FY12 Annual Report - Home- Department of Corrections

Rhode Island Department of CorrectionsPlanning & Research Unit

Fiscal Year 2013Annual Population

Report

Table of Contents

Section Page Message from the Director 1 Overview of Facilities Intake Service Center Minimum Security Medium Security

Maximum Security

High Security Women’s Facilities

2

A day in the Life of a Typical RIDOC Inmate 4 Organizational Structure & Units Organizational Chart Division Summaries

Rehabilitative Services

Administration

Institutions and Operations Divisions Working Together

Second Chance Recidivism Reduction Grant

5

Total Population Trends 8 Offender Characteristics Race

Sex Age Offense Type

11

Pretrial Population Statistics 14 Sentenced Population Statistics Effects of Good Time Changes

15

Current Population and Future Projections Projected Bed Space Needs

Capacity

19

Release Statistics 21 Community Corrections Probation, Parole, Home Confinement Populations

23

The Future of RIDOC 25

RIDOC MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Rhode Island Department of Corrections(RIDOC) is to contribute to public safety by maintaining abalanced correctional system of institutional and communityprograms that provide a range of control and rehabilitative

options for criminal offenders.

1

Message from RIDOC Director Ashbel T. Wall II

From RIDOC Director Ashbel T. Wall II

Thank you for reading the Rhode Island Department of Corrections’ Fiscal Year 2013 PopulationReport. Once again, our excellent Planning and Research staff have compiled and summarized awealth of useful and interesting information about the RIDOC and the people it supervises.

In addition to an analysis of our population data, you will find many areas of interest in this year’sedition, from a discussion of the three main divisions of the RIDOC and how they are workingtogether to forward our twin goals of rehabilitation and public safety, to an enlightening “Day in theLife of a Typical RIDOC Inmate,” as well as a brief history and description of each of the facilitiesthat comprise the Adult Correctional Institutions. Because so much of what happens at the RIDOCis out of the public eye, I think you will enjoy this look inside.

In January 2013, the sentenced population reached the lowest monthly average since 2005. Ourpopulation is down by 2.9% from the last fiscal year, and current population projections anticipateno major increases or decreases.

We are very excited to report that our recently-completed three-year study of inmates released in2009 shows a 6% decrease in recidivism from the 2004 study. While the decrease in recidivism canlikely be attributed to a number of factors, we feel confident that increased rehabilitativeopportunities and partnerships with community providers are part of the equation. We arecontinuing this momentum through our work on the Second Chance Act Recidivism Reduction Grant,in which all divisions at the RIDOC are participating in order to structure a system of rehabilitativeinterventions that should lead to further decreases in offender recidivism.

I encourage you to read through the report and share it with anyone else you believe might benefitfrom it. Thank you.

Facilities

The Intake Service Center (ISC) is a maximum security facilitywhich serves as Rhode Island’s jail for male offenders. RhodeIsland is one of six states that have unified systems, incorporatingthe jail and state prison into one department. The south wing ofthe facility was constructed in 1982, while the north wing wasconstructed in 1992.

Inmates housed at the ISC fall into several categories: pretrialdetainees, newly sentenced inmates who are awaitingclassification to other facilities, pretrial protective custody, andsentenced protective custody. The facility processed 12,570commitments in FY13, approximately 1,047 commitments permonth. On average, 120 inmates are sent to court daily and 50inmates per week are processed and transferred to other facilitieswithin the Department of Corrections. The length of time an inmateremains housed in Awaiting Trial status at the ISC is approximately23 days (see graph on p.14 for further details); this translates into

a constant turnover of the inmate population.

Opened: 1982 - Renovated: 1995 - Expanded: 1992Average Facility Population: 1,030 (FY13)Operational Capacity: 1,118 (FY13)Annual Cost per Offender: $39,614

Intake Service Center

Minimum Security

Opened: 1978 - Expanded: 1989 & 1992Average Facility Population: 402 (FY13)Operational Capacity: 710 (FY13)

Annual Cost per Offender: $54,586

The Minimum Security facility was opened in 1978 in a converted hospitalbuilding on Howard Avenue in Cranston. In 1989, Minimum Security (MIN)expanded to a second building, and in July of 1992, with the construction of aconnecting addition, the facility became one large complex, with a 710-bedinmate capacity.

The perimeter is surrounded by a low security fence, consistent with the minimumcustody level. All Minimum Security inmates, unless medically certified asunable to work, are employed either within the institution, on public service

projects through work release, or are seeking employment.Medium SecurityJohn J. Moran Facility

Opened: 1992Average Facility Population: 1,018 (FY13)Operational Capacity: 1,006 (FY13)Annual Cost per Offender: $39,690

The John J. Moran Facility was constructed from 1990 to 1992, for acost of $65,000,000. The facility covers 29 acres and houses sen-tenced adult male offenders who are classified as medium custody.Extensive programming is provided with the goal of preparing inmatesfor successful return to their communities.

2

The Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI) at the Rhode Island Department of Corrections (RIDOC) is comprised of 7inmate facilities (5 male, 2 female), which are all located within 1 square mile in Cranston, RI. The State of RhodeIsland operates a unified correctional system, meaning that all offenders (i.e., those awaiting trial, sentenced, and

under community supervision) in the state are under the jurisdiction of RIDOC.

Women’s FacilitiesMen’s Facilities

Maximum Security

Average Facility Population: 440 (FY13)

Operational Capacity: 409 (FY13)Annual Cost per Offender: $60,144

The Maximum Security facility is the state’s oldest operational prison.The facility was opened during 1878 and is modeled on the Auburn styleconstruction, which consolidates all inmate cells into one main building.

Maximum Security (MAX) once served as the prison for both awaiting trialand sentenced inmates. As the sentenced population grew and the needsof the prison system changed, other facilities were added.

