DOC Assists Yakima Valley Police in Gang Sweep

Several Community Corrections Officers, along with officers from 18 other law enforcement agencies, made 53 arrests during a May 20 sweep that focused on gang activity in the Yakima Valley.

Of the 53 arrests, 11 involved known gang members, and the others may have either been gang members or had gang affiliations. Additionally, 291 people were questioned. Of the 291 questioned, 189 were known to be gang members and/or affiliated with gangs.

“The Community Corrections Officers have a tremendous amount of intelligence on gang activity and are coordinating efforts throughout the Yakima Valley to assist in building a community task force that encompasses several jurisdictions,” said Community Corrections Supervisor Ralph Berthon.

Several DOC warrants were served during the sweep, giving local law enforcement information on gang affiliated offenders. Community Corrections Officers in the Yakima Valley are actively engaged in sharing information and intelligence with local law enforcement and are working on documenting all assigned offenders who are affiliated in gang activity. Community Corrections Officers often have routine contact with gang members. This enables them to identify offenders on DOC warrant status relatively quickly at either traffic stops, gathering of groups in communities, by gang affiliated tattoos, etc. Additionally, Correctional Officers are riding along with the gang enforcement units in their respective jurisdictions and assisting in the arrests, which is significant as communities in Yakima are beginning to adopt anti-gang ordinances.

“The gang emphasis sweep demonstrated how numerous agencies can combine their intelligence and resources to combat the proliferation of gangs in our communities” said Community Corrections Officer 3 Mark Davis. “All staff involved did outstanding work and are firmly establishing partnerships with law enforcement to enhance safety in their communities.”

Offender Applies Life Skills Learned in Prison to Build a New Life

Christa Delano and Her New Car

While a 1998 Ford Taurus isn’t necessarily a new car or a Rolls Royce, it feels that way for Christa Delano, an offender released from the Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW) in June 2005.

When first released, Delano spent three months bicycling to work since she couldn’t afford a car, let alone the car insurance. After saving money and through work contacts, she bought a “beater” for $500. The car purchase was just the beginning of her new journey in life, which also included employment, housing, sobriety, a stable family, and a network of support.

Delano was incarcerated twice for drug crimes, the last time for five years. Now in her 30s, she was released to the Bellingham community with seven years of community supervision by DOC. Delano realized that her drug addiction in her younger years robbed her of the opportunity to learn the important life lessons needed to lead a successful, healthy lifestyle.

Fortunately, Delano spent the two years after her release from WCCW applying what she had already learned in prison. While incarcerated, she was taught simple life skills such as budgeting for groceries, shopping for a car, and obtaining car insurance—all things most people learn in high school or college.

“This is what real people do—dealing with everyday stuff that people take for granted,” said Delano. Now I can too!”

Delano works at the Humane Society as a customer service representative. Each day, she utilizes the computer skills and animal knowledge gained at WCCW through the Prison Pet Partnership Program (PPP), a non-profit program on the prison grounds. She pays $400 a month for her own three bedroom apartment. It is small, yet big enough to share with her 16- and 18-year-old daughters, and her dog.

Delano recognized her need to belong. Old acquaintances were bonded around drugs, so they were not a social network Delano wanted to reattach to. Having been exposed to religious programs at WCCW, she joined a large church where she could remain anonymous and not be known as a former inmate. She soon joined a smaller group within her church, where she found a sense of belonging. “People expect you to come because they have gotten to know you and you have gotten to know them, and I notice their absence as well,” Delano said.

Transition for Delano also meant finding her role as a mother. She hadn’t had responsibility for her two teenage daughters since they were less than 5 years old. During her incarceration, they lived with Delano’s aunt but now live with her. Since her release, Delano and her daughters have worked on positive, healthy relationships as a family.

As the mother of teenagers, Delano continues to be a positive role model for her daughters by talking to them about concerns such as drug and alcohol use, dating, and school. She believes the parenting classes she participated in at WCCW have helped guide her communication with her daughters, which is especially important with teenagers.

