Creation of a correctional system –death of a penal system

May 3, 2015

Proposal for the creation of a model CORRECTIONAL FACILITY

If in fact, the State of Utah has absolutely determined to move the State Correctional Prison at the Point of the Mountain to another location within reasonable driving distance of Salt Lake County this is a plan which would enable them to create such a new facility using guidelines, structures, management, and correctional staff/systems consistent with the term correctional.

1. The state and the Federal government would work together to select and create total ownership of 1200 acres on the southwestern side of the Great Salt Lake.
1. Much of this land is, or has been part of the Great Salt Lake and will need to be organized to accommodate all existing wild life and other associated natural resources needs.
2. The exterior and perimeters of the new facility would be crafted to honor the natural beauties of the area including colors, structure sizes and designs.
3. The facilities themselves would be contracted for completion using a minimum of 75 percent of the labor force from within the existing correctional system population.
4. The correctional staff would become part of the management and organization used to complete the project(s)
5. Inmates chosen as part of the 75 percent workforce would be identified by three things:

                                                               i.      Their desire to attain training and education sufficient to meet the needs of their families and themselves when they move past the incarceration stage of their lives.

                                                             ii.      Their propensity to work within the framework of the new system without drugs, alcohol, or other mind modifying drugs except those specifically design and prescribed for treatment.

                                                            iii.      Their ability and commitment to serving as trainers and educators in using their pre-incarceration degrees, knowledge, and teaching expertise in completing said projects, and/or in training others.

6. For those unwilling, unable, or otherwise indisposed, a second tract would available to them which would be a very basis lock-down system where they could continue to serve out their penalty phase of incarceration.
7. Those not maintaining the standards or correctional inmates would be returned to lock-up facilities.
8. The genesis of this program is already in existence in the job/jail programs throughout the state.

The state of Utah spends hundreds of millions each year taking people off the streets, training them to be the best-kept prisoners in the world; letting them go; then, watching them flounder, flip, and flop until they either violate their parole agreements, or simply run out of things they can do to survive. Housing is almost impossible, jobs are possible, but not at compensation levels to pay their fines, charges for time served in jail, for back child support not paid while in jail, and the most basic of living expenses. An example of living expenses would be a place to stay in a motel which costs $325 per week. Essentially it costs a single person with a $300 child support requirement, $1,300 motel bill, $300 in food and personals, $300 in past due, or delinquent fines, hospital, and other jail associated charges, and $300 for miscellaneous costs of living. A person making $9.00 per hour and working 40 hours per week, or 170 hours a month will bring in $1530 gross, or $1410 net with only FICA taken out and no state or federal taxes.

This scenario is only in the very best of circumstances and the negative income to expenses ratio is so critical as to guarantee a return to jail/prison. The recidivism rates in the nation are in the mid sixty percent ranges, but in some of the jail/prisons in Utah the recidivism rates exceed 80 percent. The state of Utah is currently planning huge financial increases from state and federal coffers including the creation of a new prison. Besides the costs factors, the community disruption factors, and the incredible lack of purpose – penal vs correctional – the most pressing problem comes from a complete lack of logical perspective in the rules, laws, guidelines, and training used by prison/jail officers. The terrific pressure being placed on correctional officers and on-the-street police officers is going to continue to boil until changes are made at the top. An absolute guaranteed disaster will always erupt when, through laws, guidelines, training, and most importantly, the “wink and a nod” are provided officers as their tools of their trade. When officers do as they are instructed/commanded and shoot for body mass, multiple times; when officers storm private homes yelling, screaming, and demanding absolute obedience; when officers are required to walk up to vehicles with no protection and no hint of what may be hiding inside; when officers are compelled to treat prisoners like caged animals with no rights and no dignity; when the system is crafted, to punish, demean, and destroy, rather than correct, disasters will continue to percolate and dissolve the very fabric of our society.