Surrounded by a wall with five observation towers, this facility is brokendown into six housing areas with one segregation unit. The population iscomprised of inmates serving long sentences for a variety of offenses,

along with inmates serving shorter sentences who have been transferred

to MAX from other facilities for serious discipline and/or behavioral problems. Inmates are prepared forclassification to lesser securities through participation in rehabilitative programs.

Opened: 1981Average Facility Population: 98 (FY13)


The High Security Center (HSC) is a supermax facility, which housesinmates who require close custody and control, including protectivecustody inmates. All inmates are on restricted status; therefore, there areno contact visits and limited programming. The inmate population hasaccess to a well stocked legal and recreational library, a classification

board room, a classroom, barber shop, and a chapel.

Women’s Facilities

Gloria McDonald Building

Opened: December, 2010Average Population: 128 (FY13)


Opened: December, 2011Average Population: 44 (FY13)


The Women’s Facilities (WOM) houseawaiting trial offenders and threeclassification levels (medium, minimum,and work release) in two separatebuildings. In late 2010 and 2011, facilitieshousing these offenders (referenced inprevious reports as the GM and DIXbuildings) were closed to the inmatepopulation. The awaiting trial and medium-security women were moved to WFI whichwas later re-dedicated as the GloriaMcDonald Building (GM), while theminimum security/work-release offendersare now housed in Women’s Facility II(WFII), also known as the BernadetteBuilding. GM, is a converted and expandedhospital building and was initiallyconstructed to be a male ReintegrationCenter.

3

Facilities

Women’s Facility II

High Security

WFII was originally designed to house work release security men and in later years housed Community Correctionsand Education offices. Changes were made to both of these buildings to target the specific needs for women prior totheir opening. The unique social, cultural, and gender-specific needs of female offenders are supported by staff andincorporated into programming and treatment within the facilities.

Opened: 1878

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Rhode Island Department of Corrections

DIRECTORASHBEL T. WALL, II

Financial ResourcesBudget Unit

Business OperationsPhysical Resources

Central Distribution CenterInmate Accounts

Human ResourcesPayroll

PersonnelLabor Relations

Policy & Auditing Unit

Classification Unit

Management InformationSystems

Assistant DirectorAdministration

Patricia Coyne-Fague

Assistant DirectorInstitutions/Operations

David McCauley

Chief Inspector Robert Catlow

Planning and Research

ChairR.I. Parole Board

Dr. Kenneth Walker

Training Academy

Acting Chief of Information & Public RelationsSusan Lamkins

Programming Services Director Susan Lamkins

Departmental Grievance Coordinator

Robert McCutcheon

Executive CounselKathleen Kelly

Executive Staff

High Security

Maximum Security

Medium SecurityJohn J. Moran

Minimum SecurityWork Release

Women’s FacilitiesGloria McDonald Building

Bernadette Building

Assistant DirectorRehabilitative Services

Elizabeth Earls

Special Investigations Unit

Intake Service CenterIncludes Records & ID /

Bail Unit

Security & Emergency Response Team

(CIT) / (CERT) / (K-9 Unit)

Correctional Industries

Facilities & Maintenance

Food Services

Community CorrectionsHome ConfinementProbation & Parole

Victim Services

Educational Services

Health ServicesBehavioral HealthMedical Services

Professional ServicesInstitutional Programs

Reentry Services

Volunteer / Internship Services

RIDOC Organizational Chart

RIDOC is divided into 3 divisions; Administration, Institutions and Operations, and Rehabilitative Services. Eachdivision plays an imperative role in the Department’s operations, activities, processes, services, etc. This orga-nizational chart reflects the breakdown of the divisions and illustrates which units fall under each AssistantDirector’s supervision.

5

Institutions and Operations

Administrative Division

6

Rehabilitative Services

Assistant Director Institutions andOperations

David McCauley

Assistant Director Rehabilitative ServicesElizabeth Earls

The Administrative Division is comprised ofapproximately 90 employees who provide a variety ofcritical support functions for the Department. Whileemployees in this Division often work “behind thescenes,” their roles are integral to the overall functionof the Department. The Administrative Division isdivided into the following units: Financial Resources,Human Resources, Management Information Systems,Planning & Research, Policy, and the Training Academy.Administrative Division staff members facilitate newdepartmental initiatives and also provide continuedsupport and guidance to all on-going functions at theRIDOC. Through a strong spirit of cooperation anddedication, these staff members assist other divisionsof the Department in achieving their goals andimplementing the Department’s mission.

The Institutions & Operations Division is compromised ofthe Department’s correctional facilities [collectivelyknown as the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI), SpecialInvestigations Unit (SIU), Facilities and Maintenance Unit,Food Services, and Correctional Emergency Response Team(CERT)]. Some responsibilities of Institutions andOperations include gathering intelligence to assure publicsafety, maintaining facilities to guarantee a healthy, safeand secure environment, and providing nutritionallybalanced menus to all offenders. Institutions andOperations is the cornerstone of daily operations at theDepartment of Corrections.

The Division of Rehabilitative Services is committed torealizing the meaningful reintegration of offenders into thecommunity. Program areas within this Division can becategorized into two distinct sections: 1) Institutional or 2)Community Corrections. Institutional corrections includesprogramming offered to the offender during incarceration,such as Health Services, Educational Services, InstitutionalPrograms, and Volunteer/Internship Services. CommunityCorrections refers to units such as Probation and Parole,Community Confinement, Reentry Services, CorrectionalIndustries, Furlough, and Victim Services. Not only doesRehabilitative Services work with offenders to end criminaland anti-social behavior while incarcerated, they also striveto make it possible for ex-offenders to successfullyreintegrate back into their communities upon release.