In addition to being a mother, Delano has joined with a group of other successfully transitioned women who established a program called Women in Transition (WIN), which assists newly released offenders who are also adapting to living in the community. Delano continues to utilize the skills she learned at WCCW in programs such as the Prison Pet Partnership, parenting skills, Chapel, and Office Skills classes in her daily life.

“I pretty much took everything I could at WCCW and it really helped in the long run,” said Delano. “I keep life simple and do things one at a time.”

DOC Implementing Efforts to Increase Public Safety by Reducing Risks

As DOC continues to carry out its mission of contributing to staff and community safety, risk management has been moved to the forefront.

“The Department has faced tremendous challenges in delivering services to an expanding, complex inmate population that can often bring risk and liability to the Department,” said DOC Secretary Harold Clarke. “It is crucial for risk management to integrate into the daily operations of the Department and for each employee to understand it is their responsibility as well.”

As part of a 2005 reorganization of the Department of Corrections, Secretary Clarke underscored the importance of risk management by deciding to have the program report directly to him. Today the risk management program includes a risk manager, two risk mitigation managers, one safety manager, and 15 safety and support staff.

“By designating the Risk Management Administrator as an executive level position, it reinforced the importance of risk management and ensured it as an essential part of organizational business,” said Risk Management Administrator Kathy Gastreich.
During a Risk Management conference hosted by Gov. Chris Gregoire and Attorney General Rob McKenna in late 2005, Secretary Clarke was recognized as a pioneer in risk management and was given the Outstanding Risk Reduction Commitment and Achievement (ORCA) award.

In April of this year, Gastreich outlined progress the Department has made in implementing risk management programs. Highlights include:

• Development of the DOC Re-entry Initiative designed to enhance public safety by reducing an offender’s likelihood of re-offense.
• Implementation of a Critical Incident Review policy that applies to all areas of the Department. Since September 2006 approximately 150 incidents have been reviewed, resulting in action items directed at improving performance.
• Implementation of a process for annual review and revision of all Department policies.
• Development and implementation of a statewide recruitment plan and campaign that includes billboards, radio, and television advertisements.
• Continued progress on development and delivery of an improved offender management information system.
• Development and implementation of a Behavior Sanction/Response Guide to be used by community corrections staff supervising offenders in the community.

“An organization as large and diverse as the DOC requires a dedicated risk management staff and clear expectations by the agency executive,” Gastreich said. “Secretary Clarke not only provides clear expectations, he continues to dedicate time, energy, and resources to managing risks in an environment of risk.”

Correctional Industries Furnishes Bethel School District’s New Junior High School

CI Library Furniture at Spanaway Junior High School

DOC’s Correctional Industries (CI) received an unusual request from Bethel School District. The district’s new Spanaway Junior High School building was almost completed and the district asked that the school’s new furniture be moved in and ready to go a month before the end of the 2006-2007 school year. School officials wanted their departing 9th graders to have the experience of being the first students to occupy the brand-new school. They needed the first delivery on April 6.

Correctional Industries makes a promise to its customers -- meeting and exceeding expectations and providing quality and timely service. CI could do the job.

To assure the deadline would be met, Project Manager Lindsey Konrad worked out the logistics to coordinate the order. This was no small task. There were 1,145 student chairs, 590 student desks, 162 task chairs and 90 tables plus other pieces to build, deliver and install.

Susan Smith, CI’s K-12 accounts coordinator, worked with Bethel School District representatives to design classroom furniture that fit the needs of the students, teachers and school curriculum, while staying within their budget.

CI’s K-12 Metal Shop was responsible for the production of all student furniture for this order. Lead by Shop Supervisor Rocco Kay, the offender workers were able to manufacture all the student desks, chairs and tables on time for delivery to the school. Offenders working in the CI furniture factory on McNeil Island produced beautiful teacher desks and all the work surfaces for the student desks and activity tables.

The timeline and volume of furniture were just the start of the challenges faced in this project. For example, deliveries had to work around construction contractors, and the elevator was not working. Offender crews and their supervisors hand carried half of the furniture upstairs.

