New York Inmate Family Council

This proposal to the Commissioner of the State of New York Department of Correctional Services seeks approval for the creation of an Inmate Family Committee at each of DOCS correctional facilities with the exception of work rel(':ase , camps, and Shock Incarceration facilities. This proposal further seeks the agreement of DOCS to work with the Inmate Family Council. Each of these will be discussed in full detail in this proposal.

It is clear that this Department has realized the beneficial and positive effects that strong family ties has upon the attitude, behavior, and rehabilitation of an individual serving a prison sentence, no matter the length of that sentence. This is evidenced by the Departments position in Directive No. 4009, wherein DOCS recognizes that visiting, phone calls and correspondence are seen as a means of reinforcing family ties that will be beneficial to inmates upon their release. (Directive No. 4009, Section H-1) The Department furthers its position with the creation of the Family Reunion Program in certain facilities which allows inmates and their family members to meet in privacy for an extended period of time and by creating a visitation policy which allows for contact visits and which encourages visitation. Indeed, even the New York State Legislature recognized the importance of strong family ties when it codified the rules and regulations for visitation by writing that "[t]he inmate visitor program is intended to provide inmates under custody of the New York State Department of Correctional Services with an opportunity to maintain relationships with friends and families in order to promote better community adjustment upon release." (Please see 7 NYCRR ~200.1)

Unfortunately it appears that something may be broken. According to a report published by the Correctional Association of New York entitled "State of the Prisons 2002 -2003" and dated June 2005, only 51% of inmates surveyed report that they were satisfied with the visiting program at their facility, while 30% of inmates surveyed indicated that corrections officers treated their visitors poorly and 39% indicated their visitors received only average treatment. While I can not report that these numbers are reflective of conditions at each facility, it does indicate a potential problem.
Whereas DOCS has recognized the importance of maintaining strong family ties as a means of rehabilitation, it fails to address a key element which is necessary to complete the equation

the families themselves. In order to achieve strong family ties, the family members themselves must become involved, yet DOCS has no official method in place from which family members may speak except for a means to address allegations of unlawful discrimination. It is imperative that DOCS recognize that an inmate’s family members will play an integral part in that inmates return to society. It is equally imperative that DOCS recognize that without a means of addressing family-related issues and concerns and allowing these individuals a voice in the rehabilitation and programming of their loved ones and an ability to express how the correctional experience affects them than DOCS will not be able to achieve its goals to the Departments full potential.

The obvious solution to this problem is simple - give an inmate's family members a forum in which they may address their concerns with the Department of Correctional Services and its individual facilities. DOCS must allow inmate family members an opportunity to become involved in the rehabilitation of their incarcerated loved ones and grant them a method to address family-related concerns and issues as they pertain to Departmental and facility operations.

The State of California has addressed this very issue by creating an Inmate Family Council (which operates in a manner similar to the Inmate Family Committee proposed in this document) in a number of their correctional facilities, and the California State Legislature has gone so far as to pass legislation recognizing the importance of family involvement in the successful rehabilitation of prisoners. Indeed, Lieutenant Christopher L. Tiles ton of the California Department of Corrections writes that, "institutions that have an Inmate Family Council find them to be a valuable asset to the visiting operations. This allows the administration staff to have a feedback system with the Inmate Family Members. It allows for a method of dialog to help address issues to family members without family members seeking the dialog through other means. Overall, the department considers the Inmate Family Councils to be a valuable resource in evaluation the Institutions Visiting process." (Please see Attachment A ¶2)

I therefore propose that the Department of Correctional Services takes the steps necessary to create a similar, yet stronger program in each of the Department s correctional facilities which will surely yield positive results for both the Department of Correctional Services and the family members of the Departments inmates. This proposal sets forth a means in which to create an Inmate Family Committee in each correctional facility and for DOCS involvement with the Inmate Family Council and provides clear reasoning for each which will hopefully result in DOCS immediate implementation of these programs. A proposed Directive is attached which presents a fair and balanced policy which provides for the implementation of individual Inmate Family Committees and their operations and guidelines.

