TOWN OF MANSFIELD/DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION

PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE

WEDNESDAY, July 20, 2005

Audrey P. Beck Municipal Building

Council Chambers

 

Minutes

 

Members Present: A. Barberet, G. Cole, R. Gergler, Warden Higgins, C. Lary, C. Paulhus,

W. Solenski, W. Stauder, S. Thomas

 

Staff:   Counselor D. Cyr, Assistant Town Manager M. Hart, Counselor Supervisor J. Roache, Deputy Warden K. Smayda

 

I.                     CALL TO ORDER

 

            Chairman Stauder called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. and welcomed everyone present.

 

1.                  Mr. Hart volunteered to serve as the recorder/secretary for the meeting.

 

2.                  Mr. Gergler moved to approve the minutes of April 20, 2005.  Mr. Cole seconded.  The motion passed unanimously.

 

II.                   COMMUNICATIONS

 

1.                  The committee reviewed the June 17, 2005 List of Offenses.  Ms. Stauder asked what constitutes special parole.  Mr. Roache explained that special parole is designed to alleviate some pressure on the parole system.  Special parole is granted by a judge and administered by the board of parole.

 

III.                  WARDEN’S REPORT AND DISCUSSION

 

1.                  Population Status Report – Mr. Roache reported that the current population is 957 inmates, and the maximum capacity remains 962.

 

2.                  List of Offenses – Mr. Roache reviewed the list of offenses with the committee.   The list is similar to that of previous months.

 

Mr. Cole asked if the relatively short stays have an effect on programming.  Warden Higgins replied in the affirmative.  Consequently, the programs are designed for inmates with short stays.  With respect to the turnover and length of stays, Bergin is analogous to a jail.

 

Mr. Solenski inquired about the length of an average stay.  The average stay is 90 days, with a lot of 30 to 45-day sentences.

 

Ms. Thomas asked how 30-day sentences work.  The warden explained that with a 30-day sentence an inmate is processed at a jail and spends his time at Bergin.

 

Ms. Stauder inquired as to how a typical release operates.  Typically, upon release an inmate is picked up by a relative or dropped of to a local jail for release within the local community.

 

IV.               CHAIRMAN’S REPORT – None

 

V.                 OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC TO SPEAK

 

1.                  Ms. Amy Moore of Stafford Road in Mansfield expressed her concerns to the committee.  She believes that the facility has a high escape rate, and that a large percentage of inmates are gang members.  Also, she believes that the state is slipping in people under special parole, etc. who do not meet the admissions criteria for Bergin.  (Ms. Smayda explained the scoring system in an effort to address this concern.)

 

Ms. Stauder asked if the recent number of escapes was acceptable.  Ms. Higgins indicated that no escapes are acceptable, and that the department conducts a thorough review each time one occurs.

 

Ms. Moore asked if the DOC could list an inmate’s original violation when granted special parole.  Ms. Smayda explained that the department could accommodate this request.

 

Ms. Moore inquired about the staffing rate.  Warden Higgins explained that she could not release that information.

 

Ms. Moore stated that she would like to see a beeper system in place to notify residents when an escape occurs.  The warden replied that beepers would not work any faster than the current notification system.

 

Mr. Hart stated that the town manager’s office would work to update the notification list.  Once the list is updated, we should resume testing the notification system on a more regular basis.

 

2.                  Mr. Charles McDermott of 1436 Stafford Road in Mansfield asked to be added to the notification list.  Mr. Hart will process this request.

 

3.                  An unidentified resident asked about the calling order of the notification list.  Mr. Hart explained that the order is roughly based on proximity to the facility, with those living close by to be called first.

 

VI.               OLD BUSINESS

 

1.                  Security Measures – Warden Higgins described how Bergin is the only level 2 in the state without some interior razor wire around the perimeter.  She believes that we need to have this in place at our facility.  The committee agreed to conduct a special meeting on August 24, 2005 to review this issue in more detail, and to develop a specific recommendation for the town council.

 

VII.              NEW BUSINESS

 

Review Colchester Walk Away Incident – Ms. Stauder asked about the Colchester escape and whether it had an impact on the community outreach program (work crews).  Ms. Higgins reviewed the escape in some detail, and stated that it did not impact Bergin’s outreach program.

 

VIII.            ADJOURNMENT

 

Chairman Stauder adjourned the meeting at 4:15 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

Matthew W. Hart

Assistant Town Manager