Assistant Director AdministrationPatricia Coyne-Fague

7

RIDOC’s 3 Divisions Working TogetherWhile the department is split up into three separate divisions, each of these three divisions isconsistently working in concert with the others to achieve universal goals. With the award of the SecondChance Act Adult Offender Comprehensive Statewide Recidivism Reduction Demonstration Program Grant(henceforth referred to as the “Recidivism Reduction Grant”) in October, 2012, RIDOC’s three divisionshave been collaborating to reduce offender recidivism. Specifically through the completion of thisgrant, the Department is working on accomplishing the following points:

o Expanding the use of validated risk/need assessment with sentenced offenders

o Ensuring that in-prison case management and rehabilitative efforts are focused on high-riskoffenders

o Monitoring the quality of assessments and adherence to evidence-based programming

o Implementing a cognitive restructuring course in all facilities

o Strengthening the connection between institutional rehabilitative efforts and those in thecommunity

o Providing training to community corrections and community service providers around offenderrisk/need assessment

o Establishing supervision contact standards and intermediate sanction options for probationsupervision

o Investing in computer enhancements to track on-going performance measures as well asoutcomes

In order to successfully institute the above, synergistic collaboration is needed among all 3 divisions aswell as among individual units within the divisions.

With the overall goals of improving offender outcomes and reducing recidivism of paramountimportance, the Department is working to achieve systemic change through the implementation of onecontinuous service delivery system. From the onset of application and receipt of the RecidivismReduction Grant, coordination has been conducted among the different divisions within theDepartment. The narrative, rationale, plan and logistics were initially formulated and are implementedby the Planning & Research Unit, along with assistance from other divisions and units.

8

Though already in place, a major tenet of the Recidivism Reduction Grant is the expansion of a validatedrisk/need assessment program with sentenced offenders. Successful reentry hinges greatly upon anassurance that appropriate services are delivered to our sentenced population in an idiosyncraticmanner. To ensure success, offenders’ individual risks must first be identified so that programming cantarget offenders’ needs in a consistent manner to assist with smooth reentry back into society and lifeoutside the correctional institution. The Planning and Research Unit has identified and compiledinformation and assessment tools to better provide risk assessment to newly sentenced offenders andalso to those currently in custody. Following proper introduction to, and training on the use of theseassessment tools, employees in the Rehabilitative Services and Institutions/Operations divisions will becharged with delivering these services to sentenced offenders. As mentioned, the delivery process willbe individually targeted, with the most intensive in-prison case management and rehabilitative effortsfocused on moderate and high risk offenders. Quality of assessments and accountability to evidenced-based programming will be ensured through a quality assurance and continued training processinvolving the Planning and Research Unit and Rehabilitative Services division. Furthermore, theRehabilitative Services division will expand upon their currently wide-ranging in-facility programmingto offer a cognitive restructuring program (e.g., Thinking for a Change) to offenders in all facilities.However, successful rehabilitation and reentry does not stop at the institutional level, and instead mustbe extended out into the community.

Another major goal of the Recidivism Reduction Grant is to strengthen the connection betweeninstitutional and community rehabilitative efforts. An active dialogue and information share will needto be maintained between the Professional, Educational, and Health Services units as well as theCommunity Corrections unit in order to ensure coordinated delivery of services. Once implemented,the LSI-R Screening Version (an abbreviated version of the LSI-R) will assist in determining levels ofprobation supervision and identifying high need areas for those offenders who have not received anLSI-R assessment. Also, the Planning and Research Unit in conjunction with Rehabilitative Services willbe integral in informing a revitalized case management service delivery process. Community, Health,Educational, and Professional Services will employ a two-pronged approach to case management, withmoderate-high risk offenders receiving the most intensive and individualized programming and lowerrisk offenders receiving minimal case planning. Further, lower risk offenders will have theirprogramming expedited to Community Corrections services. Successful delivery of case managementplans will rely upon a coordinated effort between Adult Counselors, Discharge Planners, communitysupervisors and Reentry Councils. Again, to ensure that the transition out of the institution and into thecommunity is as smooth as possible, training will be provided to Community Corrections and serviceproviders on proper assessment, supervision, and intervention strategies. All service providers will beheld accountable through regular quality assurance reviews of adherence to, and reliance on the mosteffective treatments.

Finally, in order to adequately assess rates of recidivism and/or recidivism reduction, it is imperativethat the proper information technology systems are in place and efficiently functional in their ability tocapture, track and report these data. The Planning & Research Unit along with Management InformationSystems, Institutional Programs, and Reentry Services are working together to ensure that thesesystems are functioning optimally. Staff in all of these units will work to provide training and also toensure their own proficiency in these systems, following the necessary updates and enhancements.Again, while the Administration, Institutions/Operations and Rehabilitative Services Units are indeedthree different units with distinct functions and responsibilities, they are all still striving to uphold andrealize the greater mission of the Department. Collaboration among the different divisions and units isnecessary on a daily basis, and as was detailed above, doubly important to ensure successful completionof the goals and desired outcomes set forth by the Recidivism Reduction Grant.

Recidivism Reduction Grant

A History of theRhode IslandDepartment of

Corrections

Population Trends

Total RIDOC Population FY02 to FY13

3160

3191

3273

3502

3773

3860

3771

35103361

3554

3537

3387

3000

3250

3500

3750

4000

02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13

Fiscal Year

# o

f O

ffe

nd

ers

As was the trend nationally, Rhode Island experienced marked growth in its totalprison population between 2002 and 2008. The most recent sharp increase wasbetween FY05 and FY08, where the population grew 14.8%. However, since FY08the population has seen a steady decline and fell 18% in the past five years. InRI, 197 out of every 100,000 residents are imprisoned, while nationally 439 out of100,000 adult US residents are incarcerated (Bureau of Justice Statistics PrisonerStatistics 2010 Revised), which makes Rhode Island third lowest in the nation interms of rate of incarceration.

