currently in our custody. Unlike the Oregon Youth Authority and community corrections facilities, the DOC does not have release authority. This proposal is made as a cost-cutting measure only, and is based on the requirement that we propose a 10 percent reduction in our General Fund support. (Potential savings unknown, based on acceptance of other reduction strategies.)
- Reduces post-prison supervision from three years to two years for those currently sentenced to three years. Offenders who are sentenced to prison are also sentenced to post-prison supervision for one, two or three years. This concept reduces the three years of supervision to two years. A review of the recidivism rates by month over the first three years of post-prison supervision shows that recidivism peaks at eight months, with most of the problems occurring within the first two years after release from prison. In that light, continued supervision has a minor public safety benefit for the dollars invested. (Potential savings in the 2003-05 Biennium: $1.0 million.)
- Reduces probation sentences as follows: 18 months to 12 months; 24 months to 18 mo; and 36 mos. to 24 mos. Offenders would be supervised by a probation officer for a shorter period of time, reducing the time available to monitor behavior, enforce court and Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision orders, and assist offenders on long-term change. However, most of this activity occurs at the start of supervision, and many offenders are placed on very low supervision levels as they near the ends of their sentences. Therefore, the actual effect of this change may be minimal for most offenders. (Potential savings in the 2003-05 Biennium: $5.6 million.)
- Convert simple possession of a controlled substance from a felony to a misdemeanor. Offenders sentenced for felony drug possession are typically placed on probation for 18 months and referred to treatment. If reduced to a misdemeanor, counties may fund supervision or treatment though a community program. (Potential savings in the 2003-05 biennium: $4.9 million.)
- Mandates day fines instead of supervised probation for offenses falling into column 1, levels 1, 2, and 3 of the Sentencing Guidelines Grid. This concept eliminates probation and replaces it with day fines for crimes such as low-level property crimes, drug possession, driving offenses, criminal non-support, etc. By tying fines to the amount an offender receives in wages for a day of work day fines provide a proportional sentence to low-level offenders. Research on recidivism indicates that fines can reduce recidivism more than supervision for some offenders. (Potential savings during the 2003-05 biennium: $4.6 million.)
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| Deschutes Conservation Camp... |
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Awarded by Feds
Top honors given to ODOC by U.S. Department of Agriculture:
The Oregon Department of Corrections has been awarded a "2002 Secretary’s Honor Award" for maintaining and enhancing the nation’s natural resources and environment. This is the highest-honor possible from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Given for our ongoing partnership that brings inmates to live and work in the Deschutes and Ochoa National Forests each summer, the USDA specifically thanked the department for the innovative development of the camp to accomplish vital natural resource restoration work worth over $1.2 million.
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| New DOC Leadership Training... |
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Manager Lynn Oliver
On May 1, Lynn Oliver joined the DOC Staff Training & Employee Development Section as the department’s new leadership training manager. A native of Central and Eastern Oregon who graduated from high school in Pendleton, she returned from California to accept this position with the DOC.
Oliver’s professional experience includes public-sector organizational development and human resources issues, specializing in leadership development. Certified as a facilitator, mediator, and executive coach, Lynn holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the State University of Chico and is a candidate for her master’s in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Cal State – Sacramento.
"Lynn has an outgoing personality, and will be a source of creativity and useful ideas," says Staff Training & Development Administrator Greg Morton. "She is eager to learn about our organization first hand, so when you meet her, please go out of your way to spend a few minutes with her if you can."
Asked about her first few weeks on the job, Oliver reported, "Time has gone by very fast. When I started, I was here only a couple of days before attending New Employee Orientation (NEO), which was a great opportunity to get an overview of the DOC … it gave me a new -found respect and appreciation for the work of the officers in the department."
When not working, Oliver enjoys rollerblading, Renaissance fairs, and listening to the blues. She and daughter Monica live in South Salem. Her elder daughter, Kari, lives in California.
Oliver succeeds Chris Popoff, who left the Staff Training and Employee Development Section to become Program Services manager at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.
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| Writing Memos that Get Action |
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In Public Affairs, we frequently are asked to help people improve their writing. What is sometimes thought by the author to be "writer’s block" is often just not knowing where to begin. The knowledge is already there … it just needs to be put on paper. Sometimes a simple formula can help you organize your thoughts in a way that makes the words flow through your fingertips into your word processing program.
In the example at the end of this newsletter, you will see the SOPPADA format allows you to structure ideas in way that progresses logically, helps you to effectively make your point(s), and keeps wordiness to a minimum – all hallmarks of good writing. Not writing many memos now? You may want to print out the SOPPADA format and save it for future reference. (See, "SOPPADA," below.)
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| DOC Institution Directory |
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This list is updated regularly and can be found in Outlook Public Folders under "Phone Directories."