Upon reaching the end of this proposal I believe you will see how DOCS interaction with Inmate Family Committees and an Inmate Family Council can only serve to benefit and better the Department, its inmates, and their family members. I t is my sincere hope that the recommendations set forth in this proposal will be adopted by the Department of Correctional Services. I invite any reader of this proposal to submit their ideas and suggestions which may enhance or better this proposal to the Commissioner of the Department so that he can make a well-informed determination in this matter.

Goals and Purpose of the Inmate Family Committee

The basic concept of the Inmate Family Committee is to provide an efficient, effective, and meaningful line of communication between inmate family members and the Department of Correc tional Services, both of whom share a common goal of ensuring that family ties are not severed as a result of incarceration and the overall rehabilitation of inmates. It is essential that inmate family members have the ability to voice their concerns and suggestions to the Department and it is equally essential that the Department allow a forum in which these concerns and suggestions may be heard and acted upon whenever possible.

It is also greatly important that inmate family members receive a constant flow of information from the Department about the conditions their love ones are confined in, the rehabilitative, academic, and vocational programing they are offered, etc. There will always be a degree of confusion amongst family members as to why the Department has chosen a certain course of action and frustration with various decisions that are made. This confusion and frustration exists for the mos t part s imply because of a general lack of accurate information, and it is felt that an Inmate Family Committee would serve to solve this problem while in the inverse providing individual facilities with greatly needed insight into the problems experienced by inmate family members who are affected by the incarceration of their loved ones.

The goals of the Inmate Family Committee are thus clear. These goals are to:

Foster positive communication between inmate family members and the facility administration, security staff, support staff, and medical staff.
Address family-related issues, visitation-related issues, Family Reunion Program issues, special event-related issues, suggest family-related programs and activities, and address family-related concerns with the facility administration, all with the intent of promoting and maintaining family ties and to enhance the rehabilitation of inmates.
Promote a better understanding regarding programming that affects family members.
Promote a better understanding by the facility of the effect that correctional programming has on maintaining family ties.

With the overall inmate population of this Department being approximately 63,000 inmates it would be impossible for DOCS to address the concerns of and listen to the suggestions of every individual inmate family member. The numbers alone preclude this as a clearly impossible task which the Department d~es not have the personnel to handle. The answer then is to allow a committee to serve whenever possible as a liaison between the facility and the inmate family community in a manner similar to a facility Inmate Liaison Committee who act as a group to present ideas and suggestions to the facility administration and to disseminate accurate information from the facility administration to the inmate population. This is not to say that individual inmate family members should be precluded from contacting a facility directly, as they should not, but rather simply gives a voice to the inmate family community as a whole which may be heard by the facility administration and acted upon whenever practical and possible in matters which effect family-related issues not affecting singular individuals.

Reccommended Size of Inmate Family Committees

When considering the number of members permitted to serve on an Inmate Family Committee the most logical solution is to base the number of Committee members on the size of the inmate population at the facility in question. Thus, the larger the inmate population, the larger the Inmate Family Committee. I therefore recommend breaking the facilities into three different size groups of inmate population and determining the size of the Inmate Family Committee based upon this number.

In facilities with an inmate population of 500 or less inmates, the Inmate FamilyCommittee should consist of five Committee members and two alternate members.
In facilities with an inmate population between 501-1,500 inma tes, the Inmate Family Committee should cons is t of seven Committee members and two alternate members.
In facilities with an inmate population exceeding 1,501 inma tes, the Inmate Family Committee should cons is t of nine Committee members and two alternate members.

It is irrational to assume that every Inmate Family Committee member will be able to attend every meeting between the Committee and the facility administration (discussed later in this proposal) and so logic dictates that a larger Committee is necessary so as to ensure that a suitable number of Committee members are present at meetings to provide adequate Committee representation.

In addition, the utilization of alternate Inmate Family Committee members is necessary in the event that a Committee seat becomes vacant. This will allow for an automatic replacement to exist when necessitated and will alleviate the burden of trying to locate a new member to fill the vacant seat.

