QUESTION
What is being done to address the laundry issues in custody facilities?
3:48:21
·
72 sec
Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie acknowledges challenges with laundry services in custody facilities and outlines steps to address them.
- The Department of Correction is investigating the functionality of washers and dryers in every unit.
- An exploration of hiring an outside contractor for laundry services is underway.
- Following a board of correction hearing, the commissioner personally visited a facility to assess the complaints.
- An audit process is implemented to ensure that individuals in custody meet minimum standards for laundry services.
Sandy Nurse
3:48:21
I want to turn to the conditions in the facilities.
3:48:25
There have been reports of people in custody hand washing their clothing in small sinks as they often do not have access to laundry as often as necessary.
3:48:36
Are all the washers and dryers fully functioning in every unit?
Lynelle Maginley-Liddie
3:48:41
So that is something that we're looking into.
3:48:44
We had this to discussion at a board of correction hearing with respect to laundry.
3:48:48
I can tell you right after that hearing, I went to that facility where a lot of those complaints arose out of.
3:48:55
We are looking into making sure that people are provided with laundry services, and we're exploring if even an outside contractor but that is also something that we're going to be monitoring with this audit process to ensure that people are getting the minimum standards that they need.
Sandy Nurse
3:49:12
Okay.
3:49:13
Yeah, I think, you know, some of the reports were that people were washing their clothes in the toilets or wearing their clothes in the showers to clean them.
3:49:22
And I know when I visited, I had personally watched people trying to clean their clothes.
3:49:27
I mean, it was pretty gross.
3:49:30
And so I think that would be an urgent need.