Arizona Department ofCorrections

Maximum Custody Management

Charles L. Ryan, Director

ASCA Symposium for Correctional Administrators September 26, 2015

• In Parsons v. Ryan, ADC was challenged by external sources on issues related to inmate health services, including medical, mental health, and dental care, and conditions of confinement.

• The two-year class action litigation process reached a milestone in February 2015, when ADC entered into a Stipulation Agreement with the ACLU and Prison Law Office (PLO).

• The terms of the Stipulation Agreement will be monitored for compliance over a four-year period through a combination of site visits by the plaintiffs and ongoing ADC monitoring of 121 measures.

Litigation History and Outcome

2

• Housing 2,834 maximum custody inmates as of September 17, 2015 - or 6.6% of the total inmate population of 42,734

• Placed there for administrative/disciplinary segregation, condemned row, security threat group, and new lifers

• Needed to ensure that we had the appropriate inmates in maximum custody

• Determined a need to have different levels of restrictions within maximum custody and a process to track their progress

Re-Examining Maximum Custody

3

4

ASPC-Lewis Rast Unit

• Most Restrictive –Inmates who pose the highest security risk and require more control, such as enhanced management, STG, condemned row, and intake (restraints are always used)

• Intermediate Restriction –Inmates who have shown a willingness to program and comply with rules, such as Protective Custody, sex offenders, general population (both male and female), SMIs, and Behavioral Management Unit (restraints are used when necessary)

• Least Restrictive – Inmates who have consistently shown pro-social behaviors, such as high functioning mental health, general population, and close custody overrides (no restraints are used)

Max Custody Placement Types

5

• Maximum Custody Placement Instrument - Web Application that assists in placing inmates at the appropriate unit according to internal risk

• Risk assessment is based on the following:• Disciplinary Violence level – a basic risk level from their

classification review• Escape Risk • Release Group – 1-5 years, 5-10 years, 10 to life • Violation Score – A score based on severity of disciplinary in the

last three years, with multiple disciplinary violations being rated cumulatively

The Placement Process

6

• Once the thorough review is complete, the committee meets daily to review the collected information

• The committee consists of:• Administrator (DW or ADW)• Programming COIV• Correctional Officer• Mental Health Clinician

• A determination is made by the committee on where to best place the inmate based on security risk and programming needs

The Placement Process (cont.)

7

• Team approach involving line staff, security management, case management, and mental health clinicians• Treatment team meetings weekly and discusses step

progression

• Cognitive-behavioral program materials are used for in-cell and out-of-cell programming

• Other available incentives – work based programming, group meals, loaner TV and radios, increase in store purchases, additional phone calls, increase in library privileges, and group religious services

Max Custody Program Elements

8

Out of Cell Time (Minimum) per Parsons v. Ryan Stipulation Agreement

9

• Maximum Custody (per week)• Step 1 – 7.5 hours• Step 2 – 8.5 hours• Step 3 – 9.5 hours

• SMI Population – 21 hours (per week), which includes:• 10 hours of unstructured out of cell activities• 2 hours of mental health groups

Step ProgramComplex/Unit Step 1

Sept. 2015Step 2

Sept. 2015Step 3

Sept. 2015

Eyman, Browning 431 39 319

Eyman, SMU I 341 141 348

Florence, Central Unit Max GP 85 74 108

Central Unit, Close GP 44 84 278

Central Unit, Close MH 13 26 63

Central Unit, SMI 24 8 23

Central Unit, RSHP 22 26 17

Lewis, Rast Unit 167 101 199

Perryville, Lumley Unit 49 27 28

Phoenix, Alhambra 12 11 7

Total 1,188 537 1,390 10

Total Inmates in the Step Program: 3,118 as of September 17, 2015

Max Custody Recreation

11

Step I – Central Unit

Step III – Central Unit

Step II – SMU-1

Work Incentive Pay ProgramComplex/Unit Number Inmates Assigned

Eyman, Browning 87

Eyman, SMU I 126

Florence, Central Unit Max GP 24

Central Unit, Close GP 247

Central Unit, Close MH 56

Central Unit, SMI 11

Central Unit, RSHP N/A

Lewis, Rast Unit 60

Perryville, Lumley Unit 30

Phoenix, Alhambra 8

Total 64912

As of September 17, 2015; includes: porters, painters, landscape workers, maintenance, teacher aides, kitchen workers

Max Custody Housing Unit Porters

13

SMU I Step I & II

Browning Step I & II

Max Custody Kitchen Workers

14

Step II & III ,Central Unit

Step II & III, SMU I

Out of Cell Programs – Steps II & IIIComplex/Unit Group - #

AssignedEducation - # Assigned

Group – SMI # Assigned

Eyman, Browning 293 6 49

Eyman, SMU I 325 7 72

Florence, Central Unit Max GP 175 1 N/A

Central Unit, Close GP 12 44 N/A

Central Unit, Close MH 12 10 82

Central Unit, MH / SMI 32 N/A 72

Central Unit, RSHP N/A N/A N/A

Lewis, Rast Unit 300 1 76

Perryville, Lumley Unit 47 1 56

Phoenix, Alhambra 29 10 18

Total 1,225 80 42515

Step I inmates start program participation in cell Total: 1,730 inmates, as of September 17, 2015; inmates may participate in more than one out of cell program (example: group and education)Out of Cell Groups include: Responsible Thinking, Social Values, Substance Abuse, Feelings, Core Skills, Self-Control, Socialization, and Re-Entry

16Step III – Open Tables

Step II – Restraint Chairs Step II – Restraint Tables

Program Restraint Progression

• May 2012, initiated a behavioral health (axis II) program in cell block 1 and a mental health (axis I) program in Kasson, Wing 1

• Inmates again screened from Browning, SMU 1, and Central Unit based on select criteria

• Reviewed peer journal research regarding elements of successful mental health programming and implemented it

• Staff selected to work in areas was based on their interest, patience, experience, and communication skills

Mental Health Programs

17

18

Max Custody Mental Health

After – Step III Mental Health Class

Before – Mental Health Group Therapy

19

Browning Unit – Max CustodyMental Health Recreation Area

Step I Step II

Step III

Restrictive Status Housing Program• Inmates are placed into the program if they commit one of

the Forbidden Three acts of violence:

• Assault on staff which results in injury• Assault on another inmate with a weapon which results in injury• Multiple inmates assaulting another inmate that results in injury

• Strict, rigid, regimented environment that emphasizes safety and security and pro-social behavior

• Inmates participate in programming designed to restructure their values and thinking process

• Groups include: Substance Abuse Treatment, Social Values, Self-Control, Foundations of Character, Thinking for a Change, and Personality Restructuring 20

Restrictive Status Housing Program (cont’d)

• 120 day minimum three step program with incentives• Step I – 30 days Step II – 60 days Step III – 30 days

• Began March 2014 with 30 inmates, all in Step I

• As of September 17, 2015, a total of 65 inmates assigned• Step I – 20 Step II – 21 Step III – 24

• To date, 208 inmates have been assigned to RSHP• 133 have graduated• 6 have re-committed a violent act (one of which involved a weapon)• 10 were removed for either refusal to participate or committee

determined they did not meet criteria to be assigned 21