Custody Management in the NYC Jail System

Bloomberg Administration

Moving Forward: Addressing Georgias Policy Needs March 23, 2013

NYC Health and Human Services

Presentation Overview

Context Crime & incarceration trends NYC Department of Correction: Population characteristics and demographics

Custody management challenges and strategies Custody management and assessment tools Applying the information for improved custody management and programming Adolescents Inmates with mental illness Security Risk Groups (Gangs) Discharge Planning
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Deputy Mayor Agency Oversight

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NYC Crime and Incarceration Reduction Strategies

Established Reforms & Strategies

Smart policing: Target resources based on analysis of where
and when crimes occur

Innovations in court practice: Creation of specialized

problem solving courts (drug courts, community courts, mental health courts that combine court supervision with services)

Alternative to detention and incarceration: Programs

that combine court supervision with case management and treatment for specific populations

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NYC Incarceration Reduction Strategies

Newly implemented reforms in the juvenile justice system (under 16 years of age)
Keep youth out of the system where possible:
Probation has increased diversion rates for appropriate cases

Expand community options: Developed new models

that provide intensive services and supervision for high risk youth

Use small therapeutic settings when youth pose a safety risk: Moved children from large state facilities to
smaller settings closer to families
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NYC Incarceration Reduction Strategies

Newly implemented probation reforms

Moved staff from courts the community:
more accessible and develop better relationships and connections to community resources & services

Court offices are also resource hubs: probationers

can access to services, computers, job searches, attend workshops, etc.

Target resources: Use evidenced based risk instrument to

align intensity of supervision, services, and client case-load based on risk and need
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Overview of NYC Department of Correction (Fiscal Year 2012)

Operating budget: $1.065 billion Budgeted headcount: 8,962 uniformed and 1,592 civilian staff Total admissions: 84,754 Total discharges: 85,497 Average daily population: 12,287
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Overview of DOC (Fiscal Year 2012)

(Cont.)

Average inmate age: 34.5 years

Average length of stay: 53 days Average number of prior admissions: 8.7 Percent of ADP with a mental health diagnosis: 38% Percent of releases from jail to the community: 75.5%
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NYC DOC Custody Management Goals 1. Improve public safety now: while inmates are detained by employing corrections best practices to maintain a safe, secure and constitutionally sound city jail system Improve public safety later: employing corrections best practices to reduce readmissions to jail and ready the population to participate in their communities as civil and contributing members upon release Recruit, train, retain, recognize and reward excellence in the workforce Provide victim-focused and victim-friendly information, support and services to the crime-victim community

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DOC has improved its screening and assessment process

Centralizing intake

Screenings to take place on day 1-3

Custody classification Security risk group screening Service priority level Mental health screening Substance abuse screening Educational assessment

Day 4-7
Utilizing evidenced-based Risk/Needs assessment

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High-risk and need groups present unique custody management issues: DOC has developed programming specifically geared to address these challenges

Special Population

Daily Population 6%
38% 15% 19%

Involvement in Jail Incidents 28%

54% 42% 19%

Adolescents (ages 1618)

Inmates with a mental health diagnosis High Custody Security Risk Group (SRG)

Adolescents represent 6 percent of the total population of which, 43 percent have a mental health diagnosis. Females represent 7 percent of the total population of which, 55 percent have a mental health diagnosis.

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Adolescent Custody Management & Programming

Moved to cell housing from dormitory style

Increased cameras in all housing units and corridors Temporary lock-in (time-out) and earlier curfew
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Adolescent Custody Management & Programming

Evidenced-based enhance learning activities

ABLE Adolescent Behavioral Learning Experience (ABLE): a
behavioral program that builds problem-solving and decision-making skills to reduce recidivism

ERAs Regents-readiness: individualized attention in school and a

high school diploma or equivalent

The DOE after-school program: offered four days a week, two hours
each day offers sports programming, college preparation, and arts and technology, study groups, college preparation and opportunity to earn food handlers certificate and college preparation

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Treatment and Programming for Mentally Ill Inmates

Alternative to jail for inmates with mental health issues

According to a recent analysis, inmates with mental health issues stay in jail longer than inmates with the same risk level and charge severity As a result of this finding, a new program is being developed
Will combine court supervision with case management and mental health treatment linkages and referrals Estimated 3,000 inmates are eligible for this program annually Cost savings from jail bed use will pay for program

A combination of risk and need data will be used to determine eligibility

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Treatment and Programming for Acutely Mentally Ill Inmates

Planning more intensive clinical model for severely mentally inmates who engage in serious misconduct
Serve inmates who would formerly be serving infraction time in a punitive setting for poor behavioral control Programmed units can provide in-cell time-out to remove patients that become over stimulated Occasionally provide Treatment Over Objection (TOO) - address symptoms quickly prevent mental decompensation reduce psychiatric hospitalizations encourage compliance with unit standards
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Treatment and Programming for Acutely Mentally Ill Inmates

Created specialized housing units for subset of acutely mentally ill (6% of population)
Population involved in 19 percent of incidents Units include structured, evidenced based behavioral program Teams of clinical and correctional staff develop and guide inmates through individualized behavioral contract Early results indicate a measurable reduction in fractions (about 25 percent)
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Strategies to curtail gang violence

Gang members are the most likely to participate in premeditated in-jail assaults, particularly assaults with weapons Steps taken to eliminate gang-related violence
full-body scanners similar to equipment that the TSA uses more facility and visitor searches resulting in the confiscation of greater numbers of scalpels and razors more arrests and referrals for prosecution, an agreement by the DA to seek significant penalties, greater coordination with NYPD, and the opening of a restricted housing unit for predators.
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Re-entry: former discharge planning program did not align services with need and risk

DOCs first-generation effort at discharge planning revealed: Reduction in recidivism rates for those who were medium or high risk
Readmission rates for participants in the highest level risk category fell from 21% to 12%

Increase or no change in recidivism for those who were low

Readmission actually increased for participants in lowest risk group actually increased slightly, from 78% to 84%
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Re-entry: DOCs improved effort targets interventions for inmates with a high risk of readmission

Re-entry interventions are available to any inmate with elevated risk of recidivism
Expanding skill building capacity
Preparing resume Hard skills training with certificate Job placement and retention Substance abuse assistance and relapse prevention Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and mental health treatment and referral

Community stabilization
Temporary & permanent housing/shelter Family, Parenting, and relationship courses
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