Post by Admin on May 21, 2007 5:22:05 GMT -5
Effects of the Lucasville Incident on Corrections in Ohio
Reginald A. Wilkinson, Director
Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction
Association of State Correctional Administrators newsletter, May, 1993
American Correctional Association
ASCA President's Corner
Community Justice
Diversity
International Corrections
Lucasville Disturbance
Management
Offender Programming
Offender Reentry
Prison Health Care
Prison Life
Technology
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three p.m. on Easter Sunday, 1993, became a defining moment for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. That was the moment when prisoners at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility (SOCF) in Lucasville, took over L-Block, capturing staff hostages and the attention of the nation.
During the next eleven days we learned much about our Department's strengths and weak points. During the siege, our staff kept their eyes firmly focused on the goal of retrieving our correction officer hostages and keeping the loss of life and injuries to a minimum.
Following the peaceful resolution of the crisis at Lucasville, a careful analysis of the situation was required. A number of review committees have been impaneled to study various factors of the disturbance:
Before the surrender, I named two committees. The first is charged with determining the "causes" of the disturbance.
The second committee is responsible for reconstructing the events of Easter Sunday to evaluate whether or not proper procedures were followed.
In addition to our internal investigations Ohio Governor George Voinovich named a committee to study correctional issues in Ohio. This committee, chaired by a retired Ohio State University sociology professor, will make recommendations regarding the future direction of Ohio adult corrections. ASCA associate member Mike Quinlan serves on this committee.
Additionally, the Ohio legislature's prison oversight committee is reviewing the Lucasville riot. Moreover, the union representing correction officers has announced that they are conducting an investigation as well. The Ohio State Highway Patrol is pursuing the criminal investigation.
Media attention was almost overwhelming during the siege. Our staff took over 2,000 media calls during the eleven day ordeal. Although the volume of media requests has subsided, the intensity of their questions and requests has escalated. I have had enough media experience to last several lifetimes.
To compound matters, the crisis at SOCF came during our agency's two year budget request. Our administration has embarked on a massive campaign to promote community punishment alternatives. This effort is now being threatened by the 'lock 'em up and throw away the key' mentality of various stakeholders. While grandstanding by some has not been absent, it has been kept to a minimum. Because our union is a major constituent group, they have the ear of many legislators.
Ohio has one of the highest inmate/correction officer ratios in the country--eight prisoners per C.O. However, SOCF, our highest security facility, has a much lower, four-to-one ratio. We had hoped to address our inmate/ratio and crowding issues by reducing the number of people entering prison, and increasing the number leaving prison early by enhancing community corrections options throughout the state. However, in view of events at Lucasville, we are requesting additional dollars for the hiring of 600 new correctional staff.
Much of our "aftermath" energy is being directed, in addition to the investigations, toward some of the following issues: emergency preparedness, training, race relations, unit management, prisoner movement and access to programs, prison crowding, staffing and the need for a "supermax" prison.
This disturbance has forced us to evaluate every aspect of our operation. It served as a reminder that there is no room for complacency in our field, and that when mistakes are made we must learn from them. Last week, the Midwest Association of Correctional Administrators met in Cincinnati. A part of planned activities was a visit to SOCF. That visit generated some very interesting conversations for the balance of the meeting.
If anyone has any more specific questions you'd like to ask me, either give me a call or leave a TIGON message. I look forward to discussing Lucasville in more detail with you in the future.
Reginald A. Wilkinson, Director
Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction
Association of State Correctional Administrators newsletter, May, 1993
American Correctional Association
ASCA President's Corner
Community Justice
Diversity
International Corrections
Lucasville Disturbance
Management
Offender Programming
Offender Reentry
Prison Health Care
Prison Life
Technology
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Three p.m. on Easter Sunday, 1993, became a defining moment for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. That was the moment when prisoners at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility (SOCF) in Lucasville, took over L-Block, capturing staff hostages and the attention of the nation.
During the next eleven days we learned much about our Department's strengths and weak points. During the siege, our staff kept their eyes firmly focused on the goal of retrieving our correction officer hostages and keeping the loss of life and injuries to a minimum.
Following the peaceful resolution of the crisis at Lucasville, a careful analysis of the situation was required. A number of review committees have been impaneled to study various factors of the disturbance:
Before the surrender, I named two committees. The first is charged with determining the "causes" of the disturbance.
The second committee is responsible for reconstructing the events of Easter Sunday to evaluate whether or not proper procedures were followed.
In addition to our internal investigations Ohio Governor George Voinovich named a committee to study correctional issues in Ohio. This committee, chaired by a retired Ohio State University sociology professor, will make recommendations regarding the future direction of Ohio adult corrections. ASCA associate member Mike Quinlan serves on this committee.
Additionally, the Ohio legislature's prison oversight committee is reviewing the Lucasville riot. Moreover, the union representing correction officers has announced that they are conducting an investigation as well. The Ohio State Highway Patrol is pursuing the criminal investigation.
Media attention was almost overwhelming during the siege. Our staff took over 2,000 media calls during the eleven day ordeal. Although the volume of media requests has subsided, the intensity of their questions and requests has escalated. I have had enough media experience to last several lifetimes.
To compound matters, the crisis at SOCF came during our agency's two year budget request. Our administration has embarked on a massive campaign to promote community punishment alternatives. This effort is now being threatened by the 'lock 'em up and throw away the key' mentality of various stakeholders. While grandstanding by some has not been absent, it has been kept to a minimum. Because our union is a major constituent group, they have the ear of many legislators.
Ohio has one of the highest inmate/correction officer ratios in the country--eight prisoners per C.O. However, SOCF, our highest security facility, has a much lower, four-to-one ratio. We had hoped to address our inmate/ratio and crowding issues by reducing the number of people entering prison, and increasing the number leaving prison early by enhancing community corrections options throughout the state. However, in view of events at Lucasville, we are requesting additional dollars for the hiring of 600 new correctional staff.
Much of our "aftermath" energy is being directed, in addition to the investigations, toward some of the following issues: emergency preparedness, training, race relations, unit management, prisoner movement and access to programs, prison crowding, staffing and the need for a "supermax" prison.
This disturbance has forced us to evaluate every aspect of our operation. It served as a reminder that there is no room for complacency in our field, and that when mistakes are made we must learn from them. Last week, the Midwest Association of Correctional Administrators met in Cincinnati. A part of planned activities was a visit to SOCF. That visit generated some very interesting conversations for the balance of the meeting.
If anyone has any more specific questions you'd like to ask me, either give me a call or leave a TIGON message. I look forward to discussing Lucasville in more detail with you in the future.