A South Carolina sharecropper's daughter who began her corrections career in Florida as an entry level probation officer 25 years ago is leading a new program to help inmates leaving the state's massive prison system avoid returning to a life behind bars.
Hieteenthia "Tina" Hayes said the system must provide more educational and vocational assistance to inmates from the first day they enter prison.
"It's high time we stop doing things the way we used to do it," Hayes said. "We cannot continue to lock them up and throw away the key."
In announcing Hayes' appointment last week to run the new program, prisons chief Jim McDonough said 36,000 inmates will be leaving the system in 12 months and that a third of those will likely return within three years. For some, having prison on their record deters employers, but many also do not have enough education to land jobs.
McDonough would like to reduce the recidivism rate to one in five by 2012, starting with more educational opportunities and drug treatment for inmates.
McDonough said Hayes has the "perfect combination of professional and personal character for the mission.
"She knows that what American offers is opportunity, but the true test is to seize it and apply yourself," McDonough said. "That, in a nutshell, is what re-entry is all about."
One of 14 children who grew up near Manning, S.C., in a three bedroom farmhouse without running water, Hayes has always known hard work -- picking tobacco and cotton as a young girl.
And while her parents, James and Lucy Hayes, had only a grade school education, they stressed the importance of education and doing the right thing. All but one of the children went on to get a college education.
Those values give her confidence she can exceed McDonough's goal.
"Someday it's just when you say hello to somebody," said Hayes, 49. "I've always been one to believe there's a good side to everybody."
Finding the dollars to pay for increasing programs is a major challenge, although federal grants and working with faith-based organizations will help the effort.
"This is everybody's problem," said Hayes, who has earned undergraduate and a master's degree in management and a doctorate in religion in her off-duty hours during her time with the Department of Corrections.
"We have tons of volunteers willing to help," she said. Sometimes, all a person leaving prison needs to get started is assistance in getting a driver's license, an ID card and a place to stay, she added.
But about 65 percent of the inmate population needs substance abuse treatment and less than one in five receive it. More that half of the institutions do not have educational or vocational programs.
To provide more assistance, DOC has already begun working with the state's Labor Department, the Agency for Workforce Innovation, the Florida Home Builders Association and the state's Habitat for Humanity program, as well as its own public-private partnership known as PRIDE.
"It's the right thing to do for the right reasons," Hayes said. "Wouldn't it be great if we could work ourselves out of a job?"
BY BRENT KALLESTAD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Saturday, May 26, 2007
A New jail for Sarasota County? Part 8 :
County OKs jail consultant contract:
The Sarasota County Commission unlocked $68,200 Tuesday to hire a consulting firm to plan a new county jail.
The commissioners did not approve the entire $209,100 contract Liebert & Associates sought, opting instead to a stepped approach based on progress seen in completed tasks.
County Commission Chair Nora Patterson initially balked at the contract, citing her concerns as to whether cities within the county would be on board for the construction of a new jail. She expressed her apprehension to Charles Taylor, human services general manager, who was present to answer questions.
"It does seem rather funny to me to be spending the $209,000 without really having a clue, with a totally unresolved and not terribly promising conversation with our cities on using local option sales tax monies for this project," Patterson said. "What am I going to have at the end of this (expenditure)?"
"I think you are going to have a discrete proposal with different financing plans that you can then make a smart decision about what you're going to get," Taylor said. "What and where and how much."
The brakes
County Commissioner Shannon Staub leaned toward approving the contract, but suggested a pay-as-you-go approach, based on nine tasks outlined.
"Maybe what we need to do is approve this, but if we don't concur with the initial project recognition, then we may not want to fulfill the contract," Staub said.
Taylor noted the contract was set up in such a way that the commissioners could opt out if they did not see the kind of progress they felt the project deserved.
"There are subsequent steps all through here, where you can put the brakes on and say we've learned enough, we stop," Taylor said.
Ultimately, the commissioners agreed to pay for the first two tasks of the contract -- totaling $68,200 -- encompassing the following:
* Task I: Develop a project organization structure; determine the future use of the existing jail; analyze facility options (renovation or new facility); and develop a budget.
* Task II: Conduct jail tours to see how other jurisdictions operate their jails; develop a mission statement and operational philosophy; and determine functions and services in the new jail including users, activities, behaviors, equipment and furnishings, design criteria and policy decisions.
Additional stopping points were inserted at the $124,000 and $170,000 expenditure points.
By Steven J. Smith
Staff Writer Sun-Herald
The Sarasota County Commission unlocked $68,200 Tuesday to hire a consulting firm to plan a new county jail.
The commissioners did not approve the entire $209,100 contract Liebert & Associates sought, opting instead to a stepped approach based on progress seen in completed tasks.
County Commission Chair Nora Patterson initially balked at the contract, citing her concerns as to whether cities within the county would be on board for the construction of a new jail. She expressed her apprehension to Charles Taylor, human services general manager, who was present to answer questions.
"It does seem rather funny to me to be spending the $209,000 without really having a clue, with a totally unresolved and not terribly promising conversation with our cities on using local option sales tax monies for this project," Patterson said. "What am I going to have at the end of this (expenditure)?"
