Upcoming Events
Past Events
ASCA held a special session to discuss Administrative Segregation during its Winter Business Meetings in Houston, TX. The session was moderated by Gary Mohr (OH) and included presentations by Tom Clements (CO), Bernie Warner (WA) and Luis Spencer (MA). Additionally, students and faculty from the Yale Law School Liman Program, who have been reviewing administrative segregation policies from corrections agencies across the country, presented their draft report on administrative segregation. The well attended session wrapped up with an open discussion on administrative segregation. The following documents were used for the meeting:
News
Author Peter Katel's report takes an in-depth look at whether long-term solitary confinement constitutes torture, and whether separating the “worst of the worst” from other prisoners is beneficial. Sections of this publication include: the issues; background—repentance in isolation, supreme displeasure, institutionalizing solitary, and constitutional issues; chronology; current situation—fight over supermax, and new litigation; at issue—two opposing views of solitary’s use; and outlook—solitary losing favor. Click here to link to the report.
WASHINGTON—States are reforming sentencing and corrections practices in an attempt to reduce costs as they continue to face a difficult fiscal climate. State Efforts in Sentencing and Corrections Reform, a new issue brief released today by the National Governors Association (NGA), outlines effective strategies states can use to reduce spending while maintaining or improving public safety.
State Efforts in Sentencing and Corrections Reform examines how states can significantly curtail corrections spending by reducing the number of nonviolent and low-risk individuals going to prison; moving offenders who can be safely managed outside prison sooner; and keeping ex-offenders out of prison through improved prisoner reentry practices. The brief also highlights evidence-based practices that states can use to create more effective and cost efficient corrections systems.
“The growth of prison populations within the last 25 years has resulted in spending increases that states can no longer ignore as they struggle to balance budgets,” said David Moore, director of the NGA Center for Best Practices. “This issue brief gives states a valuable analysis of strategies that have decreased costs and that will help them improve public safety.”
Using state examples to highlight best practices, State Efforts in Sentencing and Corrections Reform:
- Provides an overview of the cost drivers behind corrections expenditures;
- Identifies critical decision-points for states to consider as they take action to reduce costs;
- Examines challenges to enacting reforms; and
- Makes recommendations for states wanting to improve public safety with fewer resources.
This publication was supported by the Pew Center on the States’ Public Safety Performance Project.
On Tuesday September 6, 2011, the General Accounting Office released to the public their report on inmate telephone rates and contraband cell phones in correctional facilities. Click here to view the complete report.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The only U.S. manufacturer of a key lethal injection drug is discontinuing the drug's production because Italian authorities wanted a guarantee that it wouldn't be used to put inmates to death — a decision that could disrupt executions in states already struggling with a shortage of the drug.
Click here to view the complete article.
On May 12, 2011, HHS issued Combating the Silent Epidemic of Viral Hepatitis: Action Plan for the Prevention, Care and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis [PDF, 672KB] which outlines actions, based on scientific evidence and extensive real-world experience that will serve as a roadmap for reaching the Healthy People objectives.
The Viral Hepatitis Action Plan presents robust and dynamic steps for improving the prevention of viral hepatitis and the care and treatment provided to infected persons and for moving the nation towards achieving Healthy People 2020 goals. Some of these life-saving actions already are well underway. Other actions, representing innovations in practice, technology, and therapy, will require new strategic directions and commitment.
Click here to learn more by visiting the HHS web site.
BOSTON — Facing a crisis from rising prison costs, Gov. Deval L. Patrick is looking to eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug crimes, which he said could avert hundreds of millions of dollars in new prison expenses in the next few years.
Click here to view the complete article.
On Nov. 17, 2010 ASCA staff attended a meeting held by Community Oriented Correctional Health Services (COCHS) in Washington, DC, Exploring Health Care Reform and Criminal Justice: Rethinking the Connection between Jails and Community Health. The meeting was sponsored by COCHS with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the Jacob and Valeria Langeloth Foundation. One of the goals of the meeting was to begin to sort out what impact national health reform will have on correctional health under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The meeting included a Keynote address by Laurie Robinson, Assistant Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice. She said that the new federal Affordable Care Act offers "an incredible opportunity to build on pockets of progress" in improving health care for jail inmates. She also noted that although inmates "have a constitutional right to health care, federal benefits are either suspended or terminated once a person goes behind bars." Jail and prison resources to provide care vary widely. The new health care law provides the opportunity for more continuity of care for prisoners. By the time federal regulations implementing the law are complete in 2014, she said, "the obstacles to coverage may be eliminated for detainees, and so community-based providers will have an incentive to work closely with jails and prisons to serve the needs of their populations." Below are the major discussion topics and presentations.
- A New Landscape for Public Health and Public Safety
- Pre-Trial Detainees and Health Care Reform: Does Status Impact Access to Care?
- The Criminal Justice System and Medicaid: Collaboration or Collision Post Health Reform?
- Can Health Reform Reduce Spending and Lower Recidivism for our Nation’s Jails?
- The Path Ahead: Where Do We Go From Here?
Each one can be viewed separately at http://www.cochs.org/webcast.
The PEW Charitable Trust Public Safety Performance Project would like to congratulate Representative Jerry Madden and Senator John Whitmire for being recognized as “Public Officials of the Year” by Governing magazine for their leadership on corrections reform in the state of Texas. As Governing put it, "Now, the state that put the 't' in tough is widely seen as a model of corrections reform." Read the full article here.
Click here to download the PEW Center on the States Public Safety Reform Project Changing Direction: A Bipartisan Team Paves a New Path for Sentencing and Corrections in Texas.
Click here to download the Council of State Governments, Justice Center, report Justice Reinvestment in Texas: Assessing the Impact of the 2007 Justice Reinvestment Initiative.
The Association of State Correctional Administrators is pleased to provide ASCA's Corrections Response to Pandemic Flu Manual. This project was supported by Corrections Response to Pandemic Flu (BJA grant #: 2006-CV-BX-K003) awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance to the Association of State Correctional Administrators. The Planning Guide includes a Corrections Planning Checklist intended as a tool for Corrections Planners to review their continuity of operations plans to see if they address the areas recommended by ASCA’s Pandemic Planning Workgroup. Some of these areas include:
1. Sufficiency of Medical Equipment, Medications and Supplies at your Institution(s)
2. Ensure that your Medical Procedures are in Order
3. Ensure that Your Institution Can Continue Operations During a Pandemic
4. Ensure that Your Plan Effectively Manages and Motivates Staff During a Pandemic
5. Plans for Managing Inmates & Visitors at the Onset and throughout the Medical Emergency
The manual also includes:
-
The History of Pandemics and Their Impact on Prisons
- The Response of Departments of Corrections’ to the 2009 H1N1 Influenza
- ASCA’s Survey of Pandemic Preparedness
- Experiences of Corrections Agencies with their Medical Emergency Plans
- Planning for Pandemics: General Considerations
- Corrections Staff and the Pandemic Response
- What Was Learned Concerning Antivirals, Personal Protective Equipment
- The 2009 H1N1 Influenza Experience: Conclusions and Recommendations
- ASCA’s Corrections Pandemic Planning Checklist
- Annotated Bibliography of Pandemic Influenza Documents and Resources
- Documents and Resources Relating to Other Potential Pandemic Diseases
Click here to download the Corrections Response to Pandemic Flu Manual.