ECCC Advisory Board

Meeting Number 8, Tuesday August 2, 2011

Meeting was called to order at 1:06pm by Chair Dr. Cummings and led the Pledge of Allegiance

Present were:

Dr. Cummings

Cheryl Green

Rev. Pierce

Karmina Amin

Dr. Lavonne Ansari joined meeting at 1:14pm

William Burgin

Johnny Cabrera

Anne Constantino

Barry Covert

Charles Culhane

Nan Haynes

Absent were:

Richard Carr

Robert Koch

Michael Kubik

Michael Lex

(Rev. Pierce asked for a list of members and the years they will serve on the Board to be available at the next meeting)

Discussion of missing minutes for previous meeting due to computer crash

Committee will work on wording regarding medical emergency hotline for dissemination at next meeting

Reminder that bylaws passed unanimously at last meeting

Cheryl Green spoke about amendment to bylaws to add open meetings language

Anne Constantino made a motion to amend the bylaws

Rev. Pierce seconded

Passed unanimously

Dr. Cummings led a discussion of the holding center tour.  Began by asking if there was a need to reschedule another tour for those that were not able to attend last week

Barry Covert and Anne Constantino indicated they would like to go on our tour

Charles Culhane indicated that he would like to go again if there is room on the tour

Dr. Cummings will work to arrange another tour

Dr. Ansari joined the meeting

Dr. Cummings suggested that if the Board wanted to talk to specific members of the staff at the Holding Center, possibly they could be invited to a Board meeting v. talking to them at the facility

Discussion of arranging a tour of the Correctional Facility

Discussion of the goal of the tours

Discussion of reading materials allowed at the Holding Center and Correctional Facility

Ask for formal clarification – request by Anne Constantino

Chair suggested that we form a list of questions we are interested in asking staff regarding policies and procedures at the facilities.

Then ask the departments to identify the person to answer the question at the Board meeting, sending over policy prior to meeting for dissemination to Board members.

Dr. Ansari asked if we would be restricted in the questions that could be asked of staff members

Karima Amin passed around a list of programs offered primarily at the Correctional Facility

Rev. Pierce brought up the fact that the Sheriff’s dept. said they do not have sufficient staff to oversee any programming beyond what is mandated

Dr. Cummings suggested we ask for the schedule of programs for the last 6 months, along with the contact information of the person in charge of the programming

Rev. Pierce asked for expenditures on programming

Dr. Cummings suggested we ask the person who is responsible for commissary fund/telephone account come in and explain income and expenses in those accounts

Anne Constantino asked for summary report on grievances and report also on serious incidences

Cheryl Green will reach out to Bob Koch regarding reports listed above, she will also provide the COC definitions of what the serious incidences are. 

Anne Constantino also asked for benchmark data to compare – and any annual or monthly reports that are regularly prepared for the jail management team

Dr. Ansari asked if there was an organizational chart

(Rev. Pierce asked the clerk to print out the pages of the Budget that speaks to the organization of Jail Management)

Discussion of the gym reconfiguration

Dr. Cummings will send a letter to the Sheriff regarding data on the following items and asking for someone from the Sheriff Dept. to come and discuss the following issues:

               Medical Sick Call

               Forensic Mental Health

               Classification Procedures

               Programs that are offered - including schedule/contact/expenditure

               Reading Materials available at both facilities

               Grievance Procedure

               Commissary Fund/Telephone Account

Rev. Pierce asked the Chair to ask if this committee could meet at the Correctional Facility

Discussion of the Resolution asking for the appointment of Ombudsman position for the Jails funded out of the Commissary funds

Discussion of the fact that an Ombudsman position might be utilized to mediate complaints before they get to the level of a grievance

It was agreed to leave resolution on the table and have everyone look more closely at the language and to suggest changes for next meeting.

Motion to adjourn was made by

Meeting was adjourned at 2:51 pm