MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS F.Y.I. VOLUME 24, ISSUE 18 SEPTEMBER 14, 2012 Contents: MY VISION OF THE MDOC PART ONE: The Future of Field Operations.............1 THE FUTURE OF FIELD OPERATIONS Bureaucracy Busters Now that we have begun to dissect the engagement is Here! ..........................3 survey results, one thing is clear; many on our team Carol Howes Recruit need a better understanding of my vision for the future Class Graduation ...........4 of the Department. To that end, I will be writing a three- part series for F.Y.I. to clarify my thoughts and direc- People Make the Difference.......................5 tions for each administration. I will begin with the Field Operations Administration (FOA). Ret. Director Caruso Makes Women's Hall of Supervising offenders is not a job that can be accom- Fame..............................6 plished with a one-size-fits-all strategy. Knowledgeable SECC is Underway ........6 field agents make good use of risk assessments, skillful observation and interviewing techniques, their profes- LCF Lends a Helping sional judgment, and the insight of our law enforcement and human services Hand ..............................7 partners to blend treatment, programming, education, enforcement and other Michigan State approaches and resources into case management strategies that continue to Industries is Moving .......7 reduce recidivism in Michigan. To be truly effective, agents must be dedi- Reentry Roundtable .......8 cated to public safety as their number one priority. Agents benefit from a keen eye for subtle clues of progress or deterioration in the offender's behavior as their discretion and judgment guide strategic intervention to protect the public and support the offender's success. The direction we intend to take in field operations is to move agents out of the office and into the field, where offenders and the public mix and the public's safety is most at risk. To accomplish this change, we are increasingly invest- ing in technology such as smart phones, laptops and aircards to mobilize our agents. We have begun to make office space less agent specific and more fungible. Our vision is to bring agents into closer contact with their clients, em- F.Y.I. is a publication of the ployers, families, and other stakeholders as well as the public we serve. All of Michigan Department of this is based on the belief that face to face interactions are the most effective Corrections, Office of Public Information and supervision methods. Communications. Please submit articles Deputy Director Sinclair and I agree there are too many levels of supervision. through your supervisor to John Cordell at This many levels coupled with the tools necessary to determine them is con- [email protected] FIELD OPERATIONS (Continued on page 2) F.Y.I. WWW.MICHIGAN.GOV/CORRECTIONS FIELD OPERATIONS (Continued from page 1) Reentry Program and the centralized detention and programming of violators will be significant. fusing and ineffective. We will be working to sim- It also affords us the opportunity to bring some plify this process thereby spending more time on remedial treatment programs into our own facil- supervising and less time on paperwork. ity. The opening of the Detroit Reentry Center as a PV/Reentry site is my commitment to sending Bringing FOA closer to other participants in the a clear message. We expect parolees to abide system is a priority for me. I am particularly inter- by the conditions of their parole. It is also in- ested in our working relationship with state and tended to give agents the resources to proac- local law enforcement. Although our agents and tively respond to potential threats to public supervisors have excellent relationships with lo- safety. cal law enforcement in many communities, there are a few where the relationship has been dis- As we refine our supervision model, we intend to tant; almost contentious at times. Improving and train to the duties and expectations. What works rebuilding those relationships is key to our mis- and what doesn’t? What are the best practices sion of protecting the public and I am told many in other states? What are the best risk assess- of you have been finding this realignment grati- ment tools? How can we improve our metrics?... fying. All of these are valid questions and deserve a training response. The training piece is still on Overall, we have not yet realized the enormous the drawing board and we will seek your input. potential in our partnership with law enforcement for enhancing public protection. We are all on Finally, I would like to talk about discipline. I the same team. That is why we have begun em- want to clear up any misconceptions there might bedding agents in the police stations of crime- be on my philosophy in that regard. For any or- prone cities and expanding our Nighthawk com- ganization to reach its full potential, it must re- pliance patrols. ward excellence and sanction