N.C. firm pitches prison services
A North Charleroi firm pitched its case management and mediation services to the Fayette County Prison Board Wednesday as an alternative to incarceration. Alliance Mediation told the board that Allegheny County uses a portion of its program, which a representative touted as having a proven 14 percent recidivism rate for low-level criminal offenders, said county Commissioner Angela M. Zimmerlink.
“He said it is guaranteed to reduce our jail population,” said Zimmerlink. “I think it’s a good way to look at our overcrowding issue. I’m going to contact the Allegheny County program director (for more information).”
Zimmerlink added that following the morning prison board meeting, Alliance Mediation employees planned to take a closer look at Fayette’s situation. “They’re going to look at the jail this afternoon and work up some numbers, then bring that back to board and commissioners,” said Zimmerlink.
Recidivism rate basically refers to prisoners who return to the penal system after serving their sentences. The recidivism rate of 14 percent quoted by Alliance would mean that 86 percent of those who complete their program don’t commit further crimes.
Fayette County Sheriff Gary D. Brownfield, who chairs the prison board, said Alliance contacted him and offered its services as a means to thwart the county’s escalating prison population. Brownfield said the program would be limited to those charged or convicted of nonviolent crimes or who are serving “minimal” incarcerations, and would offer a sentencing alternative to jail time.
“I think it’s a good idea. We’re looking for any kind of alternative means to keep people out of jail,” said Brownfield. “It sounds good. The only way we’ll ever find out is to try it, I think.”
Zimmerlink said that Alliance Mediation offered to perform mediation for a trial period of 90 days at a cost of $800. She said the company also offered to perform full case management services for $450 per month per case – which could in some instances be billed to Medicaid.
The company also was willing to develop a pilot program that would manage 20 to 30 cases over a three- to four-month period, said Zimmerlink, and was additionally willing to work up a cost for a one-year contract covering an unlimited number of cases.
Alliance Mediation’s programs cover adults and juveniles, added Zimmerlink.
Brownfield said that the Medicaid component would come into play if an inmate was deemed to need mental health help and could thus be checked into a formal medical facility. He said another component would be charging people who have the ability to pay for their enrollment in the alternative sentencing program.
“They’re also looking into the possibility of charging for this. If you’re capable of paying, then you’d have to be responsible for paying for it,” said Brownfield. He said that if it costs $800 per month to keep an inmate in the county jail and the Alliance program cost is about $500 per month, “Even if the guy is indigent and the county ends up paying, the county will end up saving money.”
On another matter, Brownfield said that Nutrition Inc., the firm contracted to provide meals for inmates in the county prison, wants a 10-cents-per-meal increase in its payment from the county. If that doesn’t happen, the firm intends to exercise a 60-day termination notice on its contract, which runs through July 21, 2005, said Zimmerlink.
Such a move would leave the prison in need of a new food vendor after Jan. 30. Brownfield said that escalating food costs were driving the request.
“They claim they’ve lost over $20,000. They were the lowest bidder and they’re required by law to furnish three meals a day (per inmate) — 2,800 total calories, in all the basic food groups,” said Brownfield. “But what they never allotted for is that all their prices have gone up. The price of milk, for example, has gone up.”
Brownfield said the prison board agreed to rebid the food contract if needed, in order to obtain the best possible competitive price.