External Developments
1. Policy matters (state or congress)
amenities being taken away
Zimmer Amendment was attached to the appropriation bill
says couldn't spend money in some areas
couldn't purchase or repair weight lifting equipment
couldn't purchase or repair electronic music instruments
no movies rated R or C-17
no in cell TV's (not currently in Federal Prison cells anyway)
no in cell coffee pots or hot pots
Looking for alternatives
2. Public perception of inmate amenities
Referenced the Feb 1996 article in Corrections Today
Butler vrs. Reno Case female services vrs. male services
1. Overcrowding
2. Population changes (growing older, female pop growing, more
violent gang oriented)
3. Disturbances
Lots of disturbances in Federal Prisons in late fall
NE Region had a rec meeting to look at disturbances.
32% occurred in Rec areas
Rec staff have been injured
Considering how many baseball bats to allow out at once
Because of the disturbances, some Rec staff feel guilty
for running the programs
4. Our own agency policy changed
Had a inmate organization fund raising program
Person property allowed changes
changed the award and rec items they could have
Perhaps bad timing having all the changes together
Upper management now recognizes Recreation as a
management tool
Recreation is getting more visibility
Staff to inmate ratio and $ are improving in Federal system
The warden's expectations are getting higher
Getting into new areas (wellness and physical fitness)
5. The staff has changed (different generations working together)
Two career families, more of a family orientation
For promotion the bureau has asked people to move a lot
Now have a family leave program
Not saying if the changes are good or bad -
just a whole new set of expectations
Most important thing - How do we staff and train the rec staff?
In the Bureau, 48% have less than a BA
Of those with degrees, only 37% are in a rec related field
Have been hiring a lot of people, had significant turnover
Caused lots of demand on supervisors
Unions like it because backing their staff vrs going
outside for new people
The feds are looking at mandatory rec training
Professional organization involvement (NCRA) like this is excellent
Bringing ideas from other facilities will keep us fresh
Feds bring people from the field and see whats going on in other institutions
Sometimes internal programs (Operations Review) done internally
Another area- just modify our programs as they go on today
Getting into whole new area of wellness, health promotion, disease prevention
Trying to figure our how to do wellness assessments without killing the staff off
Feds have some institutions with special missions
Medical facilities, General facilities
Should the expectations be different?
Selling our programs
Need to be good at selling
reduce idleness
reduce stress, tension
teaches positive use of leisure time that will stay with them when released
wellness
Job accountability
How can we show we are doing a good job?
There will be two sessions in this area later in the conference
They have been putting inmate participation data into a computer
Wellness participation has doubled in the last year
How can we access the impact of the programs on the inmates?
6. How are we using our limited staff, money, and space?
Can only stretch people so far
Might contract our for help (interns, etc.)
Feds did a review of function to interview staff on a number of
areas to determine how to streamline operations
What are the low priorities that we keep on doing?
They got some good creative ideas
Data was organized and a team of people looked at the suggestions
Now many of those ideas are being implemented
Need to be more creative
Looking at a compressed workweek (Four 10 hour days at one site)
Sometime we just need to eliminate programs that effect a small % of the population
Need to look at ways of funding
Commissary, channeling
Space - trying to offer all these programs in a limited area
Might ask mechanical service to come over and give you a space survey
Managing limited resources is going to become a bigger issue
7. Communication
With other depts and them with us
Between state/federal/county facilities - all in this together
Look to communities with similar problems
Communicate with the inmates
Even if they don't like the message - open, candid, straight conversation
will go over better
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