QUESTION
What is the Department of Correction's vision for prioritizing budgetary resources in addressing staff management, violence, safety, and transitioning to borough-based jails?
2:18:38
·
13 min
The New York City Department of Correction outlines strategies for staffing, violence reduction, and programming as part of prioritizing budgetary resources.
- Strategies include deploying staff efficiently, reducing overtime and absenteeism, and addressing recruitment challenges.
- For violence reduction, initiatives like regular tours of jails and making necessary repairs to facilities are highlighted.
- Emphasis is placed on comprehensive programming for inmate success, including transition planning, substance misuse, and educational programs.
- Special focus on the need for robust transitional planning and the incorporation of trauma-informed programming.
Adrienne E. Adams
2:18:38
Can you describe your vision for prioritizing the department's budgetary resources to address the issues of staff management, violence and safety, and transitioning the apartment to borrow based jails in the coming fiscal years.
Lynelle Maginley-Liddie
2:18:53
Thank you for that question.
2:18:57
So like I said initially, the work is we understand that there are challenges that exist, but we are working collaboratively with the monitor to ensure that we are addressing those challenges.
2:19:12
With respect to the staffing, I will have chief Rembert go into a little more detail on the staffing.
2:19:18
But what I can tell you in the last 4 years, we've attributed approximately 34100 staff members, uniform staff members.
2:19:28
And we're working to actively deploy our staff to ensure that they are they're they're deployed on posts that are needed within the jails.
2:19:38
We've created a new unit called the smart unit, which manages deployment throughout the facilities to ensuring that we are not people aren't working triple shifts.
2:19:50
We're minimizing that.
2:19:52
In addition to making sure people are efficiently deployed to posts.
2:19:57
With respect to staffing.
2:19:59
I'm just going to turn it over to Chief Rember just to give a little bit more context on the staffing and all that we're doing right now with respect to staffing.
Sherrie Rembert
2:20:09
Good morning, City Council Board.
2:20:11
My name is Sherry.
2:20:12
I'm an assistant chief of the New York City Department of Corrections.
2:20:16
Our agency has a multi pronged approach to reducing overtime expenditures.
2:20:21
The first is is bracing in technology.
2:20:24
Through the use of electronic scheduling system, we embarked on deploying available staff to our facility in real time so we can operate officially on a daily basis.
2:20:36
The scheduling management and the redeployment team known as the smart team, unit actively managing the scheduling of staff and the redeployment of our officers to balance our facilities.
2:20:48
The department has been redeploying available staff on a consistent basis to further enhance our reduction of overtime.
2:20:57
Once every 3 weeks as well as deploying our TDW staff, twice a week.
2:21:03
Office of administration has analyzed its staffing daily to ensure supplies are balanced, within the facilities.
2:21:10
Balance sheet squads help minimize over time by ensuring the workloads are evenly distributed, and better resources utilization and cost savings for our agency.
2:21:24
We will continue to train our facility management team on the intricate ways of utilizing the electronic scheduling system as currently designed And we also taken a proactive approach in educating our management team to identify posts in real time that can be reallocated while supporting our security permits to reduce overtime.
2:21:47
The 2nd promise is addressing absenteeism, We have been diligently working to reduce the number of staff outside so that more staff are available to work in the facilities.
2:21:58
Since January 2022, we have reduced absenteeism by 80% due to sick leave.
2:22:06
Additionally, we would be addressed in a personal emergency leave as well as the FMLA FMLA process that at times have created undue hardship to our agency.
2:22:18
The last balance recruitment as of Our recruitment, because our I treated I treated around we had treated around 1900 staff members since Carolyn had 22.
2:22:32
We have we have also lost staff members prior to that.
2:22:36
At that rate, of attrition that we have lost.
2:22:41
It's not in cadence with our ability to recruit or higher or retain as staff members are eligible for retirement daily.
2:22:52
The reality is that recruiting hiring, retaining our competing factors as this is not unique to the New York City.
2:22:59
In fact, corrections and law enforcement agencies globally experience the impact of retention.
2:23:07
As such, we will continue to coordinate with city leadership and partnering agencies through reconciling task force to increase the reach of recruiting efforts and problem solving barriers to hiring.
2:23:21
So far, in calendar year of 2024, 74 officers have graduated from the Academy and successfully joined the ranks of correctional officers.
2:23:31
On Thursday, March 7th, we had a recruiting class of 82, started the academy training.
2:23:41
Lastly, It's important to recognize that the department has completely neglected the organization health for decades.
2:23:48
We can actually be hiring a way out of this, we must also think about how to build and sustain a workforce that is trained in correction practice practices that has ample professional development opportunities that is professional and accountable and that receives the sport needed to do their jobs and remain in the Department of Corrections.
Lynelle Maginley-Liddie
2:24:10
Thank you, chief.
2:24:11
With respect to violence reduction, we know that's an issue.
2:24:15
So one of the initiatives that I started was touring, having everyone all of the uniform and nonuniform leadership.
2:24:25
They're designed they're they're they're they're supposed to be touring the jails every other week.