I propose that the Department utilize the sizes herein recommended for the Inmate Family Committees for a period of one year. At the end of the year a determination based upon the previous years experience can be made whether to increase, leave the same, or decrease the size of the Inmate Family Committees. The practical experience garnered over the previous year will clearly determine the proper course of action which should be followed.

Criteria for Membership on an Inmate Family Committee

The primary purpose of the Inmate Family Committee is to ensure that family ties are not severed as a result of incarceration and to promote the rehabilitation of inmates while at the same time addressing matters of concern to family members. As such it is recommended that the Department allow only family members to serve on the Inmate Family Committees since these individuals have the most vested interest in the inmates successful return and reintegration into society.

For the purposes of this proposal, a family member is defined as a legal spouse, parent, grandparent, step-parent or individual who has acted in a parental role to an inmate (i.e. guardian, foster-parent), child, sibling, aunt, uncle, and the legal spouse of any of these individuals. This definition of a family member derives from the Department's Family Reunion Program directive definitions of what constitutes a family member.

The maturity "of a member of the Inmate Family Committee is also a factor which must be considered. As such, individuals under the age of 18 should be precluded from consideration based upon their age.

Insomuch as meetings between the Inmate Family Committee and the facility administration are proposed to occur at the individual facility (discussed later in this proposal), reliable transportation to and from the facility is also a factor which must be considered. This is not to say that a perspective Committee member must own a car. Indeed, access to public and private transportation would be enough to satisfy this condition. Were the Committee member unable to a t tend multiple meetings because of a lack of transportation, the matter could then be addressed by the facility Superintendent, but unless this occurs, it could be assumed that a Committee member owns or has access to adequate transportation.

Finally, if an inmate family members loved one is assigned to Great Meadow Correctional Facility, that individual would not be able to serve on the Sing Sing Correctional Facility's Inmate Family Committee. It is proposed that the Committee member must be appointed to an Inmate Family Committee at the facility his/her loved one resides in at the time of the application. This is simple common sense. However, if an individual is" appointed to an Inmate Family Committee at the facility his/her loved one resides at and that inmate is subsequently transferred to another facility after the family member has been appointed to the Committee, that Committee member should be permitted to retain his/her Committee membership until their term of membership expires. This will permit the Committee member to continue with any projects s/he has started and to see them through to completion. Upon completion of the individual’s term, they would be unable to be appointed to the Committee again because their loved one no longer resides there, but could apply at the inmates new facility.

Selection of Members for an Inmate Family Committee

Whereas members of a facility Inmate Liaison and Grievance Resolution Committees are elected by their inmate peers, this practice is impractical when applied to an Inmate Family Committee since there is no effective way to elect members to the Committee from their inmate family peers. It is thus proposed that Committee members be appointed by the facility Superintendent based upon applications received from inmate family members.

It is proposed that the Superintendent of a facility solicit applications from inmate family members for participation on the facility Inmate Family Committee by posting prominent notice in the facility visit processing center, visiting room(s), and on inmate bulletin boards. Applications for Committee membership should be made available in the visit processing center, visiting room(s), and in inmate housing units (so as an inmate may mail an application to his/her family member), or a family member may write directly to the Superintendent to request an application via mail.

Applications for Committee membership should only be accepted by the Superintendent when s/he receives them in the mail, and the Superintendent should acknowledge receipt of the application in writing by mailing an acknowledgment to the applicant. This will ensure that an application in not misplaced. At no time should an inmate be permitted to make an application for C0mmitte~ mewt~rship in a family members name. A Committee member must have an actual desire to serve on the Inmate Family Committee and should not have applications unknowingly submitted in their names. Upon reaching a cut-off date for the acceptance of applications, the Superintendent should select the appropriate number of individuals and two alternates to serve on the Inmate Family Committee based upon the criteria established for membership. S/he shall subsequently inform these individuals of their appointment via mail, and will also inform those not selected of his/her determinations and the reasons therefore.

