Department Introduces Code of Ethics
 
On August 31, the Department of Corrections Executive Management Team signed a display copy of the new Code of Ethics for employees, contractors and volunteers. All personnel are being asked to sign their own copy as a tangible reminder of our values and responsibilities. The Code of Ethics reads:
As an employee, volunteer or contract service provider of the Oregon Department of Corrections, I will value and maintain the highest ideals of professional and compassionate public service by respecting the dignity, cultural diversity and human rights of all persons, and protecting the safety and welfare of the public.
 
I accept that my fundamental duty is to serve the public; to safeguard lives and property, to protect Department of Corrections incarcerated persons against deception, oppression or intimidation, violence or disorder.
I will be constantly mindful of the welfare of others. To the best of my ability, I will remain calm in the face of danger and maintain self-restraint in the face of scorn or ridicule.
I will be honest and truthful. I will be exemplary in obeying the law, following the regulations of the department, and reporting dishonest or unethical conduct.
I acknowledge that I have been selected for a position of public trust and I will constantly strive to be worthy of that trust and to be true to the mission and values of the Department of Corrections.
 
The code is the product of a work group of about 40 people representing a cross section of the department. As opposed to the Code of Conduct which is prescriptive in nature, the Code of Ethics describes a set of values and guiding principles that, as a PRCF officer said, "we live by every day."
 
The Code of Ethics officially went into effect on September 15. All employees, contractors and volunteers hired after that date will be required to sign it. Signing the document is optional for existing personnel; regardless of a signature on paper, all are expected to abide by the code´s values, ideals and promises.
According to Director Cook "Signing the code is a reminder to all of us about the expectations the citizens have for every person affiliated with this department."
 
Fair Showing
 
The DOC´s Workbased Education Program participated in the Oregon State Fair last month. The products featured included intarsia, blanket chests, picture frames, wood puzzles, quilt racks, and barn models. Coincidentally, Columbia River Correctional Institution´s Measure 17 inmates made bat and bird houses that were sold in the the Department of Fish and Wildlife booth.
 
Shannon Delateur, Workforce Development administrator, proudly writes that, "The quality of these items is outstanding! You would be amazed at the talent in our programs. Our mission is clearly demonstrated in the efforts put forth by the Workforce Development staff and inmates."
 
Their efforts paid off handsomely with over $10,000 in sales and several thousand dollars in orders. None of the proceeds go to inmates; they are used to reduce the cost of government and expand workbased education programs.
 
Overview of 1999-01 Budget Investment Areas
 
The DOC´s priorities are expressed in our 24-month work plan, which is evaluated and updated quarterly. This becomes the basis for all performance plans and budget initiatives.
 
Key Elements

• Plan and build prisons with sufficient capacities to manage inmate population growth.
• Plan, develop and implement the New Site Program Design for the Two Rivers Correctional Institution and the women´s multi-custody/intake facility.
• Operate safe and secure institutions.
• Community Corrections Restructure: Assist and support Oregon counties in the implementation of SB 1145.
• Inmate Work Programs: Pursue compliance with Measure 17 goals.
• Improve inmate programs.
• Effectively manage organizational growth and development.
• Enhance the departments´ internal and external communications.
• Research and evaluate effectiveness of DOC programs.

 
In addition to these broad initiatives, several business practice improvements are being planned and implemented to achieve the mission and goals of the Department of Corrections. These include:

• Enhancement of the intake/assessment process for inmates (requires additional intake beds).

 

• Creation of an incarceration plan (contract) for each inmate based upon intake/assessment findings. The incarceration plan is currently in the initial stage of use.

 

• Improvement of the transition program for inmates returning to the community. (Planning is underway with a pilot project scheduled for the 1997-99 budget period.)

 

• Enhanced evaluation to discern the effectiveness of inmate programs in prison and upon release. (Ongoing in current budget with enhancements proposed in 1999-2001 budget.)

 

• Re-engineering of the records management process and calculation of prison terms.

 
Video Visiting Policy Being Shaped
 
In recent months the department formally decided to embrace and pursue the concept of video visiting. A temporary project manager was assigned to spearhead the video visiting project. The first task was to elaborate a recently adopted policy direction regarding video visiting. Now that there is a "go-ahead," Project Manager Randy Geer has begun to research and explore the technology options.

