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"Thank You Ladies"

VALLEY STATE PRISON FOR WOMEN
INMATE FAMILY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES

Friday, August 1, 2003
Warden’s Conference Room

MEMBERS PRESENT:
Jim Gilmore
Maureen Burgess
Louisa Camorlinga
ALTERNATES PRESENT:
Joan Taylor
Nancy Rubinstein
Tammy Rust
MEMBERS/ALTERNATES ABSENT:
Elizabeth Muniz
John Videen
Michael Cox
Marvin Coolbaugh
Ruby Lockett
David Miller
Wanda Patton
John Errante

 STAFF PRESENT:
Kent Eichenberger, Associate Warden
P. Callahan, Correctional Captain
Lt. Donaldson
Javier Cavazos, Administrative Assistant
Sylvia Hedlind, Community Resources Manager


The meeting was called to order at 1:02 p.m.


AGENDA ITEMS:

1. Visiting

a. Hours:
There are rumors that visiting hours might be shortened to Saturday and Sunday only. Is there any basis for this rumor? Mr. Eichenberger stated that at the current time, the visiting hours will remain the same.

b. Food/Vending:
The Department of Rehabilitation, who has first rights to provide food services in Visiting, will be taking over October 1, 2003. The vending machines will be contracted out by the Department of Rehabilitation.
Mr. Eichenberger is not sure exactly where they are in the bidding process. He said he understands that the contract will require a vending attendant to be on-site to handle problems. The Inmate Family Council would like to know the Vendor guidelines so we may track the service and make sure the Vendor meets contract service requirements.

Mr. Eichenberger stated that no supplemental vending services will be allowed, and that only the Department of Rehabilitation-provided vendor will be allowed in Visiting, answering a question raised during the July meeting about whether additional on-site food could continue to be provided by the current vendor.

ACTION ITEM: Ms. Hedlind will see about getting a copy of the proposed vending contract for IFC to review.
2. Quarterly Boxes Switching to ‘VENDOR DIRECT’

Captain Callahan said that VSPW is planning to begin a ‘Vendor Direct’ quarterly box program, starting January 1, 2004. The Woman’s Advisory Committee (WAC) has requested that the new box system be held off until then, as there are inmate families who have already made purchases toward the fall quarter boxes, and this would give them a chance to send in these items before going to the new system. It is anticipated that as of January 1, 2004, no more boxes will be accepted directly from anyone except the vendor selected by VSPW. The main reason for this change is to reduce the amount of drug contraband that comes into the prison. Using a vendor-direct system will also allow the prison to cut down on the time it takes to process the boxes (time has been cut in half at Wasco, where this system is currently in use), and it will reduce problems with breakage and returns.

VSPW officials have been meeting with Walkenhorst and other outside providers to work out satisfactory arrangements. They have also been reviewing a vendor-direct system that has been in use at the Wasco facility for the last 6 months. Although there were multiple concerns (particularly from outside inmate-rights groups) prior to the startup of the Wasco system, there have been no complaints since the current vendor was put in place. Corcoran State Prison has started using a similar vendor-direct system as of August 1, 2003, and it is expected that all 32 California institutions will be going to this system shortly. This program is not a bid/contract issue with vendors. It is strictly a VSPW-approved arrangement. Based on the level of satisfaction of inmates and family members, changes can be made in the program if there are problems.

VSPW is looking at several provider options, and there was a discussion regarding the vendor currently being used by the Wasco facility. This vendor has developed catalog sheets of allowed items, including food, cigarettes, clothing, hygiene products, etc. All items have shipping weight included. These sheets are distributed to the inmates, who select items from them and send the sheets to their family members. Inmates can also purchase directly, using their own trust fund money, although Captain Callahan said that only about 2% of the inmates at Wasco have chosen to buy direct. The family members go through the sheets, and send a final list of choices to the vendor’s post office box. The vendor assembles the items in a box, starting with the heaviest items. Wasco is allowing a 10% weight fluctuation, allowing the vendor to go slightly overweight, to allow vendor substitutions when the family members agree to it (for instance, the vendor won’t just ship one tennis shoe to meet weight limits). After the box is packed, the vendor sends a postcard to the family or the inmate, giving the cost. The family sends a money order to the vendor post office box, and once the payment is received by the vendor, the box is delivered directly to the prison by the vendor within 2 to 5 days. The vendor does not use the postal service or UPS, and takes responsibility for damages to packages prior to their arrival at the prison. The cost of packing and shipping to family members is only $6.95 per box, total.