2:24:32
And there's a set schedule where people are touring and doing meaningful tours.
2:24:38
With more eyes and more ears and more hands on on board, you are able to see what's happening in real time.
2:24:44
If there are any issues happening in real time, you're dressing it in real time.
2:24:48
One of the other things that's been really a challenge for us is the infrastructure.
2:24:53
Right?
2:24:53
We have old jails, and we need to make repairs to those jails.
2:24:59
But we are also in a place where we can't utilize capital funding to do that.
2:25:04
So we're constantly making changes and shifts to ensure that we are meeting the standards in terms of making repairs in our jails.
2:25:14
But one of the one of the things that's really critical for this department and something that I've noted upon Assuming this role, its programming is essential.
2:25:26
Right?
2:25:26
Programming is essential to ensuring that people aren't idle.
2:25:30
And that we are providing them with a tool that's critical for their success.
2:25:35
And that's critical for them once they leave our care.
2:25:40
DC Torres.
2:25:41
FTC Torres can talk a little bit more about programming initiative that we have underway as a result of the new funding.
2:25:48
And all of the programs that we're going to be rolling out to the individuals in our care.
Francis Torres
2:25:57
Good afternoon, madam chair.
2:26:00
My name is Francis Torres.
2:26:02
I'm the 1st deputy commissioner for the New York City Department of Correction.
2:26:07
The commissioner has already shared with you what it is that is needed as part of our violence reduction plan.
2:26:16
Last year, I found myself in these chambers because we needed to go and explain to the council members how the department was to do insourcing as a result of the loss of the $17,000,000 that were used for jail based targeted approach.
2:26:39
During that conversation, we laid out for the council what it was that our counseling staff primarily assigned to the division of programs and community partnerships we're going to do.
2:26:55
Know that the division of programs actually mapped out a plan of action to absorb the in sourcing.
2:27:03
We began by having conversations with local local 371 We also had large meetings with our associate correctional counselors, level 1 and 2, as well as our program counselors.
2:27:22
Those civil service staff members were the ones primarily becoming responsible for insourcing.
2:27:33
Insourcing being defined as the provision of one on ones and group facilitations.
2:27:41
With a robust evidence based cubic killer, as well as best practices.
2:27:48
Once we did that, as a division, we mapped out a training component.
2:27:55
Meaning, they had to be done in different sessions combined of refresher trainings with new trainings.
2:28:05
Let me just share with you the following.
2:28:08
Staff members assigned to the counseling unit had done one on ones and group and group facilitation prior to jail based.
2:28:19
In fact, they had done so in 2015.
2:28:23
So we needed to bring them back to what they used to do.
2:28:27
Once we did the training sessions and we divided training, in 2 different sets.
2:28:34
Training sessions that will go from July of last year through December of last year and additional sessions that would be done this year.
2:28:47
In doing so, we laid out a complete schedule on how counselors would be assigned.
2:28:54
And in fact, we deploy the counselors based on the housing area's needs.
Juanita Holmes
2:29:01
I gotta tell you that the
Francis Torres
2:29:02
division of programs has done a phenomenal job.
2:29:06
And what is it that it has done for us as a department?
2:29:10
In having our staff members provide and facilitate one on ones and groups.
2:29:17
They are on the ground, and they're able to listen to the needs of staff as well as the population.
2:29:27
And so the reality is that we're in constant evolution and we're always listening and trying to determine what is further needed by our population.
2:29:41
Those who we are assigned their care for.
2:29:46
Let me pause for a minute.
2:29:48
And share the following with you.
2:29:51
In sourcing and the job being done by our counseling division, It's only one part of the programming that is done and afforded to those persons under our care.
2:30:07
There are other providers that are still on the ground.
2:30:11
Contracted providers by Marche.
2:30:15
We have at least 15 contracted providers that afford enrichment programming, and I'm glad to share with you that the division of programs has onboarded 3 additional contracted providers.
2:30:33
As part of workforce development, we have a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Education.
2:30:42
That memorandum of understanding allows our department to afford certificates and certifications in different job market opportunities.
2:30:58
But let's go to a question that I'm sure will rise.
2:31:02
And I would like to be proactive and share the following.
2:31:06
There has been an announcement made of $14,000,000 coming to our department, thanks to the support of the administration.
2:31:16
In receiving those $14,000,000, In sourcing will remain with the members of the division of programs and community partnerships.
2:31:29
These new funding that is coming to us will allow us to focus on very specific programming needs that we have identified.
2:31:39
We will be able to create robust transitional planning we will be able to incorporate substance misuse programming.
2:31:51
We will develop supplemental educational programming.
2:31:56
We will also infuse our curriculum by having trauma informed programming.
2:32:05
And lastly, offer transportation that will guarantee the transition of those being discharged into our communities directly to community based organizations and other services needed within the community.
2:32:23
Thank you.
Adrienne E. Adams
2:32:24
Thank you.
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What are the recognized needs from the population based on programming sessions and how is the Department of Correction addressing them?