Utilizing this methodology will allow a Superintendent to chose a diverse Inmate Family Committee to serve the inmate family community. Unfortunately some may cry foul at not being able to elect an Inmate Family Committee by majority vote, but the logistics involved in obtaining the vote of every family member of every inmate in a facility renders an election of this sort impossible. Thus, appointment to the Committee by the Superintendent of the facility based upon applications submitted by inmate family members appears to be the most logical course of action.

Terms of Membership on an Inmate Family Committee

A term of membership must be applied to the members of an Inmate Family Committee so as to provide other interested family members an opportunity to also serve. It is therefore proposed that a member of the Inmate Family Committee be permi t ted to serve a maximum of two consecutive one-year terms. A standard term of membership would be one year, starting on February 1 and ending on January 31 of each year. If appointed to two consecutive two-year terms, the member must take a full one-year term off from service on the Inmate Family Committee before s/he could reapply for another term. It is further proposed that provisions be made to fill any vacancies which develop on the Inmate Family Committee. The attached proposed Directive (please see Attachment B, Section II-D-2) sets forth a recommended policy for completing this task.

Committee Titles & Constitution and By-laws of an Inmate Family Committee

It is proposed that there be a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, and Secretary/Treasurer of each individual Inmate Family Committee. The remaining members are proposed to be designated as representatives. The responsibilities of each of these positions should be clearly defined in the By-Laws of the individual Inmate Family Committee. I propose that a facility administration have no input as to whom the Inmate Family Committee elects into these positions amongst themselves, but that the Superintendent be made aware of the results of an election. The family member elected as Chairperson should serve as the primary contact person with the facility.

Each Inmate Family Committee should adopt a Constitution and set of By-Laws which will govern the Committees operations. The Constitution and By-Laws should be in keeping with Departmental policies and the provisions of an Inmate Family Committee directive.

I believe that the Constitutions and By-Laws of each individual Inmate Family Committee should be similar, insomuch as the Committees all operate under the same goals. I propose that a sample Constitution and set of By-Laws be created and distributed to the initial Inmate Family Committees. These initial Committees can then adjust their Constitution and By-Laws to allow for local conditions. The Superintendent should provide his/her guidance and advice to the Committee based on his/her experience in the Department and at the facility. Once the Inmate Family Committee ratifies its Constitution and By-Laws, it should be forwarded to the Superintendent for his/her signature. The Constitution and By-Laws should then be forwarded to the Department's Deputy Commissioner and Council for his approval. If the Deputy Commissioner approves the Constitution and By-Laws they shall be considered the facility's Inmate Family Committee operational governing guide.

Copies of an individual facility's Inmate Family Committees Constitution and By-Laws should be forwarded from the Committee to the Inmate Family Council (discussed later in this proposal) by the Committee. After ratification by the initial Committee, future Committees should abide by the active Constitution and By-Laws unless they elect to modify them, in which case the Committee would have to go through the approval process once again.

Meetings Between Facility Personnel and the Inmate Family Committee

In order for an Inmate Family Committee to meet its goals and objectives it is necessary that the Committee be permitted to meet with the facility Superintendent and his/her Executive Team and other appropriate facility personnel who can assist the Inmate Family Committee in achieving its goals and objectives while at the same time deriving valuable information from the Committee which can assist the Department in the rehabilitation of inmates while providing information regarding the needs of inmate family members and how the incarceration of a loved one can affect them.

It is therefore proposed that the Inmate Family Committee meet monthly with the Superintendent and his/her Executive Team and other facility personnel. These meetings will provide the forum in which interaction between the facility and its Inmate Family Committee occur. Prior a this meeting, the Inmate Family Committee should submit a wri t ten agenda of items to be discussed and their possible solutions and recommendations at least seven days before the meeting. It must be kept in mind that these meeting are non-adversarial in nature. These meetings are designed as a forum in which information can be shared, suggestions made, and solutions discussed. An adversarial setting would not be conductive towards meeting the goals of the Department or the Inmate Family Committee.

