Upgrades to the Cook County Law Enforcement Center’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system are paying off, Sheriff Mark Falk reported to the county board Tuesday, November 24. The project has reduced propane use “drastically,” he said.
Between June and September last year, the building went through 5,000 gallons of propane. In the same time frame this year, it went through only 1,500 gallons, although with a colder summer, less air conditioning was needed.
About the need for efficiency, Commissioner Jim Johnson said, “A rich man is the only one who can afford cheap windows.”
Inspection results
The Law Enforcement Center received a 95.45% compliance rating on mandatory rules and a 92.59% rating on essential rules after an October 21, 2009 inspection by Senior Detention Facility Inspector Diane Grinde. “The facility was clean and appeared well-maintained,” Grinde wrote in her report, but “due to the number of mandatory violations I am placing the facility on annual inspections.” Full compliance would result in inspections only every other year.
Many of the “violations” regarded policies that needed to be in writing regarding such things as a plan for when the number of inmates exceeds capacity or reports when rule violations require formal resolution or inmates are “deprived of any usually authorized item or activity.” Policies on the use of restraints or force needed to be updated, and a statement that inmate mail cannot be restricted needed to be included in written policies.
The staff needs to make sure medical policies and procedures are reviewed annually, that medical files are maintained separately from other inmate files, and that a health record transfer form is used when an inmate is moved to another facility. A fire inspection was completed in 2009, but weekly sanitation inspections need to be done, security measures and equipment need to be inspected monthly, and an annual inspection of plumbing, sewage disposal, solid waste disposal, and plant maintenance must be done. An annual review of the policy and procedure manual was completed but had not been documented.
A couple of procedures need to be enhanced, according to the inspection report. Housekeeping, sanitation, and plant maintenance inspections must be carried out daily, as well as inspections for contraband, security breaches, and inoperable security equipment. This is not always done because only licensed personnel such as the jail administrator and deputies— but not dispatchers— are allowed to enter the living units.
All inmates must be personally observed by staff at least once every 30 minutes or more often if the inmate is a danger to him- or herself. “The Cook County jail is operated in an unusual way,” Grinde wrote in her report. “…It is the policy of the Sheriff ’s Office that only licensed personnel enter the units. Thisraises concerns as this means there is limited inmate-staff interactions. This often leads to the inmates having more control over the living units than staff do.
“It also raises concerns about well-being checks. It can be difficult to determine if an inmate is alive and well when you are looking through glass. With 10 community release beds, there is also the possibility of contraband in the units that is not being found.”
This inspector was very detailed, Falk told the county board December 15. The Minnesota Department of Corrections is considering requiring 15 counties including Cook County to have both a dispatcher and a jailer working at all times. Sheriff Falk expressed concern over the cost of such a requirement.
“We try to do the best we can,” said Commissioner Fritz Sobanja.
Leave a Reply