Policy Statement on Video Visiting:
The Oregon Department of Corrections is committed to a visitation program that supports: 1) healthy family and social relationships, 2) good inmate behavior through a tiered system of visitation privileges that holds inmates accountable, 3) reduced costs of visitation for both the inmate visitor and the department, and, 4) enhanced safety and security for institutions and host communities.
 
The value of visiting can not be overstated. Visiting is a privilege we want inmates to earn and enjoy because it promotes healthy family and social relationships. A caring support system is a critical component in the successful reintegration of offenders back into the community.
 
All Oregon DOC facilities are designed to accommodate and will operate visitation centers where ´face to face´ contact visitation may occur. In addition, at all newly constructed institutions, televideo visiting will be used to complement and supplement the visitation program. The department´s objective is to enhance the quality and quantity of visitation that supports the programmatic needs of the inmate and the management needs of the institution.
 
At this time, it is impossible to draw an accurate picture of the details of future visitation opportunities at each and every institution. The DOC is still researching and examining technologies and operating strategies. Any new technology adopted will not replace contact visitation but will serve to broaden the opportunities to visitors and their friends and families to maintain healthy relationships and to the DOC to operate safe and secure facilities.

 
Tribal Relationships Established
 
Approximately one year ago the DOC began to formally work with the nine federally recognized tribes that reside in Oregon. The director and/or deputy director have met with the leadership of all nine tribes. DOC Key Contacts Lisa McCune and Bill Carey continue to work with representatives designated by the tribes to identify areas of interest and develop cooperative agreements with each tribe.
 
The Governor´s Executive Order 96-30 provided welcome direction to agencies that don´t have substantial experience working with other sovereign governments, and says, in part, that "the relationships between our governmental structures can only be built through trust and mutual respect. The purpose of formalizing the government-to-government relationship... is to establish a process which can assist in resolving potential conflicts, maximize key inter-governmental relations and enhance an exchange of ideas and resources for the greater good of all of Oregon´s citizens, whether tribal members or not."
 
News from Inside Oregon Enterprises

• Inside Oregon Enterprises (IOE), the business arm of Inmate Work Programs (IWP), has improved its warehousing and logistics operations to ensure prompt and efficient delivery and installation of inmate-made products. Changes will include additions to furniture "Quick Delivery" items, additional delivery trucks and crews, and increased quality control.

 

• While awaiting renovation of its new quarters in the department´s newly acquired Waremart Warehouse complex, IOE´s showroom and sales office moved temporarily to 2767 22nd Street, SE, in Salem. It is directly behind the old Lottery building (that coincidentally houses IWP´s administration). The showroom is open to the the public from 8 to 5 weekdays.

 

• Mill Creek Laundry will process laundry for Eugene´s Sacred Heart Hospital beginning in October. The contract, approved by the Prison Industries Board, will add approximately three million pounds of bed linens, towels and hospital clothing to the laundry´s workload, and will employ the labor of about 20 additional inmates.

 

• The highly successful partnership between the Oregon DMV and the department celebrated its 11th anniversary in August. DMV customer calls are routed Oregon Women´s Correctional Center and inmates respond to a range of inquiries.

 
Factoids

• Great news! The department´s latest recidivism rate is 30.4 percent. In official jargon, that translates to: Of the offenders released to parole or post-prison supervision for the first time three years ago, 30.4 percent have (and 69.6 have not) subsequently been convicted of any felony. Our target is 28 percent.

 

• News to watch in two years: inmates re-leased in 1997 have the lowest recidivism of any cohort to date (11.9 percent).

 

• How does probation compare? 26.4 percent of people released from a first sentence to felony probation in the first half of 1995 have been convicted of a subsequent felony.

 

• Statesman Journal reporter Alan Gustafson won the American Correctional Association´s top award in journalism for his 1997 series on Oregon State Penitentiary. He will receive the award in January in Nashville. Gustafson was nominated by Director Dave Cook.

 
 
 

last revision 2-28-2000 peg cook