It must also be kept in mind that the Inmate Family Committee is designed to serve the inmate family community as a whole. As such, the problems of individual inmates, family members, and staff should not be discussed at these meetings with the only exception being the utilization of an individual as an example fitting a specific situation and offering possible solutions which may be applied in the future.

It is recommended that minutes be taken at these meetings and copies forwarded to the Commissioner, the Director of Ministerial & Family Services, the Inmate Liaison Committee, and the Inmate Family Council. This will ensure that an accurate record is kept of what was discussed and what solutions were achieved while at the same time providing the Department with valuable insight into what inmate family members find important enough to raise at the meetings cumulatively state-wide and may provide data as to trends occurring on a multiple facility level. For example, were it noted that Inmate Family Committees raised similar issues at a number of DOCS facilities, this may indicate a problem area which the Department may be able to address more comprehensively than an individual facility could.

Meetings with facility personnel should occur at the individual facility itself on a date and time convenient to as many participants as possible. One potential problem anticipated with this is that a majority of inmate family members who serve on the Inmate Family Committee maintain the same working hours as the facility administration. In some cases this may be addressed by holding weekend meetings, but this will not always be practical or possible. Some meetings may fall on weekdays, which might require various members of the Inmate Family Committee to miss a meeting or take a day off from work in order to attend the meeting. Whereas this is not the ideal solution, it is one which can not be avoided when dealing with a large number of individuals who have similar work schedules. This is one of the reasons why I have recommended the Inmate Family Committees be fairly large

it permits a larger percentage of Committee members the ability to attend the monthly meeting. It is hoped that the Committee members selected by the Superintendent are committed enough to the Inmate Family Committee that they will make a valiant effort to ensure that they attend as many meetings as possible, and that the facility administration makes the same effort to ensure that the meetings are scheduled in a manner which is convenient to as many of the participants as possible.

It is sincerely hoped that permitting meetings such as this will provide the means in which all the involved parties benefit.

Interaction with Facility Inmate Liaison Committee

A facility Inmate Liaison Committee represents the inmate population and works with the facility administration to disseminate accurate information to the population while also providing the administration with ideas and suggestions relating to the entirety of the population. An Inmate Family Committee would represent the inmate family community and work with the facility administration to disseminate accurate information to these individuals while also providing the administration with ideas and suggestions pertaining to family-related interests, events, programs, and issues.

It is thus quite clear that these two groups operate under a similar principle, yet represent a different demographic. Because of these similarities I suspect that there will be instances where a facility Inmate Liaison Committee presents an idea or suggestion to the facility administration which deals with a family-related issue which would be better handled by a facility Inmate Family Committee, and where an Inmate Family Committee presents an idea or suggestion to the facility administration which deals with an inmate-population-related issue which would be better handled by an Inmate Liaison Committee.

Because of this factor I propose that the facility Inmate Liaison Committee have a degree of interaction in Inmate Family Committee activities. I propose that two members of a facility Inmate Liaison Committee be permitted to attend the monthly Inmate Family Committee meetings so as to have first-hand knowledge of what an Inmate Family Committee is proposing and how this may affect the inmate population and to be able to speak with the Inmate Family Committee about ideas they may have regarding family-related programs, etc. A degree of interaction between these two committees appears logical and approval should be granted for this.

Access to the Facility by Inmate Family Committee

In order for an Inmate Family Committee to better understand correctional programming of inmates as it is applied by the Department and to fully comprehend the environment in which their loved ones are housed and the programs which they are offered, it is recommended that once per year the facility Inmate Family Committee tour the facility with the Superintendent or a member of his/her Executive Team and under appropriate security supervision. This will give the Inmate Family Committee a better understanding of the Department and the individual facility as a whole, while at the same time giving the facility administration feedback from a perspective which they would not normally encounter. Allowing this annual tour would serve to be beneficial to all parties concerned.

Of course, it is evident that security concerns may present themselves regarding a small percentage of Committee members. In circumstances where the Superintendent determines that a specific Committee member may present a security risk by allowing them access to the facility interior then the Superintendent may deny that individual access to the annual tour by informing the individual in writing of his/her decision and setting forth the reasons why s/he believes the member to be a security risk. In this manner security concerns will be adequately addressed concerning the allowance of the Inmate Family Committee to tour the facility.