Facing these challenges, CI’s Service Delivery Division rallied to ensure a successful project. The entire division was called in to make the deadline. CI’s dispatchers, truck drivers, warehouse and install supervisors participated in the furniture delivery and supervised the offender installation crews.

The offender crews worked systematically in the unloading, unwrapping, delivering and placement of furniture. Once all of the furniture was delivered to each classroom, it was set up according to the district’s wishes. CI wanted to be certain the teachers and students were happy when they arrived at their new classrooms.

“The project was a huge success and the largest single K-12 order CI has fulfilled to date.” said Lindsey Konrad, CI Project Manager.

CI’s K-12 furniture program is a Class II tax reduction industry. Class II industries are businesses owned and operated by the state that produce goods and services for tax-supported and non-profit organizations. Class II manufacturing and service operations generate funds from the sale of their goods and services to support their activities. The programs provide job training and work experience for offenders.

Pacholke New Superintendent at Stafford Creek

Dan Pacholke will become the new Superintendent at Stafford Creek Corrections Center effective Aug. 1.

Pacholke has over 24 years of diverse experience in the Department of Corrections. He has held positions at five different Correctional Facilities, including McNeil Island Corrections Center, Washington Corrections Center, Clallam Bay Corrections Center, Monroe Correctional Complex and Cedar Creek Corrections Center. His work at these facilities has included a variety of positions starting with Correctional Officer and ranging up to Superintendent.

In addition to his work within facilities, he has also held several positions at DOC Headquarters with statewide responsibilities. Those include Emergency Operations Manager, Performance System Administrator, and special assignments with staff training. Additionally, he has performed contract consulting work for the National Institute of Corrections in various capacities.

The Department of Corrections’ Human Resource Department will soon invite applicants to apply for the Superintendent position at Cedar Creek Corrections Center by posting an announcement on Outlook’s bulletin board and the Internet.

Monroe Corrections Kitten Connections

Without the foster care provided by men in the Special Offenders Unit at Monroe Correctional Complex (MCC), more than 100 homeless-but-adoptable cats might not be alive today.

On April 17, the men of E Unit celebrated the one-year anniversary of this unique program, called the Monroe Corrections Kitten Connections (MCKC). This program, which partners Purrfect Pals, a non-profit animal rescue agency, and E Unit, a residential mental health unit for 96 seriously mentally ill offenders, began in the spring of 2006.

Purrfect Pals, the nation’s largest cat shelter and sanctuary, is located in Arlington, a few miles from MCC. The organization is committed not only to finding loving, permanent homes for animals but to reducing feline overpopulation as well. For that reason, kittens cannot be adopted until after they are altered.

The problem is that many of the kittens are too young or small to be altered and first require foster care. Finding acceptable foster homes has been an ongoing challenge for Purrfect Pals.

The men on E Unit were willing to provide the needed foster care for these very young and/or feral kittens. They saw this as an opportunity to give back to the community from “behind the walls.” To qualify for the program, E Unit offenders had to meet stringent criteria, including infraction-free records, excellent hygiene, psychiatric stability, a pro-social attitude, and a high level of participation in correctional programs.

Once screened, all candidates are interviewed and the Unit’s Facility Risk Management Team decides whether to approve the offender for participation. If approved, the offender receives training from Purrfect Pals volunteers on how best to care for his new kitten.

Purrfect Pals pays all costs related to the program, including food, liter, crates and veterinarian care.

The MCKC program has produced important benefits for both E Unit and Purrfect Pals. The program reduces offender idleness, teaches responsibility, and increases offender self esteem.

So far, approximately 20 offenders have qualified to participate in the program. Others hope to qualify in the near future. These men are now motivated to enroll in school, obey unit rules, keep their cells clean, or do whatever it takes to be an MCKC participant. The presence of animals has added a new calmness to the unit’s therapeutic environment and strengthened its community spirit.

To date, more than 100 animals that might otherwise have been euthanized have received foster care through the MCKC Program. All of these animals have been adopted.