During the new millennium, corrections professionals around the country beganto focus on permanently reducing prison populations, the federal governmentbegan to fund reentry initiatives aimed at helping offenders succeed in thecommunity post-release, and jurisdictions began to look at incentives for inmateswho participate in rehabilitative programs designed to assist them in thecommunity upon their exit from incarceration. All of these initiatives have beenshown to impact the prison population levels.

For a historical look at the RIDOC population, please see the Report of the RICorrectional Population FY76 – FY11 which can be found on the RIDOC webpageat www.doc.ri.gov.

9

1792Rhode Island devel-oped a county courtsystem. Each of thethree counties;Providence, Washing-ton, and Newport wererequired to have theirown courthouse andjail.

Washington Countyjail is built and to thisday stands in NorthKingstown.

1845The last execution inRhode Island tookplace. John Gordonwas executed byhanging for themurder of AmasaSprague, thegovernor’s brother. In2011, RI GovernorLincoln Chafeepardoned Gordon forthe murder.

10

Fiscal Year Population Trends FY2009-FY2012

Awaiting Trial Population

550

650

750

850

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

FY2010 FY2011 FY2012 FY2013

Sentenced Population

2200

2400

2600

2800

3000

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

FY2010 FY2011 FY2012 FY2013

Overall, the RIDOC saw a decrease in the sentenced (-1.8%) and awaiting trial (-5.1%)populations in FY13. In January of 2013, the sentenced population reached the lowestmonthly average since July 2005, dipping to 2375. There was a 2.9% decrease (94inmates) in the total institutional population in FY13.

1878The state’s oldestoperational prison,Maximum Security,opens with originaldesigns to hold 252inmates

1930On April 25 Correc-tional Officer HarryMcVay is shot duringan attempted prisonescape. The prison-ers use weapons thathad been smuggledinto visiting areas.

1956The Washingtoncounty jail closes.The structure stillstands and is now amuseum, home to thePettaquamscuttHistorical Society.

Effects of Commitments/Releases on Total Population

900

1000

1100

1200

1300

1400

1500

July

Aug

SeptO

ct

Nov

Dec

12-JanFeb

Mar

Apr

May

June

July A

ug

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan '13Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

# o

f O

ffe

nd

ers

2900

3000

3100

3200

3300

Commitments Releases M onthly Population

FY12 FY13

Commitments and Releases

The prison population is influenced bytwo factors: the number of newcommitments and length of stay. Lengthof stay is directly affected by theJudiciary, changes in legislation, and theParole Board (for more informationregarding the changes in length of stay,see page 15).

In RI, it is clear that the number of newcommitments has a great influence onthe population. In months where thenumber of commitments to RIDOCoutpaced the number of releases, there isa corresponding increase in thepopulation. In contrast, in months wherethe number of releases at the RIDOCoutpaced the number of commitments, wewould see a decrease in the population.The decrease in the RIDOC population ispartially linked to the decrease in thenumber of commitments, which hasaveraged -2.8% over the past six fiscalyears, as seen in the table to the right.

The graph above demonstrates that thechanges in the level of commitments arelinked to changes in the total population

numbers.

Fiscal Year # Comm itments +/- Change

1998 16,171

1999 16,088 -.5%

2000 16,208 +.8%

2001 16,730 +3.2%

2002 17,204 +2.8%

2003 17,387 +1.1%

2004 18,375 +5.7%

2005 17,121 -6.8%

2006 18,467 +7.9%

2007 18,885 +2.3%

2008 17,007 -9.9%

2009 16,001 -5.9%

2010 15,328 -4.2%

2011 15,500 +1.1%

2012 14,973 -.15%

2013 14,701 -1.8%

11

1959According to anAssociated Pressbulletin, on July 1,three inmates usedhomemade keys tolet themselves out oftheir cells in segrega-tion and escaped overthe wall of the prisonusing grapplinghooks. They werecaptured one weeklater after the largestmanhunt in RI history.

1957Harold Langlois isnamed warden. Headvocates strongly fora rehabilitativeapproach to correc-tions which can beseen in manychanges in the yearsto come.

The education/recreation building iscompleted in OldMax. The educationprogram is expandedto include gradeschool and highschool level classes.

1958A reporter invited totour Old Max de-scribes the yard as“looking like a publicpark on a Saturday orSunday afternoon.”

Offender Characteristics

Characteristics of a Typical RIDOCSentenced Offender

12

· Twenty-four percent (24%)entered RIDOC as probationviolators in FY13.

· Three percent (3%) enteredprison as parole violators inFY13.

· The majority are white(47%), single (75%), andself-identified as Catholic(39%).

· About half (47%) have lessthan a 12th grade education;43% have a high schooldiploma or GED and anadditional 10% havecompleted some college.

· Fifty percent (50%) arefathers; the averagenumber of children fatheredis 2.

· Fifty-one percent (51%)were unemployed at thetime they becameincarcerated.

· Forty-nine percent (49%) ofmales were re-sentencedand 58% were readmittedas pretrial detainees within36 months of release.

· Thirteen percent (13%)entered RIDOC asprobation violators inFY13.

· Five percent (5%) enteredprison as parole violatorsin FY13.

· The majority are white(65%), single (68%), andself-identify as Catholic(46%).

· Thirty-six percent (36%)have less than a 12thgrade education; 41%have a high schooldiploma or GED and anadditional 23% havecompleted some college.

· Fifty-five percent (55%)are mothers; averagenumber of children is 2 peroffender.

· Seventy percent (70%)were unemployed at thetime of incarceration.

