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Q&A
Improvements to DOC visitation programs and processes
2:48:33
ยท
3 min
Council Member Gale Brewer inquires about funding and improvements to visitation programs at DOC facilities. Multiple DOC officials, including First Deputy Commissioner Francis Torres and Deputy Commissioner James Boyd, provide updates on various initiatives.
- The Children's Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) program is enhancing visitation areas on Rikers Island
- DOC has hired visitor coordinators to engage family members and ensure structured activities
- A wholesale assessment of the visit process is underway to streamline and improve efficiency
- Plans include implementing a visitor scheduling system and encouraging use of free shuttle buses
- The department recognizes that the current visit process takes too long and is working to address various factors causing delays
Gale Brewer
2:48:33
Okay.
2:48:34
In terms of visitation, I know you mentioned CMOM.
2:48:36
I'm a big supporter.
2:48:38
They're in my district.
2:48:38
I know they're doing a great program.
2:48:40
But generally, obviously, other than at Rose M.
2:48:43
Singer, you have visitation.
2:48:44
I assume not having CMOM.
2:48:46
So my question is, is there any funding allocated?
2:48:49
Obviously, visitations can be supportive.
2:48:52
They have positive influence, blah blah blah.
2:48:54
What budget, if any, is allocated to visitation?
2:48:57
Are you making any changes to improve it?
Francis Torres
2:49:01
Francis Torres, first deputy commissioner.
2:49:04
Good afternoon.
2:49:05
City council member Brewer.
2:49:08
As you know too well, the only two c moms that the commissioner has referenced have to do with these specific enhancement of visitation areas on Rikers Island.
2:49:21
We know too well how important that connection between parents are.
Gale Brewer
2:49:25
Oh, sea mom is excellent.
2:49:26
I'm talking about otherwise.
Francis Torres
2:49:27
Absolutely.
2:49:28
So two things that I would like to highlight.
2:49:31
Number one, the displays, that interactive display, we will continue to enhance other visit areas within our facilities.
2:49:40
But at the same time, CMOM offers an additional service, which is ongoing on a monthly basis, and that is an internal coordination between specific jails and the program teams to ensure that there are visitations at the CMOM museum.
2:49:59
So it is always going.
2:50:02
In addition to that, keep in mind that as a division of programs and community partnerships, we do have and have hired visitor coordinators to engage not only the family members, but to ensure that there are structured activities between the parents and their children.
Gale Brewer
2:50:23
Okay.
2:50:23
I won't belittle what I'm saying is in addition to the families, because I do believe having been upstate a lot to the facilities and knowing that that's better.
2:50:33
I'm talking about non parent visitation.
2:50:37
But Beautiful.
2:50:38
Okay.
Francis Torres
2:50:38
Then I'm going to defer to deputy commissioner Boyd who oversees that.
James Boyd Jr.
2:50:45
Yes.
2:50:45
So good point.
2:50:46
Good question, councilmember.
2:50:47
So we're really excited that we're doing a wholesale assessment of the visit process.
2:50:51
From our It's
Gale Brewer
2:50:52
not good now, so I appreciate that you're improving it.
James Boyd Jr.
2:50:54
Right, so from our preliminary indication, the visits are taking too long for a one hour visit.
2:51:00
So we want to figure out how we can streamline that process.
2:51:03
We know how critically important the visit process is for our detainees on an emotional and behavioral support.
2:51:09
One of the things we want to do is look at a scheduling system, which I think there's a bill that we do support in spirit to try to figure out how we can implement a visitor scheduling system.
2:51:19
We're also trying to amplify and we'll ask all the council members to support that, is that we have a free visit shuttle bus to and from Rikers Island to Harlem and Brooklyn, and we want to encourage people to take advantage of that.
2:51:31
But we're still continuing our analysis of the visit process, but we do recognize that it is taking too long in terms of folks connecting to their loved ones on multiple reasons.
2:51:40
So it's not just specific to staff delays.
2:51:42
It's also sometimes having challenges with the actual visitor or and the PIC as well.
2:51:48
So we have to unpack each one of those to figure out how we can streamline the process.
Gale Brewer
2:51:51
Quickly on food.