Activities and Functions of an Inmate Family Committee

There are many activities and functions of an Inmate Family Committee of which only a few are proposed here. It is hoped that the Department will recognize the potential benefits of these and allow for their implementation. The actual procedures for these activities are set forth in the attached proposed directive. (Please see Attachment B)

It is suggested that the facility Inmate Family Committee be permitted to utilize a bulletin board provided by the facility in both the visit, processing center and the main visiting room. These bulletin b0a~~s will allow for a means in which the Committee can keep the inmate family community informed of its activities. It is proposed that the Inmate Family Committee be permitted to maintain it own bulletin boards utilizing materials approved by the Superintendent. Approved materials may consist of Committee meeting minutes, information about the Committee and its members, information about the Department's visiting programs and services, information about family support groups and programs, decorative items, and information which the Superintendent releases which may be of concern to inmate family members. These bulletin boards can be updated or worked on on the day of the monthly meeting, and the Committee members should be allotted adequate time to perform this task.

Each bulletin board should also contain a photograph of the individual Inmate Family Committee members. This photograph may be taken by the facility, or an inmate "Click-Click" organization may wish to donate a photograph of the member. The purpose of the photographs are to allow visiting inmate family members and staff a means of readily identifying the members of the Inmate Family Committee when they are present in the facility visiting room. These photographs should remain on the Committee bulletin boards for the duration of the term of the individual’s membership.

An Inmate Family Committee should be permitted to publish a newsletter if' they so desire and if they have the means to do so. The facility or Department should not be financially responsible for any costs associated with a newsletter. The purpose of the newsletter is to allow the Inmate family Committee a device in which they may disseminate information to the inmate family community and serves to supplement the Committee's bulletin boards.

It is further proposed that a newsletter created by the Inmate Family Committee, which they wish to distribute on facility property, have its content pre-approved by the Superintendent prior to distribution. This restriction is based upon the Inmate Newsletters directive.

It is proposed that the Inmate Family Committee be permitted to conduct surveys in the visit processing center in order to gather data relevant to visitation and family-related issues which the Committee may then present to the facility administration. The results of these surveys may assist the facility and the Department in formulating policy relating to visitation and family-related issues. Surveys should not be conducted in the visiting room unless specifically approved by the Superintendent, as they may prove disruptive to visitation.

It is not practical to expect members of the Inmate Family Committee to be present in the facility each visiting day to meet with inmate family members. As such, a means of communication must be established. It is therefore proposed that the facility provide contact boxes next to each Committee bulletin board so as inmate family members may leave written messages to the Inmate Family Committee. These contact boxes can then be emptied prior to the monthly meeting. It is suggested that a combination lock be placed on these boxes so Committee members will have access to them, so long as the Superintendent is also aware of the combination.

It is further proposed that an Inmate Family Committee contact box be placed in an area of the facility where inmates have access so that they too may communicate with the Inmate Family Committee. Prior to the monthly meeting, these contact boxes will be emptied and the contents turned over to the Committee. The Inmate Family Committee should be permitted to communicate with individual inmates via mail, but no privilege should be granted to this correspondence.

The Inmate Family Committee should be permitted to make and receive donations. The Committee should be permitted to make donations to the facility in the-form of board games, videotapes and DVD discs (subject to Media Review guidelines), books, children's toys, and other items for use in the children's play area of the visiting room and Family Reunion Program area, as well as to other inmate programs. It is recommended that the facility Family Services Coordinator be assigned the responsibility of working with the Committee to coordinate donations and to determine the need of a proposed donation.