poor perform- ance. My first year with the MDOC has shown As part of our broader strategy, we will be dou- me numerous examples of extraordinarily good bling down on reentry. Statistics have shown re- work by staff, and we have been very deliberate entry support services make a big impact on re- about trying to recognize and reward those ex- cidivism. Although we are shifting a great deal of emplary employees. We have done so with reentry programming to the institutions, much awards, medals, certificates, banquets, presen- will remain in the FOA realm. We will be explor- tations, news articles, emails, letters, apprecia- ing a greater affiliation with County Sheriffs and tion luncheons/days and promotions. However, their jails for their potential as local reentry sites. we need to do more and we are only limited by This has already begun in Ottawa County, and our imaginations. other counties building new jails have asked to participate. A very small minority of our employees during that same time period have failed to do their In response to a shortage of jail bed space in part. When that happens, whether because of southeast Michigan, we have repurposed the indifference, dereliction, malice or incompe- Ryan Correctional Facility to be a custody center tence; discipline needs to follow. There is a dif- for parole violators. The efficiencies we will real- ference between the use of discretion with a bad ize from the closure of the Tuscola Residential FIELD OPERATIONS (Continued on page 3) SEPTEMBER 14, 2012 PAGE 2 F.Y.I. WWW.MICHIGAN.GOV/CORRECTIONS FIELD OPERATIONS (Continued from page 2) length and reviewed personally by me. They are given the appropriate time and attention they outcome and failing to follow job requirements deserve. The sanctions imposed are ultimately that results in undermining the credibility and intended to improve our performance as a team. reputation of the Department or worse; harm to Supervision of nearly 70,000 probationers and the public or staff. I will not oversee a system of parolees is an awesome responsibility. FOA em- discipline that seeks to scapegoat an individual ployees deserve high praise for everything they agent that did the best they could to manage an do on a day to day basis. Hopefully, I will be pro- offender who nevertheless returned to crime, viding you with the resources you need to ac- because I know agents cannot see into the fu- complish your public safety mission. I have one ture. request of you. Make every effort to embrace the I will, however, discipline employees that are vision I have set before you. Make these priori- apathetic, incompetent, or corrupt. To do less ties your priorities. Take an active role in setting would be to do a disservice to the majority of measureable standards for yourself; standards agents that are dedicated to their chosen field. I that move us toward a nimble, proactive, and can assure you, disciplinary decisions are not mobile field operations administration. made in a vacuum. They are not arbitrary or ca- Thank you for your assistance. pricious. The serious ones are discussed at BUREAUCRACY BUSTERS IS HERE! YOU CAN HELP! Bureaucracy Busters is a tool of Good Govern- Categories are available for three weeks, one ment for leveraging employee ideas and innova- category being featured each week. After the tions. It is a statewide action in response to the categories close, new ones are opened for on- employee engagement survey, while also en- going bureaucracy busting. couraging service and process optimization from Upon closing, the top three ideas will be se- employees. lected from each category and examined by de- Bureaucracy Busters aims to engage employees partment leadership and subject matter experts. in identifying and reinventing processes and pro- Ideas that show potential for grams in areas reinventing and improving of employee services and processes engagement, will be implemented and customer ser- recognized. Visit: vice and cost www.mi.gov/MiIdeas to savings. start busting! Three categories of ideas are available for sub- Direct questions, comments, and feedback to: mission. To submit an idea, click the “Submit Good Government Center of Excellence, (517) Your Idea” button and follow the instructions. 335-4060, or via email at goodgovern- Scroll down to view all ideas and vote for your [email protected]. favorites! SEPTEMBER 14, 2012 PAGE 3 F.Y.I. WWW.MICHIGAN.GOV/CORRECTIONS CAROL HOWES RECRUIT CLASS GRADUATES Forty-six new corrections officers graduated from Officer Recruit Training on August 31, 2012 during a ceremony held at Ionia Correctional Facility. The new officers are expected to replace those offi- cers who have chosen to transfer to Muskegon Correctional Facility when it reopens in October. Nearly all of the new officers will be assigned to the Michigan Reformatory and Bellamy Creek Cor- rectional Facility (IBC), both in Ionia where they must complete two months of on-the-job training.