Coffee Creek Correctional Facility
Joan Palmateer, Superintendent
Bill Hoefel, Asst. Superintendent, General Services
Lory Humbert, Asst. Supt., Program Services
Nancy Howton, Asst. Superintendent, Security
Carolyn Schnoor, Acting Mgr., Oregon Corrections Intake Center
24499 SW Grahams Ferry Road
PO Box 9000
Wilsonville, OR 97070
(503) 570-6400
Columbia River Correctional Institution
Frank Thompson, Superintendent
Ted Long, Asst. Superintendent
9111 NE Sunderland Ave
Portland, OR 97211-1708
(503) 280-6646
Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution
Jean Hill, Superintendent
Tom Cupp, Asst. Superintendent, General Services
Bill Beers, Asst. Superintendent, Program Services
2500 Westgate
Pendleton, OR 97801-9699
(541) 276-0700
Mill Creek Correctional Facility
Guy Hall, Superintendent
Rusty Rice, Acting Assistant Superintendent
5465 Turner Rd
Salem, OR 97301-9400
(503) 378-2600
Oregon State Correctional Institution
Jim Bartlett, Superintendent
Tony Santos, Asst. Supt., General Services
Jim Muranaka, Asst. Supt., Program Services
3405 Deer Park Dr SE
Salem, OR 97310-9385
(503) 373-0105
Oregon State Penitentiary
Stan Czerniak, Superintendent
Rebecca Prinslow, Asst. Supt., Admin. Services
Lou Allen, Asst. Superintendent, Program Services
Brian Belleque, Asst. Superintendent, Security
2605 State Street
Salem, OR 97310-0500
(503) 378-2453
Powder River Correctional Facility
Dan Johnson, Superintendent
3600 13th Street
Baker City, OR 97814-1346
(541) 523-6680
Santiam Correctional Institution
Guy Hall, Superintendent
Rusty Rice, Acting Assistant Superintendent
4005 Aumsville Hwy SE
Salem, OR 97301-9112
(503) 378-5807
Shutter Creek Correctional Institution
Dave Pastor, Acting Superintendent
95200 Shutters Landing Lane
North Bend, OR 97459-0303
(541) 756-6666 x243
South Fork Forest Camp
Frank Thompson, Superintendent
Ted Long, Assistant Superintendent
Jeff Boyer, Camp Commander
48300 Wilson River Hwy
Tillamook, OR 97141-9799
(503) 842-2811
Snake River Correctional Institution
Bob Lampert, Superintendent
Sharon Blacketter, Asst. Supt., General Services
Tom Lester, Asst. Supt., Program Services
Carla Tupou, Asst. Superintendent, Security
777 Stanton Blvd
Ontario, OR 97914-0595
(541) 881-5002
Two Rivers Correctional Institution
Bob Schiedler, Superintendent
Paul Hoeye, Asst. Superintendent, General Services
Vicki Wilson, Acting Asst. Supt., Program Services
Martin Herron, Asst. Superintendent, Security
82911 Beach Access Rd
Umatilla, OR 97882
(541) 922-2000
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| Sustainability Update: |
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Domestic Violence Awareness
The term "domestic violence" means: (a) physical harm, bodily injury, assault, or the infliction of fear of imminent physical harm, bodily injury or assault, between family or household members; (b) sexual assault of one family or household member by another; or (c) stalking of one family or household member by another family or household member.
The following FBI domestic violence statistics for 2001 are a strong reminder that millions of lives are touched by this violence each year:
- 95 percent of domestic violence victims are women.
- Approximately 4 million people are assaulted by their partners each year.
- In the United States alone, three women are murdered each day by their partners.
- One in three women report that at some time in their lives, they experienced sexual or physical abuse by a boyfriend or spouse.
- In Oregon, one out of eight women between the ages of 18 and 64 were abused by their partners in 2001.
Statistically, some of the nearly 4,000 employees of the Oregon Department of Corrections are likely to have contact with someone who is abused, or may be abused themselves. As public safety professionals, we may be in positions to offer help to suspected domestic violence victims.
Please share these tips from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence with anyone who may need them:
- Find a safe place in your home you can go if an argument begins or you feel either physically or mentally threatened (avoid rooms with no exits and rooms with potential weapons, such as a kitchen).
- Have a list of people you trust who you can contact when you need help.
- Note the location of the phone closest to your home, and keep change for pay phones with you at all times.
- Establish a code word or sign so friends, family, neighbors, or co-workers know when to call for help.
- Plan out where you can go if you need to leave your home.
- Leave copies of important documents, an extra set of car/house keys, extra clothes, and money with someone you trust.
- Have a mental checklist of items you need if you decide to leave, and know where these items are located including:
- Important documents, such as identification (driver's license, etc.), Social Security cards, birth certificates, divorce/custody papers, school and vaccination records for children, medical records, house deed or rental agreements, work permits, green cards, passports, etc.
