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REMARKS
Experience from Westchester in implementing correctional reforms
0:34:20
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84 sec
Leo Diaz shares his experience implementing correctional reforms in Westchester, emphasizing the importance of collaboration, transparency, and accountability.
- Diaz highlights the value of having 'fresh eyes' review policies and provide proper training
- He stresses the importance of explaining the reasoning behind policy changes to staff
- Diaz emphasizes the need for mentorship, leadership, and accountability in resolving disciplinary cases promptly
Leo Diaz
0:34:20
So I'll take our experience in Westchester when we had the monitor there.
0:34:25
We didn't see it as being an adversarial relationship.
0:34:28
We said this is an opportunity for change.
0:34:30
Right?
0:34:30
So I was there, you know, I was there for over twenty seven years when he came in.
0:34:36
And when you when you're there for that long and you're reading the policies, they become like this is a great policy.
0:34:42
So to have the fresh eyes, review policies, make it make changes, provide proper training.
0:34:48
You know, when you make policy changes, it's good to and we always did this in Westchester.
0:34:52
It's always good to provide staff with the reasoning for the policy change so they understand why is it that the department is doing it.
0:34:59
They may not agree with it, but now they have an understanding of why it's happening.
0:35:03
Providing mentorship, you know, in our in our facility, when I became a deputy commissioner, they said, do you wanna be you want an office in headquarters?
0:35:09
I said, no.
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I want an office in the building.
0:35:11
I wanna be embedded in the building.
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I want them to see me there, to see me as part of the team.
0:35:16
So providing mentorship, leadership.
0:35:18
And then the final piece when you've done all you're supposed to do as a department is accountability.
0:35:23
You know, I remember a few years ago hearing that DOC had 2,000 disciplinary cases outstanding.
0:35:29
You know, we believe in cause and effect.
0:35:31
You you're involved in an incident.
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We're gonna resolve that incident.
0:35:35
It doesn't define your career.
0:35:36
We're gonna get you to a better place, but you can't allow lawlessness where people don't violate I mean, violate policies and create risk for the population.