Board Meeting April 28, 2010

Hiring Corrections Officers, purchasing additional camera equipment, and reducing charges for electronic monitoring topped Wednesday�s meeting of the Corrections Commission of Northwest Ohio.

Board members lifted a near 18-month hiring freeze and authorized the hiring of eight additional Corrections Officers at the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio. Jim Dennis, CCNO Executive Director, said the hiring will amount to a potential savings of nearly $147,000 in overtime.

Mr. Dennis said some $880,000 in cuts were made in 2009 in an effort to reduce budget costs. The hiring freeze and many other cost saving efforts have worked. He said the overtime savings, economy and staff morale are at a point where new officers need to be hired. Mr. Dennis said no additional funding will be needed in the 2010 budget to hire the additional officers. The last hiring at CCNO was conducted in September 2008.

Mr. Dennis noted that all corrections staff, as well as nurses, will be recognized next week during National Correctional Employees and Nurses Week.

The purchase of additional cameras and upgrading the computer equipment was also approved by the board. The $22,750 project, financed by the capital improvement funds, will purchase 10 new cameras as well as upgrade the camera network hardware and software. Mr. Dennis said the cameras have been slowly added to various areas within the facility since 2004 in an effort to enhance security and safety.

Mr. Dennis reported that the Electronic Monitoring programs have been a success in increasing program revenue with a 90 percent collection rate. Back in 2007, reductions were made to the program due to lack of payments by participants and limited use by judges. Mr. Dennis said the program is doing much better now and recommended rate reductions as a result. The cost of electronic monitoring itself will remain at $10 per day but will be reduced to $8 per day if the court pays for indigent offenders. The rate for GPS monitoring will be reduced from $15.50 to $14 per day. Cost for TAD (electronic monitoring with alcohol monitoring device) will be reduced from $13.25 to $12.25 per day. The cost for TAD and GPS will be a new service provided at cost of $18.50 per day. Also under the plan, one indigent offender per jurisdiction will be allowed to participate in the program.

In his operational report, Mr. Dennis reported Wednesday�s offender population stood at 550 or 86% percent, up from an average of 540 in past weeks. The March population stood at 544 or 85 percent.

Board members met in executive session for 14 minutes to discuss security concerns. No action was taken.