· Thirty-nine percent (39%)of females were re-sentenced and 46% werereadmitted as pretrialdetainees within 36months of release.

1969A racially fueled riotbreaks out at the ACIled by the groupknown as Bag ofSolid Souls (BOSS).

1961Two medium securityinmates use 18 inchneedles to overtakeguards. They escapewith handguns andammunition.

An escape plot fromMaximum security isfoiled when guardsfind window barssawed.

1966The work release billis enacted forming awork release progrmfor inmates who havecompleted one sixthof their sentence.

Offender CharacteristicsThe charts on the following pages contain the following categories of offenders; commitments,which include all offenders committed to RIDOC (sentenced & pre-trial) over the last Fiscal Year;awaiting trial and sentenced represent the stock population on June 30, 2013.

The vast majority of offenders(commitments, awaiting trial,and sentenced) are white,followed by black and Hispanic.Offenders who identify them-selves as Asian, Native American,other, or their race is unknownmake up less than 2% of thepopulation for each category ofoffenders.

Inmate Sex by Status

14.6%7.2% 5.4%

92.8% 94.6%85.4%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Commitments Awaiting Trial Sentenced

Male

Female

Males make up most(85.4%) of the RIDOCcommitments whilewomen account for only14.6%.

Inmate Age by Status*

6.7%

41.4% 40.1%33.3%

26.9% 25.4%

25.5%

18.6% 19.2%

23.9%

7.4% 6.4%12.1%

4.4%0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%


60+

50-59

40-49

30-39

20-29

under 20

Almost two thirds of all RIDOCoffenders are between the ages of20-39. The average age of a maleRIDOC sentenced offender is 35,while the average female age is36. For pre-trial offenders, malesaverage 35 years of age andfemales 30 years of age.

1970The Junior Chamberof Commerce(JayCees), a groupformed to involveinmates in activitiesto benefit theircommunities, spon-sor the first familyday at the ACI in theyard of MaximumSecurity.

Three inmatesescape from Maxi-mum Security usingtools from themachine shop. Theywere involved in astring of robberiesover the next severaldays. One inmatewas found executed,1 was wounded duringa stand-off withpolice, and the thirdwas captured oneweek later aftermurdering a promi-nent physician.

1971The Rhode IslandBrotherhood ofCorrectional Officers(RIBCO) is estab-lished.

13

**Please note any value less than 3% will not be labeled in the graphs on pages 13-18.

Inmate Race by Status

23.7% 28.4% 28.9%

54.8% 42.6% 47.3%

19.0% 26.0% 21.3%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%


Hispanic

Asian

White

Black

Offender Characteristics

Offense Type by Status

Male Population

31.3%43.2%

49.3%

13.2%

8.4%

9.5%

15.7%

20.3% 10.9%41.7%

14.8% 17.3%

12.7%

7.0%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%


Other

Nonviolent

Drug

B&E

Sex

Violent

Offense Type by Status

Female Population

23.1%

35.7%42.7%

3.6%7.1%

13.9%

23.2%7.7%

57.7%

30.4%

42.0%

2.8%

4.9%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%


Other

Nonviolent

Drug

B&E

Sex

Violent

Almost forty-two percent (41.7%) of male commitments are incarcerated for non-violentcrimes, while over half (57.7%) of the female commitments are incarcerated for similaroffenses. Nearly one third of the male population (31.3%) have been imprisoned forviolent crimes, yet not even a quarter of females are incarcerated for similar violentcrimes. We see the reverse trend in the sentenced stock population, where violentcrimes make up over forty percent for both males and females. Lifers are included in thesentenced population, making the amount of violent sentenced offenders drasticallyrise.

1973On April 2, 150-200inmates riot inMaximum taking sixguards hostage andcausing over $1mil-lion in damages.

On June 22, Correc-tional Officer DonaldPrice, who had onlybeen on the job forthree weeks, isstabbed and killed inthe line of duty. Twoinmates were con-victed of his murder;the first was sen-tenced to life inprison and thesecond to 20 years.

1972The Rhode IslandDepartment ofCorrections (RIDOC)is created by statutewith formal jurisdic-tion over the AdultCorrectional Institu-tions (ACI) andProbation & Parole.

In April the “MorrisRules” of classifica-tion are imposed.They define fourcategories of privi-leges and restrictionsfor inmates.

14

Pretrial Statistics

Average Length of Stay for FY13

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Same

Day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

# Days until released

# o

f O

ffen

der

s

While the average pretrial length of stay is 24 days, the median is only 3 days.

*A ppro ximately 15% o f o f fenders remain o n pretria l status af ter 30 days, but are no t displayed o n the graph

The most common offenses for the male misdemeanant awaiting trial population wasdomestic assault, while for the female population it was shoplifting. Male and femalefelons were imprisoned most commonly for delivery of a controlled substance.

47.1%

32.4% 30.8%

44.3%

5.1%

14.7%

10.3%

9.2%

7.0%

33.3%

21.7%52.9%

59.2%

20.5%9.9%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Female

Misdemeanants

Male

Misdemeanants

Female Felons Male Felons

Other

Nonviolent

Drug

B&E

Sex

Violent

n = 17 n = 71n =39 n =654

1973The educationdivision grows withthe aid of grantmoney and the firstcollege level programbegins at the ACI.

1974The case ofPalmigiano v Garrahyis filed, accusingRIDOC of violatinginmates’ 8th and 14thamendment rights,denying them ad-equate medical care.This case has a longlasting effect on theACI and State ofRhode Island.

1976A capital develop-ment plan is estab-lished to build asupermax prison to“house theincorrigables” andrelieve tension at theACI.

