Corrections_Today_September_October_2019_Vol.81_No.5

I n August 2017, ACA held the 147 th Congress of Correction in St. Louis, Missouri. Since that time, we have built a positive rapport with the St. Louis Department of Corrections (DOC). Forming partnerships is not always an easy task, but this connection seemed to form organically. The DOC has been actively participating in our programs, specifically in the area of professional development. We recently agreed to provide certification and online training for the St. Louis DOC and we look forward to our continued partnership as we actively develop and evolve all programs in professional development. Jeffrey Carson, the detention center superintendent for the St. Louis Department of Public Safety, Division of Correction, Medium Security Institution, took time to answer a few questions about this working relationship and how ACA’s programs have affected the DOC.

The City Justice Center (CJC), built in 2002, is the maximum security direct supervision jail serving as the Reception & Release Center and has a capacity of 872 city, state, federal and other jurisdictional misdemeanor and felony arrestee offenders in an all-single or double- cell environment. CJC also houses others agencies such as the bond commissions, pre-trial service, police bonds, police civilian personnel known as prisoner processors who process arrestees; city marshals processing those arrestees charged ordinances; city sheriffs providing ar- restee transport to and from courts, hospital runs, hospital stays and security for the courts. CJC also houses federal detainees and post-admission males and females awaiting jurisdictional transport to other jails. CJC has 198 correc- tional officers, 28 correctional officer II (lieutenants), six shift supervisors and one unit manager with case workers. The Medium Security Institution (MSI) has a capac- ity of 1,030 and houses misdemeanors and felony male and female offenders in a dormitory style, having 34 double beds per large dormitory, a day room with recently renovated showers, toilets and plumbing and four podu- lar-style double cell, two-story housing pods with general population, females, special needs, protective control and disciplinary. MSI has a large gymnasium with two big screen televisions for programs and entertainment, a bar- ber shop with barber chairs, art therapy programs with art displayed throughout the facility, outside recreation areas for special needs, discipline and general population. The facility has movie nights, outside work crews, mainte- nance work crew, inmate plays, GED and other programs. The facility is unique as it has given out cooling towels, popsicles, Gatorade and continuous ice to inmates in the

Corrections Today: Tell us a bit about your agency and staff. Jeffrey Carson: The St. Louis Department of Correc- tions is housed under the City Public Safety [Department] with a public safety director. There is a civilian commis- sioner of corrections who oversees the Division staff and two jails both overseen by detention center superinten- dents. The Division has contractors as food and medical vendors. The Division is unique as it pays inmates for working jobs and being involved in programs. Both facilities have inmate commissary vending machines, microwaves, televisions, stationary telephones and tele- phones on wheels so that inmates can use the telephone in their cell, and gymnasiums. ACA held their convention in the city of St. Louis in 2017 and Commissioner Dale Glass and [I] served on the ACA Host Committee. The Division was able to purchase block registrations for over 100 employees and have over 50 volunteers for the con- ference, thus exposing staff to ACA and trainings. Both facilities have received their re-accreditation with the National Commission on Correctional Health Care in the spring of 2018 and maintain membership with ACA.

Opposite page illustration: istock/Orla

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