VSPW is working with Walkenhorst to see if they’ll start delivering direct, or if they’ll guarantee replacement for damages, shortages, etc. Walkenhorst currently accepts credit cards, and can be called on the phone, and have a physical address. The vendor serving Wasco can only be contacted via their post office box, and are anonymous to prevent anyone members from trying to bribe employees to send in drugs. The Wasco vendor has also agreed to be drug-free.

It was asked if we will be able to change or adjust the purchase lists in the future. Captain Callahan said that requests for items and for changes in the lists is working well at Wasco. The requests are put through the inmate Advisory Committee, approved by the Correctional Captain, and forwarded to the vendor, who adds these items to the available items list. Mr. Gilmore wondered if the vendor could accept credit card payments, and Captain Callahan said he would check on this. Mr. Gilmore also asked if the family members could be notified by e-mail rather than post card, to save time. Captain Callahan will also check on this. It was asked if there would be clear instructions available to inmates and family members regarding this process. Captain Callahan said that Wasco has worked out a very thorough memo to inmates and family members that even includes a flow chart of how the system works, and that something like this would be developed for VSPW as well. Would the use of the vendor-direct system cut down on waste, such as with the dumping of cream rinse, etc? The result of the vendor-direct system would be that items would not be emptied. All prison staff would need to do is make sure that the order list checks out against the contents of the box, and that the nonexpendable items are on the property list. The question of higher prices was raised, and Captain Callahan said that VSPW is trying to find the lowest, most comparable prices possible for the boxes.

3. Nicotine Patches/Smoking

a. Prescribed Patches:
Mr. Eichenberger reported that the Health Services Division at the prison has been directed to not provide nicotine deliver systems (patches) to inmates, and not to prescribe them. This is per Department of Corrections directive, and is not negotiable at the institution level.
b. Ban on Smoking?:
There is no further word on when a ban on smoking may be instituted at VSPW. It was noted that several institutions in California are switching over to smoke-free, and that it is just a matter of time before this is the case throughout the prison system.


 4. Money Placed on Inmate Books

There have been complaints of money not being placed on the inmate books in a timely manner. Lieutenant Donaldson has looked into this, and said that the main problem is that funds from family members are sent in incorrectly, and this takes more time for staff to process. Lieutenant Donaldson noted that approximately 5 out of 50 letters sent directly to inmates included money. Money orders are not supposed to be sent with letters to the inmate mail address (which is PO Box 92). Although the rules say that these money orders should be sent back to the family member, the prison keeps them as a courtesy, and doesn’t send them back. But it takes longer to get them processed, partly because inmate letters are sometimes backed up, usually two to four days more than the money order post office box.

PO Box 94 is the money order address. It is very important that family members send their money orders or checks to this post office box, and NOT PO Box 92 (inmate letters) and NOT to PO Box 96 (Legal mail). Cash is not allowed, and will be returned to senders. Money orders and checks are all that are allowed, and they need to have the inmate’s name and W# written on them. This is very important, because if there is no way to figure out who the money order is supposed to go to, it will have to be sent back to the sender. If the inmate name and W# is not on the money order, it will be returned to the sender. Although the envelope itself is supposed to have a return address on it too, VSPW doesn’t return them for this problem, again as a courtesy. However, if there is no name on the money order, the mailroom will use the return address on the envelope to return the money order to the sender. When checks are sent in, there is a 30 day hold on the check before it is credited to the inmates’ account.


The mailroom receives first class mail at PO Box 94 by around noon. They open the mail and log the money orders into the receiving computer, and have the money orders and a printout ready to go to Accounting by around 3:30 P.M. on the same day as the money order is received. If money orders come from elsewhere later than this (for instance, from regular inmate mail), then they might not be logged in until the next day, and won’t make the printout or be sent to Accounting until the next day.