"I think you are going to have a discrete proposal with different financing plans that you can then make a smart decision about what you're going to get," Taylor said. "What and where and how much."
The brakes
County Commissioner Shannon Staub leaned toward approving the contract, but suggested a pay-as-you-go approach, based on nine tasks outlined.
"Maybe what we need to do is approve this, but if we don't concur with the initial project recognition, then we may not want to fulfill the contract," Staub said.
Taylor noted the contract was set up in such a way that the commissioners could opt out if they did not see the kind of progress they felt the project deserved.
"There are subsequent steps all through here, where you can put the brakes on and say we've learned enough, we stop," Taylor said.
Ultimately, the commissioners agreed to pay for the first two tasks of the contract -- totaling $68,200 -- encompassing the following:
* Task I: Develop a project organization structure; determine the future use of the existing jail; analyze facility options (renovation or new facility); and develop a budget.
* Task II: Conduct jail tours to see how other jurisdictions operate their jails; develop a mission statement and operational philosophy; and determine functions and services in the new jail including users, activities, behaviors, equipment and furnishings, design criteria and policy decisions.
Additional stopping points were inserted at the $124,000 and $170,000 expenditure points.
By Steven J. Smith
Staff Writer Sun-Herald
Saturday, May 12, 2007
A New jail for Sarasota County? Part 7
New jail plan should include services for juveniles:
A new Sarasota County jail for sentenced prisoners may not be everybody's political cup of tea, but a flexible design that provides safe space for badly needed juvenile services could make it more palatable for taxpayers who may otherwise be reticent.
Sheriff Bill Balkwill has made a strong case that the county jail in downtown Sarasota is often overcrowded and conditions will only get worse as the community grows. His recommended solution is to relieve the situation by moving sentenced prisoners to another facility.
Such a decision would free up 200 to 300 beds - depending on how big the new jail is - and potentially a lot more in future years if the design provides for expansions. Politicians and planners should think years ahead when they consider this project.
Less than a decade ago, former Sheriff Geoff Monge came to the county commission with the same problem and request. His recommended solution was a medium-security jail for sentenced prisoners outside the city, but discussions were muddied by election-year rhetoric.
The result was an over-budget and short-sighted downtown jail addition that only served to put off the inevitable. So what we have is a maximum-security jail with none of the social services that help prepare prisoners for a more productive life after they are released.
Worse yet, the same commissioners also turned a blind eye to state juvenile justice officials who offered to build the county a new detention facility. The result has been catastrophic for many troubled youngsters at dangerous crossroads in their lives.
County deputies and municipal police officers must drive them to a facility in Bradenton where they are screened by counselors and either sent home or held until their cases are heard. Hours of patrol time are squandered because of this inefficiency and waste.
The situation is so bad that some deputies and officers refuse to arrest all but the most serious juvenile offenders because of the down time involved in driving them north and waiting while they are processed. So they are allowed to roam free until trouble finds them again.
A new jail for sentenced prisoners isn't going to spring up overnight. It will take at least a year to plan and several more to build. In the interim, a temporary solution to the juvenile arrest crisis should be addressed so critical decisions about our young are made in this county.
The notion that one of the most affluent communities in this nation cannot find a proper location to interview juvenile offenders and determine what is best for them is unconscionable, and shouldn't be treated in routine fashion by our public officials.
Later this month, the county commission is tentatively scheduled to approve a contract for consultant services on the new jail. It also needs to move this project along, and not allow it to fall prey to the narrow-minded thinking that prevailed a few short years ago.
An editorial from the Pelican Press
A new Sarasota County jail for sentenced prisoners may not be everybody's political cup of tea, but a flexible design that provides safe space for badly needed juvenile services could make it more palatable for taxpayers who may otherwise be reticent.
Sheriff Bill Balkwill has made a strong case that the county jail in downtown Sarasota is often overcrowded and conditions will only get worse as the community grows. His recommended solution is to relieve the situation by moving sentenced prisoners to another facility.
Such a decision would free up 200 to 300 beds - depending on how big the new jail is - and potentially a lot more in future years if the design provides for expansions. Politicians and planners should think years ahead when they consider this project.
Less than a decade ago, former Sheriff Geoff Monge came to the county commission with the same problem and request. His recommended solution was a medium-security jail for sentenced prisoners outside the city, but discussions were muddied by election-year rhetoric.
The result was an over-budget and short-sighted downtown jail addition that only served to put off the inevitable. So what we have is a maximum-security jail with none of the social services that help prepare prisoners for a more productive life after they are released.
Worse yet, the same commissioners also turned a blind eye to state juvenile justice officials who offered to build the county a new detention facility. The result has been catastrophic for many troubled youngsters at dangerous crossroads in their lives.
County deputies and municipal police officers must drive them to a facility in Bradenton where they are screened by counselors and either sent home or held until their cases are heard. Hours of patrol time are squandered because of this inefficiency and waste.
The situation is so bad that some deputies and officers refuse to arrest all but the most serious juvenile offenders because of the down time involved in driving them north and waiting while they are processed. So they are allowed to roam free until trouble finds them again.
