| September 2004 Corrections News On-line |
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| Directors' Message: |
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Recognizing Excellence/OAM Principles
DOC has a long and proud tradition of service to the people of Oregon. We, and the rest of the agency’s executive team, have made a commitment to enhance the department’s recognition of excellence in our ranks.
Toward that end, the Employee Awards Ceremony will move to National Corrections Employees Week in May. Also, awards will be more personal and shared with co-workers: DOC divisions will have local awards ceremonies. We’ve blocked out time on our calendars to visit as many institutions and awards ceremonies as possible that week. The winners of department-wide awards also will be invited to a central ceremony in Salem.
We greatly appreciate all of DOC’s staff and look forward to the new way to deliver well-deserved recognition. Nominations for the 2004-05 awards will open in January. Please watch for information in newsletters and by e-mail.
In other news, the DOC Executive Management Team recently approved the Oregon Accountability Model (OAM) principles outlined below. The OAM is essential to reducing victimization, enhancing public safety, and controlling the increasing cost of incarceration. Please read the principles carefully and carry them out in your daily work.
Sincerely,
 
Max Williams Mitch Morrow
Director Deputy Director
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| Oregon Accountability Model Principles |
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- Transition begins at intake when a corrections plan is developed for each inmate that addresses criminal risk factors to enhance successful reintegration into the community and reduce recidivism.
- Staff hold offenders accountable by providing both positive and negative consequences to offender behavior, being pro-social role models, and guiding offenders toward pro-social behavior in concert with their corrections plans.
- Inmates are prepared for community living through specific interventions related to their corrections plans, such as work, education and focused treatment and reentry programs.
- Offenders have the opportunity to develop healthy relationships with their families and children in order to build pro-social community support and break the intergenerational cycle of crime.
- Transition from incarceration to community is carefully planned and coordinated with inmates, community stakeholders and community corrections.
- Supervision in the community, consistent with the corrections plan and these principles, is key to reducing recidivism for those released from prison.
- Our programs are outcome, research and evidence based.
- Staff will support the OAM principles and reflect the department’s values in all work-related interactions with others.
- Institution safety and security are enhanced when inmates are guided toward pro-social behavior.
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| Outlook Calendaring Can't Read Minds... |
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The calendaring function of Outlook is a great asset to staff who schedule meetings. However, when searching for open blocks of time, the system doesn’t recognize days that are “blocked out” with just a notation in the top bar (below the date). That means the time looks available to the computer, when really it is not.
If you will be unavailable for meetings, please take a moment to actually block out that time on your Outlook calendar. That way, you will be shown as unavailable and meetings can be planned accordingly.
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| Political Activities by State Employees |
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With the November election fast approaching, political campaigns are in full swing. Consequently, it is important to remember the restrictions on political campaigning by public employees.
State employees are free to support and advocate for any candidate or ballot measure of their choosing during their free time. It is essential, however, to be aware of actions that are not allowable during work time. Two key statutes speak to this issue:
ORS 260.432 (1) states that a person – including public employers and elected officials – may not require a public employee to promote or oppose any political committee or any initiative, referendum or recall petition, ballot measure or candidate.
ORS 260.432(2) states that public employees may not be involved in promoting or opposing any political committee or any initiative, referendum or recall petition, measure or candidate “while on the job during working hours.”Note: This subsection does not apply to elected officials.
The Secretary of State´s reference quick card on elections law for public employees is available at:
http://www.sos.state.or.us/elections/Publications/quickcard.pdf.
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| CCCF Hosts 2nd Annual "Through a Child's Eyes" Event |
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Coffee Creek recently hosted its second annual “Through a Child’s Eyes”(TACE) event. TACE is part of the DOC’s efforts to help break the intergenerational cycle of criminality through improved inmate parenting skills and family bonding.
A partnership between the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility and the Rotary Club of Wilsonville, TACE gives female inmates at CCCF a unique opportunity to bond with their children and families. This year, children and their mothers got the chance to see, feel, and touch some exotic and grotesque creatures (including cockroaches, walking sticks, hermit crabs, millipedes and chameleons). They also enjoyed food and games sponsored by Rotary.
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| Help Inmates Protect Their Phone Access |
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The inmate phone specialists in Information Services ask for staff assistance to help inmates understand that they need to protect their telephone personal identification numbers (PINs).
Although inmates watch a video and receive printed instructions, some of them apparently haven’t gotten the message that they may not share PINs under any circumstances. The inmate phone specialists in Information Services have heard a number of stories from inmates that they were told it is allowed to share PINs for “emergency calls.” Wrong.
If you ever are asked, please tell inmates that PINs are to be kept confidential and never shared – not even for emergency calls. PINs reported to have been shared or stolen are suspended until they can be changed, which suspends the inmate’s access to the phone system and costs him or her $5.
For more information, contact inmate phone specialists Steve White at (503) 947-1015 or Greg Sapaugh at (503) 947-9962.
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| More News... |
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“Breaking Barriers” founder visits EOCI, TRCI: Gordon Graham, founder and creator of the Breaking Barriers program, brought words of support and inspiration to inmates at Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution and Two Rivers Correctional Institution in mid-July. Mr. Graham was joined by former DOC inmate Mark Evans. Together, the two spoke to more than 250 inmates on the topic: “Change is Possible.” Key messages included the difficulties of changing an individual’s mindset and the importance of inmate support systems in encouraging that change.
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| About Corrections News Online |
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DOC Corrections News
Oregon Department of Corrections
Max Williams, Director
Mitch Morrow, Deputy Director
Receive Corrections News Online
at your home e-mail address…
Send a request to:
from your home computer.
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.
For more information or to submit story ideas, please call Nancy Sellers, editor, in the
DOC Public Affairs Office at (503) 945-9225 or e-mail: nancy.sellers@state.or.us.
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