15

Pretrial Offenders: Crime Type by Offense TypeStock Data-June 30, 2013

N=781

Sentenced Statistics

Included in the sentenced stockpopulation are 200 inmatessentenced to life and 35 sentencedto life without parole. Three ofthose inmates are women. These235 offenders constitute 8.9% of thetotal sentenced population.Nineteen (19) of the lifers areinmates from other states orinmates for which RI sharesjurisdiction (i.e., the inmate mayhave time to serve following theexpiration of sentence in RI).

For the female sentencedpopulation, the most commonmisdemeanor offenses were drivingwhile intoxicated and shoplifting,

17.1%25.5%

50.9% 52.0%

2.8%

14.1%6.5%

10.5%

10.2%

11.8%

80.0%

70.1%

29.6%

11.4%

2.4%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

FemaleMisdemeanants

MaleMisdemeanants

Female Felons Male Felons

Other

Nonviolent

Drug

B&E

Sex

Violent

n = 35 n = 251n = 108 n = 2245

while the most common felonyoffense was robbery.

The most common misdemeanoroffense for the male sentencedpopulation was driving with asuspended license, while the mostcommon felony offense was breakingand entering into a dwelling.

According to the Rhode IslandJudiciary’s 2012 Annual Reportfelonies have dropped 13% statewidefrom 2011-2012 (5,559 in 2011 to 4,831in 2012). www.court.ri.gov.

1984The death penalty isabolished in RhodeIsland.

1978There is a riot at theACI.

1977The Palmigiano casecauses a federalcourt order forconditions of confine-ment to be imposedon RIDOC.

The Drug Unit, atreatment program,begins operating withthree male inmates.

1981High Security Center,the first supermaxfacility in RhodeIsland, is opened.The opening helpsdecline the risingviolence in MaximumSecurity.

The department limitssex-specific posts.Bids by both maleand female officersare mostly handled ina uniform manner.

16

Sentenced Offenders: Crime Type by Offense TypeStock Data-June 30, 2013

N=2639

When examined together, the graphs and table on this page capture the flow of sentencedinmates in and out of the RIDOC. The graph at the top left of the page shows the length ofsentence imposed by the judiciary, while the graph at the right shows the percentage ofinmates in prison on June 30, 2013. For example, even though only about 11% of the malepopulation is committed to sentences of more than 3 years, over time, this group of offendersrepresents 57% of the population.


73.5%

60.6%

12.1%

12.5%

10.2%

16.1%

4.2%3.8%2.2%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Female Male

10+ yrs

5 - 10 yrs

3 - 5 yrs

1 - 3 yrs

6 mos -1 yr

6 mos or less

22.4%12.5%

16.8%

8.4%

23.8%

19.8%

14.0%

10.9%

12.6%

16.2%

9.8%

30.1%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Female Male

10+ yrs

5 - 10 yrs

3 - 5 yrs

1 - 3 yrs

6 mos -1 yr

6 mos or less

1985There is a riot atthe ACI.

1991Three hundredinmates inMaximum Secu-rity riot and causea 5 hour siege.

1988There is a riot atthe ACI.

1987The number offelony drugoffenses rises217% in threeyears.

1989Outside consult-ants estimateover 80% of theinmate populationhave histories ofdrug abuse.

17

The table above displays the average length of sentence imposed on sentencedcommitments in FY2013. The actual amount of time offenders stay in prison is almostalways shorter than the full sentence imposed, due to factors such as statutory good time(i.e., credit earned for good or industrious behavior) and earned time for programparticipation and completion (time deducted from sentence).

Sentenced CommitmentsSentence Length by Sex

FY2013

Sentenced Stock PopulationSentence Length by Sex

June 30, 2013

Male Female Total Offense Category

Sent <6mos Sent>6mos Sent <6mos Sent>6mos Sent <6mos Sent>6mos

Violent 2.8 58.0 2.3 45.4 2.8 57.0

Sex 4.4 114.1 2.9 65.9 4.3 112.7

B&E 4.5 35.1 1.9 19.7 4.4 34.3

Drug 3.9 25.9 4.3 16.3 2.5 25.4

Nonviolent 2.5 20.9 2.3 17.9 2.0 20.4

SUBTOTAL 3.6 50.8 2.7 33.0 3.2 49.9

Average Total Sentence Length = 23.9 months

Effects of Sentence Reductions

Prior to May, 2008, Rhode Island had one of the most conservative state sentence reductionformulas in the country. With the population reaching historically high levels in 2007 and2008 and threatening to exceed prison capacity, the state’s General Assembly, withoverwhelming bipartisan support, enacted legislation designed to increase public safety,curb spending, and reduce recidivism of released inmates.1 The legislation increased theamount of behavioral good time credit and provided credits for program participation andcompletion. As a result, we have seen increased program participation and completion and,coupled with increased good behavior time, we have experienced an overall decrease inoffenders’ length of stay which has in turn lead to a decreased prison population (see charton page 8).

The above table depicts the changes in lengthof stay for those inmates who have left viaexpiration of sentence, as this group ofoffenders has the ability to fully benefit fromthe 2008 sentence reduction changes. As canbe seen, there have been significant changes inthe percent of time served for all offendersfrom FY08 to FY13. Most noticeably, offendersserving mid-range sentences (1-7 years)continue to have reductions in the time served.

Despite across the board reductions in percentof time served, recent recidivism studies do notshow any increase in return rates for offenders.In fact, only 48% of offender released in 2009returned to RIDOC with a new sentence withinthree years and 56% returned as awaiting trialdetainees. In comparison, 54% of offendersreleased in 2004 (prior to the good timechanges) returned with a new sentence and


64% as awaiting trial detainees. Thus far, datadoes not appear to indicate that a decrease intime served contributes to more crime and re-incarcerations.

For further RIDOC recidivism information,please see the 2009 Recidivism Study:ThreeYear Follow Up.