The Inmate Family Committee should also be permitted to receive monetary donations from inmates and visitors to assist in the financial needs of the Committee, as it is anticipated that a minimum of financial support would be forthcoming from the Department. It is recommended that the Superintendent of the facility cause a sub-account of the Inmate Benefit Fund to be created and maintained by the facility for the Inmate Family Committee. It is recommended that the Superintendent further order that all inmate commissary sheets have the item "Inmate Family Committee donation" in the amount of $1.00 to be added. This will allow an inmate to make a donation to the Committee when s/he goes to commissary and will allow the facility to place these funds in a designated account. Disbursements from this account should only be authorized by the Superintendent and the sole recipient of funds from this account should be the Inmate Family Committee.

The Inmate Family Committee should also be permitted to accept monetary donations from visitors in the visit processing center. The facility should provide the Committee with a multi-part NCR receipt book so that a receipt may be given to a visitor who makes a donation while maintaining a copy of the receipt in the book. This will allow for accurate record keeping.

The Inmate Family Committee should be permitted to provide assistance with visitor processing to individuals arriving at the facility. This may include assisting first-time visitors with filling out visitation forms, advising visitors that wearing excessive jewelry through the metal detector will cause a slowdown in processing, and offering practical advice based upon their experiences with visitation at the facility. By no means does this proposal advocate a Committee member being involved with the actual visiting process, but instead offers a way which will assist facility staff with the speedy processing of visitors into the visiting room.

It is recommended that the Superintendent provide a suitable table and chairs in the visit processing center for use by the Committee members who arrive to assist on visiting days, as well as a secure locker in which the Inmate Family Committee can store items. In addition to assisting visitors prior to entry into the visiting room, it is recommended that the Inmate Family Committee be permitted to maintain a number of clothing items in their locker. In the event that a visitor arrives in a clothing item deemed inappropriate by the Department's visitation directive, the Committee will be able to loan the individual a piece of suitable clothing which they can wear into the visiting room. Clothing kept by the Committee in its locker may include sweatpants, sweatshirts, and t-shirts in various sizes. The Committee should be responsible for laundering these items, but the Superintendent may authorize the use of facility laundry services to assist the Committee.

Other forms of visitor assistance may be provided when approved by the Superintendent.

The Inmate Family Council

Wherein Inmate Family Committees work with individual facilities within the Department, it is necessary to have an entity which works directly with the Commissioner, his/her Deputy Commissioners, and the Department's Central Office staff. However, the appointment process utilized to place individuals on Inmate Family Committees is not practical when applied to the Department's Central Office. As such, a non-profit organization has been formed as the Inmate Family Council.

The goals of the Inmate Family Council are similar to that of the Inmate Family Committee. They are to:

Provide effective communication between inmate family members and the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner's, and the Department's Central Office staff for the accurate dissemination and exchange of information relating to family concerns and issues.
Provide a means to facilitate consideration and analysis of suggestions from inmate family members relative to Department-wide or multiple-facility programs and operations.
Liaison between individual Inmate Family Committees and the Department's Central Office and address issues that individual Inmate Family Committees wish to bring to the attention of the Commissioner and Central Office staff.

The Inmate Family Council is comprised of inmate family members and members of the community who act as' a liaison between the Department's Central Office and the facility Inmate Family Committees and who work with the Department to address concerns which affect multiple-facilities and Department-wide issues.

It is proposed that the Department work with the Inmate Family Council in an effort to assist inmate family members with maintaining family ties and to enhance the rehabilitation of inmates so that they may become productive members of society upon their release.

In order to be effective, it would be necessary for the Inmate Family Council to meet on a monthly basis with a Deputy Commissioner and the Director of Ministerial & Family Services to discuss issues submitted on an agenda submitted to the Director of Ministerial & Family Services. In addition, the Commissioner of the Department should meet with the Inmate Family Council at a minimum of every four months, or three times per year. This will allow the Commissioner to become directly involved with the Inmate Family Council so that s/he may be fully aware of the issues of the inmate family community.

It is recommended that minutes be taken at meetings between the Inmate Family Council and Central Office staff, and that copies of these minutes be provided to the Commissioner, the Deputy Commissioners, and the Director of Ministerial & Family Services, as well as all attendees of the meeting and the individual Inmate Family Committees. This will allow these individuals to be well informed about the issues raised by the Inmate Family Council and any determinations made by the Department.

