Pubdate: Tue, 19 Mar 2002
Source: Intelligencer & Wheeling News-Register (WV)
Copyright: 2002 The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register
Contact:  http://www.intellnews.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1633
Author: Lori A. Smithberger
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/prison.htm (Incarceration)

JAIL OFFICIALS SAY SITUATION IS 'UNDER CONTROL'

Despite recent allegations of overcrowded and inhumane conditions in West 
Virginia's regional jail facilities, representatives of the Regional Jail 
and Correctional Facility Authority report the issue is "under control" and 
being remedied on schedule.

Local inmates at West Virginia Northern Regional Jail in Moundsville have 
made recent allegations of inhumane living conditions, resulting of the 
facility being overpopulated. Reports included charges of housing 20 
inmates in 16-bunk pods, repeated incidents of poor medical treatment and 
medication mistakes, inadequate meal provisions and denial of outside 
recreation because of a lack of officers to supervise. However, Steve 
Canterbury, executive director of the Regional Jail and Correctional 
Facility Authority, reported the authority has been addressing these issues 
since the mid-1980s and, other than a few unexpected miscalculations 
regarding felon intake, the jail population problem is being resolved 
according to an established schedule.

"A lot of people have misconceptions regarding the seriousness of the state 
legislature regarding this matter," said Canterbury. "It was made very 
clear that the standards set for these facilities were not being met, and 
our mission is to get a handle on the growing population of the state's 
prisons and jails. We are working according to a 20-year plan initiated in 
1985."

With only three years remaining, this 20-year plan is quickly reaching its 
close with regional jail facilities still operating at an estimated 10 
percent above their maximum capacity. But, according to Canterbury, this is 
a great improvement from the excessive numbers housed in West Virginia 
correctional facilities prior to this effort.

"What we have now is a crowded situation. We are over our limit by about 10 
percent," said Canterbury. "We were overcrowded when this began, but now I 
would say that we are just crowded. The conditions are by no means great, 
but they are much better than what they could be and what they once were."

Canterbury explained total elimination of this population problem requires 
"hundreds of millions of dollars" in construction costs and staff hiring 
and takes an extensive period of time, far surpassing the provisions of the 
20-year plan. This does not mean there is no current progression. As it now 
stands, there are eight functioning regional jail facilities in West 
Virginia, and two additional facilities are expected to be completed by the 
spring of 2005, provided financing remains available.

Other measures are also being taken as alternatives to erecting even more 
of the expensive correctional facilities. Several hundred cells are 
currently being added to the Huttonsville facility, and numerous cells are 
being constructed at the prison in St. Mary's. These facilities, where 
construction projects are anticipated to be completed sometime after the 
spring of 2003, are operated through the Division of Corrections, but 
Canterbury explained the need for additional Division of Corrections 
housing is at the root of the regional jails' crowding issue.

"Because of a Supreme Court ruling, DOC doesn't take people until they have 
a space for them, and they get backed up with us," said Canterbury. "If we 
didn't have such an aggressive construction situation, we would have to 
start velcroing them to the walls and ceiling. ... We're juggling right 
now, but at least we're keeping all the balls in the air."

In addition to the construction projects currently under way, corrections 
authorities also have devised several forms of behavioral rehabilitation 
not involving incarceration, for non-violent offenders. These types of 
programs offer a means of disciplining and rehabilitating would-be inmates, 
without occupying the desperately needed cells in West Virginia jails.

These types of programs also save the state an immense amount of money 
because they permit offenders to continue working and supporting themselves 
and their families financially. One such alternative is the Day Report 
Center in Wheeling. While it is located in Ohio County , the center serves 
the same jurisdiction as the Northern Regional Jail and offers residents in 
Marshall, Ohio, Brooke and Hancock counties who might otherwise become 
incarcerated a chance to continue working while completing rehabilitation.

Those assigned to the center as part of their restitution are required to 
report to the center daily. While at the center, offenders have access to 
rehabilitation programs such as drug and alcohol abuse counseling, anger 
management, abuse counseling, assistance in preparing for employment and 
succeeding at job interviews and GED completion courses. The program has 
not been up and running long enough for accurate data on success rates to 
become available, but officials believe the facility more appropriately 
addresses nonviolent offenders, giving them opportunities to participate in 
corrective measures that might not be available to them at a regional jail.

"We believe it (Day Report Center) will have a positive effect on 
rehabilitation and get those who could serve their time elsewhere out of 
the prisons, freeing up that space," said Canterbury, who reported the 
center potentially could save counties $300,000- $400,000 annually. "I 
believe society will see a better rehabilitation that will keep some of 
these people working, providing for themselves and taking care of their 
families."

Despite these many advancements being made in the population problems 
throughout the state's correctional facilities, it is a persistent problem 
with a fluctuating intensity, often dependent on changes in economy, state 
law and codes and general crime rates. Authorities say the problem is being 
handled to the best of their ability.

"In 1989 we were authorized to develop a master plan. They were exactly 
right in predicting misdemeanors, but they missed estimated felons by a 
mile. There have been changes in rules and codes, and people aren't coming 
out quite as quickly as they once were. But aside from that, we are pretty 
much on schedule," explained Canterbury, who attributed some of this 
miscalculation to changes in state laws regarding domestic violence and 
driving under the influence. "West Virginia was one of the last states to 
criminalize domestic violence, and we also made third offense DUIs a felony 
and that has greatly effected our prison population. The cumulative impact 
has been a dramatic rise in inmate population."

Canterbury reported that since 1997 the Regional Jail Authority and 
Division of Corrections have been building more sophisticated databases and 
trying to more accurately calculate the problem in hopes of being able to 
more efficiently prepare for the next 20 years, but it is a difficult process.

"I really think it is important that people understand the various angles 
of these. These are goals that we have set, and they are being met by and 
large. But it's a frustrating game," said Canterbury. "Reports have shown 
that even if there were no dramatic changes in codes or prisoner intake, at 
this rate we will have to find additional space for 2,400 additional 
inmates by 2011."
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