Program Participation & Completion:During FY13, 1,822 offenders participated inand/or completed one or more rehabilitativeprograms offered at RIDOC and were awardeda total of 70,339 program credits (days offsentence) (an average of 39 program creditsper person). Substance Abuse Treatment, HighSchool Equivalency Program (GED), Adult BasicEducation Program (ABE), and CognitiveRestructuring/Anger Management programsawarded the most program credits in FY13.

1999Ashbel T. Wallbecomes the Directorof the Rhode IslandDepartment ofCorrections, aposition he holds tothis day.

1995The federal courtorder for conditions ofconfinement, whichwas spawned fromthe Palmigiano case,is terminated.

1994The first women’sresidential drugtreatment programbegins.

2008With a rising popula-tion threatening to putRIDOC over capacity,legislation is passedto give Rhode Islandinmates “good time”that rewards goodbehavior, attendingprograms, having ajob, etc. to aid in theearly release of anoffender.

18

1 To view the good behavior and program participation/completion sentence reduction statute, see RI General Laws § 42-56-24 and § 42-56-26. Thesestatutes reflect the 2008 enacted changes as well as additional changes made in 2012 directed at decreasing and/or eliminating sentence reductionsfor specific serious crimes (i.e. murder, assault with intent to murder, kidnapping of a minor, child molestations and sexual assault).

FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13 Difference 08-13

3 months or less 99% 91% 91% 90% 92% 91% -8%

3 - 6 months 97% 81% 80% 79% 80% 80% -18%

6 - 9 months 96% 82% 79% 76% 77% 79% -18%

9 months - 1 year 95% 81% 77% 71% 74% 75% -21%

1 - 3 years 93% 83% 76% 69% 69% 69% -26%

3 - 5 years 88% 83% 80% 69% 62% 59% -33%

5 - 7 years 84% 83% 73% 71% 63% 64% -24%

7 - 10 years 79% 79% 79% 69% 51% 50% -37%

greater than 10 years 76% 75% 76% 63% 61% 53% -30%

Average Percentage of Time Served by Sentence Length for Offenders Expiring a Sentence

The graph above shows the actual population (green line) compared to theprojected population (yellow line). The blue lines predicts a slight downward trendin the actual population over the next fiscal year.

As of the FY14 projection, RIDOC was operating below federal capacity in allfacilities. The 10-year forecast of RI’s prison population, conducted by WendyNaro-Ware of JFA Associates/The Institute, estimates that the population will seelittle growth, 0.5% or 16 inmates. This projected growth would allow RI to remainbelow both the operational (3,654) and federal (3,869) capacities throughout the10-year forecast.

This projection is based on the current factors, statutes, and practices at RIDOC(e.g. good time awards). These factors may change over time due to legislative orpolicing changes, rendering the existing prediction null.

Population Projections

2010The early release of a1984 child murderersparks controversy inthe “good time”statutes.

2011With a decliningpopulation, RIDOC isable to close theDonald Price MediumSecurity Buidling asordered by the RIGeneral Assembly.

2012Legislation is passedchanging good timepolicies which takesaway good timecredits for the mostsevere crimes.

19

3000

3100

3200

3300

3400

July

'12 AugSe

pt OctNov Dec

Jan '1

3 Feb

Mar Apr

May

June

July

'13 AugSe

pt OctNov Dec

Jan '1

4 Feb

Mar Apr

May

June

FY13

Green Line Actual Population

Yellow Line Projected Population

Blue Line Actual Population Trend

FY12

Population Projections vs. Actual Population

Institutional Capacity

Average FY13 Population vs. Capacities

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

# o

f O

ffen

der

s

Av erage Population 98 440 1018 402 752 278 173 44

Operational Capacity * 138 409 1126 710 784 334 173 100

Palmigiano Capacity ** 166 466 1186 710 784 364 213 100

High Max Med Moran Min ISC North ISC South WFI WFII

Total RIDOC FY 2013Operational Capacity* = 3774Palmigiano Capacity = 3989

Average FY13 Population = 3160

*Operational Capacity = All Beds - (Hospital Beds + 1/3 of Segregation Beds)**Palmigiano Capacity = Federal Court-Ordered Capacity (All Beds)

20

Release Data

There were 12offenders, all males, onactive escape status asof 6/30/13. Theseescapes span from1979 to 2009.

During FY13 RIDOCprocessed a total of3,588 releases, repre-senting 3,175 people,from sentenced status.Virtually all releasesexpired their sentences(87%); 10% wereparoled.One third (33%) ofmales were releasedfrom being housed inMinimum Security, anadditional third werereleased from theIntake Service Center,and 4% were releasedfrom Maximum or HighSecurity. Female re-leases were distributedamongst WF1, WF2,and Home Confinement(38%, 46%, and 16%respectively).Of these releases toRhode Island almosthalf (42%) reportedreturning to eitherProvidence orPawtucket. An addi-tional 18% returned toCranston, Warwick, andWest Warwick.

from home confinement and six(6) of those on active escapestatus were from minimum/workrelease.

In FY13, there were seven (7)inmate deaths, two females andfive males. Two (2) deaths wereconfirmed suicides.

During FY13 there were atotal of 10,999 awaiting trialreleases. Over half (56%)were discharged at court,while 18% were bailed and12% were sentenced to servetime on their charges.

21

Six (6) of those onactive escape statuswere walkaways

Release Data

In 2007, RIDOC conducted arecidivism study analyzing arelease cohort from calendaryear 2004 (CY04) and trackedthem for three years in thecommunity to see if theyreturned to the ACI as asentenced inmate.

In CY04, of the 3,105 offenderswho were released, 32%returned under sentencewithin 1 year, 46% by 2 years,and 54% within 3 years of theirinitial release.