Starting the next morning, the Accounting Office logs the receipt of the money orders onto the inmate books. Their goal is to have the money available for the inmate within two working days after receiving the list from the mailroom. That means if a money order is opened in the mailroom on Monday, it will go to Accounting on Monday evening. Tuesday morning, Accounting begins processing the money order on the printout, and should have it available to the inmate by Wednesday evening at the latest.

If a money order comes to any PO Box other than PO Box 94, the mailroom will try to get the money order to the money order processing area as soon as possible, but there will be delays. Lieutenant Donaldson stressed that it is important for money orders to go directly to PO Box 94 in the future, to cut the time it takes for inmates to get their funds.
5. Restitution


 Restitution just went from 22% to 33% on July 1st. It will be going from 33% to 55% on July 1, 2004. This is a Departmental directive, issued at the State level.

The inmates are given a quarterly accounting printout of their restitution status. This printout includes two kinds of restitution. One is court restitution, and the other is victim restitution. If court restitution has been paid by the inmate or someone else, and it still shows up on the quarterly accounting printout, then it is up to the inmate to get something in writing from the court that says this has been paid. Once the inmate is able to demonstrate that the court restitution has been paid, Headquarters Accounting will adjust the quarterly printout to reflect this. In conjunction with Headquarters Accounting, the institution verifies restitution and payments made to the inmate’s restitution case. If court ordered restitution is not paid, it affects parole decisions. For instance, if someone still owes court restitution, they may not be paroled out-of-state until the court fines are paid.

All restitution is reduced on quarterly statements by the amounts withheld from inmate income, via the 33% restitution withholding. Victim and court ordered restitution is taken from any money sent in to the inmate by family members, and from jobs, etc.

Mr. Gilmore asked if the inmates had to pay restitution based on the value of the boxes they receive, or other equivalent value items (such as special purchases, or the money spent in Visitor for food during visits). No, the prison does not require the inmates to pay out a 33% restitution based on the estimated value of a quarterly box or a special purchase, or money spent by family members during visits. However, if the family members send the inmate the money to make her own purchase, that money sent in will have the 33% restitution taken out of it before any purchases are made by the inmate.

If an inmate has questions or concerns about the restitution listed on their quarterly statements, they can put in an “Inmate Request for Interview” to the Accounting Office.
6. Inmate Welfare Fund 10% Collections


 A question came up about the additional 10% IWF that is collected when inmates make purchases. Is this taken out of inmate funds on top of restitution? The 10% is charged on special purchases and items purchased for Hobby Craft. However, this 10% amount is not taken out of (or added to the cost of) special food events, photos, etc., as the profits on these special events are already designated to go to charitable causes, such as Victim Services or the United Way. If the food sale is sponsored by an inmate group like the Long Termers Organization, the inmates in that group determine which charitable organization will receive these special funds.

7. Other Items

a. Hobby Craft
The State freeze on hiring is still in effect, and on June 30, 2003, all vacant positions, including the Hobby Craft Manager position, were lost. Although the statement was made that the Hobby Craft position would be filled when the hiring freeze is lifted, further information was gathered after the meeting. VSPW is in the process of re-establishing all vacant positions, including the Hobby Craft position, by submitting documents to the State Controller’s Office. This is a process which is currently being allowed, even though the hiring freeze is still in place. Once the position has been re-approved, a freeze ‘exemption’ process will still have to be followed. It is possible that the state hiring freeze will be in place until as far off as 2005, but institutions are allowed to ask for exemptions. This could take two to three months.

b. Inmate Family Council Minutes

 Are the IFC minutes being posted in all the units? Ms. Hedlind gives copies of the minutes to all Facility Captains as soon as they are ready, usually within ten working days of the meeting. These minutes are to be posted immediately behind locked glass housing unit bulletin boards, the same place that updated Title 15 items are placed. It is okay for IFC members to mail in the minutes to inmates, as well. If inmates do not see the IFC minutes posted in the units, they should go to their WAC representative, or let IFC members know that they are unable to find the minutes. Ms. Hedlind said that she will be distributing the minutes to the WAC as well, in the future.


Inmate Family Council Members Needed: Several current IFC members have had three or more unexcused absences, and will be dropped from the rolls. We are already short by one alternate, and need to find interested persons who would like to participate. If inmates have family members who would be interested in serving, please ask them to contact Ms. Sylvia Hedlind, Community Resources Manager, (550) 665-6100, extension 5540.