- Medications for all family members.
- Checkbook, ATM card, bankbooks, cash.
- Children's favorite toys, stuffed animals, blankets.
- Think about how to protect yourself at work, and develop a support network there, if possible.
- Memorize important telephone numbers, police, local shelters, friends/family members, and your local domestic violence hotline.
For more information or referrals to local assistance, the Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence can be reached at (800) 622-3782. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is (800) 799-SAFE (7233).
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| More News... |
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- Kudos to Snake River Correctional Institution for winning its second consecutive SHARP (Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program) certification from Oregon OSHA. SRCI is the first prison in Oregon to receive second year certification. Congratulations also to Two Rivers Correctional Institution, which received its first-year SHARP certification.
- Congratulations to DOC Transport Officer Sim, who set a personal-best bench press of 520 pounds in competition on May 4 in Pasco, Washington, setting six records in the 190-199 weight division.
- Need help or have a question about your Outlook e-mail? The fastest ways to get a response are to either: 1) Call the Helpdesk, which will create a Remedy ticket for the e-mail administrators, or 2) Send your request or inquiry to "Email Admins," which you can find in the Outlook Global Address List.
- FYI: The Oregon State Payroll System will no longer print the employee Social Security Numbers on payroll check stubs and direct deposit notices beginning June 15, 2002.
DOC Corrections News
Oregon Department of Corrections
David S. Cook, Director
The mission of the Oregon Department of Corrections is to
promote public safety by holding offenders accountable for their
actions and reducing the risk of future criminal behavior.
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| SOPPADA |
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In detail, here are the seven steps of SOPPADA:
Subject: The title … what is this all about?
Objective: Briefly, the "thesis statement" of what you want to accomplish, change, or inform about.
Present Situation: Description of current status, including the problem your proposal is meant to solve. This is the place where you convince the reader why he or she should care about this proposal.
Proposal: An outline of the key points of your request, concisely listing all key details.
Advantages: A list of arguments supporting your proposal. Be as complete as necessary to make your point, but limit the number to a reasonable length.
Disadvantages: A list of anticipated arguments against your proposal. This is an important step to show you understand problems that may be faced in implementing your idea, and will help the decision maker develop a complete understanding of the issue. Be fair in your analysis of opposition. It is seldom that there are absolutely no reasonable disadvantages to a proposed action.
Action: The call to action is what you will do or what you ask the reader to do with the information you have presented. This step could be as simple as requesting permission to move forward with further investigation and analysis, or you may ask for a final decision to be made. You also may put in a timeframe, such as: "I will call to make an appointment with you for next week to discuss this matter."
In short, clear writing with well-thought-out reasoning will make your proposals and ideas much easier to read, understand, and remember.
Example:
Date: June 1, 2002
To: All DOC Employees, Contractor, and Volunteers
From: DOC Public Affairs
Subject: SOPPADA Format
Objective: Help DOC staff to quickly write effective memos and proposals using the SOPPADA format demonstrated in this memo.
Present situation: Most people were never taught business writing with an emphasis on concise clarity. Thus, their written messages are less likely to be effective vehicles of their ideas, and may not get the full attention they deserve. Additionally, many memos present problems without proposing solutions or present ideas without supporting information. This creates more work for the recipient, who is often asked to take action without being given complete, well-reasoned information.
Proposal: Through a Corrections News Online article:
- Explain why clear, logically structured writing is desirable and of value to both writer and reader.
- Give staff a structure for writing memos that makes the subject, objective, and arguments of a proposed course of action clear to the reader.
- Recommend the SOPPADA format, pointing out that memos should generally be limited to two pages.
- Encourage institutions and other functional units of the department to use this format where appropriate to write more clearly and make their ideas easier to understand and remember.
Advantages:
- This simple and logical way to structure written communication can reduce the amount of time spent writing and reading, thus improving productivity.
- The SOPPADA format forces the writer to clearly organize key ideas, presents arguments both for and against those ideas and gives the reader a more-complete understanding of the issue(s) at hand.
- The SOPPADA format gives the reader/decision maker proposed solutions to the problem and clear decisions to make or actions to take.
- Since good communication is one of the department’s core values, staff who have strong communication skills are of greater value to the organization.
- Good writers are more likely to have their ideas understood and remembered.
- Improved communication increases the flow of information within the organization, making it easier and more satisfying to do our jobs.
Disadvantages:
- Using a formula may hinder some creativity in writing.
- Boise Cascade may lose some revenues because we will use less paper.
- Less time spent writing and reading long memos might leave some people with time on their hands!
Action: Publish an article about the SOPPADA format written in the SOPPADA format for the Corrections News Online DOC employee newsletter. Encourage readers to print out the article and put the SOPPADA format to use in their own memo/proposal writing
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