Southwestern Illinois Correctional Center - Work Camp

The Southwestern Illinois Correctional Center is a totally dedicated substance abuse treatment community. Since the facility's inception, the contractor, Cornell-Interventions, has developed a Therapeutic Community (TC) substance abuse program for all offenders, which presently is successfully implemented throughout the facility. Employees of the Turning Point Program, so named by offenders, interface with all departments within the facility to ensure quality treatment. All offenders incarcerated at the facility attend substance abuse treatment groups five days per week.

The Southwestern Illinois Correctional Center also has a 67-bed work camp on-site, which provides community service work to government and non-profit groups within a 45-mile radius of the institution. The work camp offenders are also a part of the substance abuse treatment community. The work the offenders do in the community continues to be a proud achievement of the facility.

Highlights

Accomplishments included the upgrade of the outer perimeter road. Previously, rock was added and compacted. This past fiscal year, the center was able to oil and chip the road. By doing so, it helped to reduce the maintenance cost to the road and perimeter vehicles and enhances the appearance of the facility.

Indicator Reports

During FY 2003, vehicles searches conducted resulted in 7,726 vehicles searched. The types of vehicle searches included staff, vendors, volunteers and visitors. All vendors, volunteers and visitors are searched. A random sampling of staff searches totaled 204 for the year. This ensures that all staff is reminded to maintain a security-minded approach to items in their vehicles.

During FY2003, the facility conducted 2,530 offender drug tests. Drug tests are required on all incoming and outgoing offenders. There were three refusals by offenders to drug testing during this period. The drug testing did result in four positive drug tests. This clearly sends a message to offenders that any use of drugs while incarcerated at Southwestern Illinois Correctional Center will be detected.

While Inmate Disciplinary Reports (IDRs) written and heard have increased, the ratio of IDRs written (1,019) and actually heard (1,016) has increased from 95 percent to 99.7 percent. This can be attributed to better written IDRs. There appears to be fewer errors by staff in the composition, such as correct name, number, dates and substantiation of charges.

Reducing Recidivism

A significant accomplishment with respect to substance abuse treatment is that the Turning Point Program proposed the reinstitution of all treatment community (TC) tools as well as the Pacesetter Program and was subsequently approved. Necessary cross-training was completed in February and March 2003 with official reinstitution of the Pacesetter Program and use of TC tools in April 2003.

During FY 2003, Treatment Alternatives for Safer Communities (TASC) continued to standardize pre- and post-release services at the facility. The types of services TASC provides include self-help groups, relapse prevention services, individual or group counseling, life skills preparation, education and training, job placement, community support groups, outpatient treatment, house and health care and recovery home bed placements.

Also in conjunction with TASC, the Chaplaincy Department is providing opportunities to receive job skills training, post care and housing assistance upon release through the Salvation Army, Safer Foundation and others. Additionally, the Chaplaincy Department continues to provide resources for offenders to receive clothing through the community non-profit program, Career Gear. This program assists offenders with appropriate attire for employment and college interviews.

School District 428 presented certificates to 33 GED completers and 50 certificates to Adult Basic Education (ABE) completers during this past reporting period. The educators also implemented a new social studies curriculum. The School District's library provides legal services, books, newspapers and magazines for use by the offender population. Presently, daily enrollment in the GED and ABE classes is 100.

Lake Land Community College offered four vocational programs, business management, computer technology, custodial maintenance and horticulture, which successfully generated 74 certificates. The college also offered 18 academic college courses producing 10 associate degrees in liberal studies. The horticulture class held its third annual plant sale in spring 2003. The proceeds of the sale help support the ongoing cost of classroom and field exercises incurred by the class.

The center made improvements within the last fiscal year in its Leisure Activity Department. Staff renovated the softball fields by adding 150 ton of rock to level out the walking track on the yard. The yard weight equipment was all resurfaced and the basketball and handball courts were painted.

New Technology and Automated Enhancements

A new timekeeping program was developed by the now retired LAN administrator, which was approved for use through Management Information Services. Because of the new program, timesheets are easier for staff to read and the automated calculation technique means fewer errors for timekeeping.

The center is upgrading computers to Windows 2000 and removing inoculants to install McAfee anti-virus protections. The Ethernet conversion and the IP address changes were completed.

Fiscal Responsibility and Budgetary Compliance

The facility continues to remain within it allocated funding. It was able to replace the forklift for the warehouse and an ice machine for the Dietary Department. The facility also keeps a close watch on lighting and other electrical usage during periods of time it is not needed for areas in non-security.

Conclusion

Staff vacancies continue. Due to the Early Retirement Incentive, the facility lost 23 staff members. The facility remains proud of how employees work together to get the tasks accomplished. No department has been untouched with staff shortages.

Facility staff is extremely proud of the substance abuse and educational programs available to offenders. Anger management and parenting skills classes, along with the TASC services, are also proving to be important inmate programs. With the training and tools provided to the offenders, recidivism can be reduced. Most of the population is presently young adult males. It is the desire and hope of facility staff that early intervention, the TC tools and the training and programs will enhance the probability of inmates achieving successful lives within the community.