It is recommended that the Director of Ministerial & Family Services act as the primary contact person between the Department and the Inmate Family Council.

Though the Inmate Family Council is an independent non-profit organization whose members are not under a selection process controlled by the Department, it is essential that the Department be willing to work with this organization to assist it in meeting its goals. This will ensure that a large degree of fairness is applied and will assure inmate family members that a Council made up of other inmate family members and members of the community not selected by the Department will have their best interests at heart and will represent them adequately and fairly and without bias or favoritism. As such, it is recommended that the Department agree to work with the Inmate Family Council.

Appeals from Individual Inmate Family Committees

At times a facility Superintendent may render a determination that an Inmate Family Committee may disagree with. In an effort at fairness, it is recommended that an Inmate Family Committee be permitted to appeal an adverse determination made by a facility Superintendent to the Director of Ministerial & Family Services. Said appeal should be in writing, and the Director should render a decision within 30 days. Copies of the appeal and the determination should be provided to the facility Superintendent and the Inmate Family Council. The Inmate Family Council should be permitted to address the subject of the appeal with the Director prior to s/he making a determination.

Conclusion

I sincerely hope that upon completing the reading of this proposal you will see the clear benefits which can be achieved by the creation of facility Inmate Family Committees and the necessity of working with the Inmate Family Council. These groups will assist the Department in making decisions which effect inmate families and will provide the Department with much needed information concerning how incarceration can disrupt family ties and provide a means in which to help restore them. The Department can clearly benefit from these groups and as such I respectfully request that the Commissioner authorize the creation of facility Inmate Family Committees and agree to work with the Inmate Family Council.

Respectfully Submitted,
Peter Sylvester, #94A7791

Cc: See Distribution List

Distribution List

This proposal is being distributed to the following individuals and organizations so that they may offer suggestions, modifications, and advice to the Commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services prior to him rendering a determination in this matter.

John Patterson, Exec. Deputy Commissioner, DOCS
Lucien J. Leclaire, Deputy Commissioner, Facility Operations, DOCS
John Nuttall, Deputy Commissioner, Program Services, DOCS
Mark J. Leonard, Director, Ministerial & Family Services, DOCS
James Flateau, Public Information Director, DOCS
Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry, Chairman, Assembly Standing Committee on Corrections (A.S.C.O.C.)
Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg, A.S.C.O.C.
Assemblyman Keith L.T. Wright, A.S.C.O.C.
Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, A.S.C.O.C.
Assemblyman William Scarsborough, A.S.C.O.C.
Assemblyman William Colton, A.S.C.O.C.
Assemblywoman Diane Gordon, A.S.C.O.C.
Assemblyman Jose Peralta, A.S.C.O.C.
Assemblyman Thomas F. O'Mara, A.S.C.O.C.
Assemblywoman Teresa Sayward, A.S.C.O.C.
Sena tor Michael F. Nozzolio, Chairman, Senate Committee on Crime Victims, Crime, and Correction (S.C.O.C.V.C.&C.)
Senator Dale Volker, S.C.O.C.V.C.&C.
Senator Jim Wright, S.C.O.C.V.C.&C.
Senator George Maziarz, S.C.O.C.V.C.&C.
Senator Jim Alesi, S.C.O.C.V.C.&C.
Senator Martin J. Golden, S.C.O.C.V.C.&C.
Senator Elizabeth O'C. Little, S.C.O.C.V.C.&C.
Senator George Winner, Jr., S.C.O.C.V.C.&C.
Senator Thomas K. Duane, S.C.O.C.V.C.&C.
Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson, S.C.O.C.V.C.&C.
Senator Carl Kruger, S.C.O.C.V.C.&C.
Senator Ruben Diaz, S.C.O.C.V.C.&C.
Senator John L. Sampson, S.C.O.C.V.C.&C.
Alison Coleman, Prison Families of New York
The Osbourne Association
The Correctional Association of New York
Prison Action Network, "Building Bridges"
New York Inmate Families
Elmira Correctional Facility Inmate Liaison Committee
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