In 2010, RIDOC’s Planning &Research unit headed a newrecidivism study analyzing arelease cohort from 2009.

Three thousand three hundredeighty-seven (3,387) offenderswere released in calendar year

levels and the likeliness ofrecidivating. Non-violentoffenders had the greatestlikelihood of recidivating andspent the least amount of time inthe community, while educatedoffenders were more likley tospend a longer time in thecommunity.

Recidivism

22

2009. Within 3 years of release,48% of offenders returned toRIDOC with a new sentence.This is lower than CY04 cohort,which had a return rate of 54%.

Correlations were foundbetween offenders who werereleased from higher security

Discharge PlanningAs offenders near their release from prison,a Discharge Planner is assigned to help createa transition plan. The transition plan providesan offender with continuing services oncethey are released to the community. Theseservices mark the foundational steps for thestate’s reentry population in their transitionto becoming successful citizens.

When the basic needs of an offender on theverge of being released can be preemptivelyaddressed and met, they are provided withthe opportunity to succeed. This creates asafer community and helps reduce recidi-vism and victimization.

Interpreting the chart: The probation population is plotted on the secondary axis to the right, whileparole and home confinement are plotted on the primary axis to the left.

Community Corrections Population

Parole, Probation and Home Confinement Populations

156

17216821822823521821320514512916719414413811479

497524553

656606551

477421

490

592588578592629619636740

23707

2502625454

26411

27128

19103

20939

221382243622780

2580726275 26376 26437 26075 26474 26779

0

300

600

900

1200

1500

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

Fiscal Year

# o

f O

ffen

der

s

13000

16000

19000

22000

25000

28000

Home Confinement Parole Probation

Probationers and Parolees by Square Mile

as of December 31, 2012

17.8

218.3

159.2

578.3

339.3

93.6

60

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700

Total RI

Central Falls

Newport

Pawtucket

Providence

W.Warwick

Woonsocket

# of Offenders Per Square Mile

1 out of every 44 adult residents in RI is on

probation or parole

1 out of every 25 men and 1 out of every

136 women in RI is on probation or parole

1 in 8 men aged 30-34



23

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, as of 2010, Rhode Island has the third highest rate ofProbation supervision in the nation; 3,010 per 100,000 residents. BJS Probation and Parole in the UnitedStates, 2010.

Community Corrections Population

The map illustrates the Probation and Parole population on the streets of Rhode Island on June 30, 2013.As shown above, almost half (43%) of the population live in Providence or Pawtucket.

24

Looking Toward the Future

Emergency ExercisesRIDOC is committed to the safety and security of inmates, staff, and the public at large. Since 2007,RIDOC has tested its emergency response systems seven times through staged crisis events known asEmergency Exercises. These exercises are conducted to assure the emergency management systems,personnel, procedures, and equipment will be effective in the event a true emergency takes place inthe facilities.

A design team develops every detail of the incident that will occur along with objectives and goals thateach emergency response unit should meet during the exercise.

25

ClassificationIn April 2013, RIDOC updated the Classification policy and procedures. Classification isa process by which offenders are assigned to facilities based upon their respective risksand needs. Factors considered in this process include: (1) determination and assignmentof appropriate custody and security levels; (2) program placement based on inmateneeds and available services--medical, mental health, vocational, educational, andemployment; (3) designation to proper housing placement within the institution; and (4)scheduled review of custody assignments to reassess offenders’ needs and risks.

With this new policy implemented, inmates will have access to programs, services, andsecurity that will ensure a safe and productive incarceration which meets the needs ofeach offender.

RIDOC DescriptionThe Rhode Island Department of Corrections (RIDOC) operates a unified correctional system, meaningthat all pretrial detainees and all sentenced offenders (regardless of sentence length or crime) areunder the jurisdiction of the Department. RIDOC has seven (7) housing facilities on the Pastore Govern-ment Center Complex in Cranston, Rhode Island. In addition to institutional corrections, offenders onprobation, parole and electronic monitoring also fall under the jurisdiction of the RIDOC.

Race Categories: RIDOC records Hispanic as a race rather than ethnicity. As a result, we cannot deter-mine whether inmates identifying themselves as Hispanic are white or black. Those identifying them-selves as white or black may also be Hispanic.

Offense Categories: Throughout this report, type of offense is determined by the most serious chargefor which the offender is sentenced to incarceration or community supervision. As an example, if anoffender had both a drug charge and a sex charge, s/he would be captured in the sex category (and notthe drug category) for reporting purposes. An additional caveat is that the offense category is based onthose charges entered into Infacts, and there are times where multiple counts are condensed into onecharge record. At times, offense information is not immediately available to RIDOC; in these instances,the designation “pending court verification” is assigned.

Stock data: Refers to data that are a “snapshot” of the population, which provides information about thepopulation on a given day. For this report, the date for the stock data is June 30, 2013.

Commitments & Releases: In contrast to stock data, commitment and release information provides dataabout the movement of offenders into and out of the RIDOC system. For this report, the time periodcovered is July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013.

Cost per Offender: The cost per offender per annum excludes central RIDOC Administration and Capitalcosts. For this report, the time period covered is July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013 (FY2013).

Population Averages: The Community Corrections Chart on page 23 uses the average population forparole, probation, and home confinement for the fiscal year. Due to technological issues the datarepresents July 2011 through May 2012. June data is not available.

Timeline- Much of the timeline information can be found in Lawful Order: A Case Study of CorrectionalCrisis and Reform by Leo Carroll.

For further information or questions please contact Caitlin O’Connor, Principal Research Technician, atcaitlin.o’[email protected] or 401-462-3925

Appendix I: Data Caveats & Definitions

FY12 Annual Report - Home- Department of Corrections

Documents