A new jail for sentenced prisoners isn't going to spring up overnight. It will take at least a year to plan and several more to build. In the interim, a temporary solution to the juvenile arrest crisis should be addressed so critical decisions about our young are made in this county.
The notion that one of the most affluent communities in this nation cannot find a proper location to interview juvenile offenders and determine what is best for them is unconscionable, and shouldn't be treated in routine fashion by our public officials.
Later this month, the county commission is tentatively scheduled to approve a contract for consultant services on the new jail. It also needs to move this project along, and not allow it to fall prey to the narrow-minded thinking that prevailed a few short years ago.
An editorial from the Pelican Press
A New jail for Sarasota County? Part 7
New jail plan should include services for juveniles:
A new Sarasota County jail for sentenced prisoners may not be everybody's political cup of tea, but a flexible design that provides safe space for badly needed juvenile services could make it more palatable for taxpayers who may otherwise be reticent.
Sheriff Bill Balkwill has made a strong case that the county jail in downtown Sarasota is often overcrowded and conditions will only get worse as the community grows. His recommended solution is to relieve the situation by moving sentenced prisoners to another facility.
Such a decision would free up 200 to 300 beds - depending on how big the new jail is - and potentially a lot more in future years if the design provides for expansions. Politicians and planners should think years ahead when they consider this project.
Less than a decade ago, former Sheriff Geoff Monge came to the county commission with the same problem and request. His recommended solution was a medium-security jail for sentenced prisoners outside the city, but discussions were muddied by election-year rhetoric.
The result was an over-budget and short-sighted downtown jail addition that only served to put off the inevitable. So what we have is a maximum-security jail with none of the social services that help prepare prisoners for a more productive life after they are released.
Worse yet, the same commissioners also turned a blind eye to state juvenile justice officials who offered to build the county a new detention facility. The result has been catastrophic for many troubled youngsters at dangerous crossroads in their lives.
County deputies and municipal police officers must drive them to a facility in Bradenton where they are screened by counselors and either sent home or held until their cases are heard. Hours of patrol time are squandered because of this inefficiency and waste.
The situation is so bad that some deputies and officers refuse to arrest all but the most serious juvenile offenders because of the down time involved in driving them north and waiting while they are processed. So they are allowed to roam free until trouble finds them again.
A new jail for sentenced prisoners isn't going to spring up overnight. It will take at least a year to plan and several more to build. In the interim, a temporary solution to the juvenile arrest crisis should be addressed so critical decisions about our young are made in this county.
The notion that one of the most affluent communities in this nation cannot find a proper location to interview juvenile offenders and determine what is best for them is unconscionable, and shouldn't be treated in routine fashion by our public officials.
Later this month, the county commission is tentatively scheduled to approve a contract for consultant services on the new jail. It also needs to move this project along, and not allow it to fall prey to the narrow-minded thinking that prevailed a few short years ago.
An editorial from the Pelican Press
A new Sarasota County jail for sentenced prisoners may not be everybody's political cup of tea, but a flexible design that provides safe space for badly needed juvenile services could make it more palatable for taxpayers who may otherwise be reticent.
Sheriff Bill Balkwill has made a strong case that the county jail in downtown Sarasota is often overcrowded and conditions will only get worse as the community grows. His recommended solution is to relieve the situation by moving sentenced prisoners to another facility.
Such a decision would free up 200 to 300 beds - depending on how big the new jail is - and potentially a lot more in future years if the design provides for expansions. Politicians and planners should think years ahead when they consider this project.
Less than a decade ago, former Sheriff Geoff Monge came to the county commission with the same problem and request. His recommended solution was a medium-security jail for sentenced prisoners outside the city, but discussions were muddied by election-year rhetoric.
The result was an over-budget and short-sighted downtown jail addition that only served to put off the inevitable. So what we have is a maximum-security jail with none of the social services that help prepare prisoners for a more productive life after they are released.
Worse yet, the same commissioners also turned a blind eye to state juvenile justice officials who offered to build the county a new detention facility. The result has been catastrophic for many troubled youngsters at dangerous crossroads in their lives.
County deputies and municipal police officers must drive them to a facility in Bradenton where they are screened by counselors and either sent home or held until their cases are heard. Hours of patrol time are squandered because of this inefficiency and waste.
The situation is so bad that some deputies and officers refuse to arrest all but the most serious juvenile offenders because of the down time involved in driving them north and waiting while they are processed. So they are allowed to roam free until trouble finds them again.
A new jail for sentenced prisoners isn't going to spring up overnight. It will take at least a year to plan and several more to build. In the interim, a temporary solution to the juvenile arrest crisis should be addressed so critical decisions about our young are made in this county.
The notion that one of the most affluent communities in this nation cannot find a proper location to interview juvenile offenders and determine what is best for them is unconscionable, and shouldn't be treated in routine fashion by our public officials.
Later this month, the county commission is tentatively scheduled to approve a contract for consultant services on the new jail. It also needs to move this project along, and not allow it to fall prey to the narrow-minded thinking that prevailed a few short years ago.
An editorial from the Pelican Press
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