Lake County Adult Detention Facilities

The Lake County Adult Detention Facilities processed 6,768 inmates into its two jail facilities in 2006. Its daily average of inmates housed for the Lake County Courts reached a daily population average of 327, the highest level ever in the history of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Based on the statistics of the previous 15 years it is an indicator of the housing dilemma our Correctional system will face in the coming years.

In 2006 the Corrections Division booked and processed 6,768 inmates. This is an annual increase of 1,463 bookings over the 1993 mark of 5,305. The daily population average between the Maximum Security Facility ( 104 east Erie Street ) and Minimum Security Facility (2025 Blase-Nemeth Road) reached a level at 361 inmates housed per day, the 4^th highest level in the jail’s history. ( Reference the 2006 Housing Report for overview )

While the male inmate population average dropped from the record 2002 level of 332 male inmates per day down to 302 male inmates per day in 2005, the female average daily population continued to grow to record levels at 59 female inmates housed per day in 2006. This significant rise in the female population marked a 95% rise from the its 1993 level of 30 per day.

The average Lake County inmates being housed on Lake County charges ( i.e. not being housed for agencies outside of Lake County ) reached a new record level in 2006 when we averaged 327 Lake County inmates per day, a 50% increase over the 1993 level of 206 per day.

Lt. Cynthia Brooks reports a successful year at the Minimum Security jail facility which opened in February of 2001. In 2006 the Pay For Stay program collected a total pay in of $54,779. In 2006, 206 male work release and 24 female work release have participated in the Pay For Stay program. The program collected between $1,900.00 to $7,400.00 a month which is deposited into the general fund each month. In 2005 a total of 470 inmates participated in the work release program compared to 470 for the year 2006. In 2005, 208 males and 27 females participated and in 2006, 208 males and 24 females participated in the work release program. A total of 4 inmates in 2006 were released each day to continue their high school or college education. The total average daily headcount of the minimum jail is 38 inmates per day with 17 male work release, 17 minimum inmates and 4 prisoner workers. The average stay was 30 days for a total of 48 felons and 201 misdemeanors that were housed in the Minimum facility for the year 2006.

In 2006 we averaged 23 Marshal inmates per day, as well as 5 Out-Of-County inmates per day. This housing program has helped off-set the significant expenses the jail facilities face in housing today’s inmate populations.

In 2006 the Lake County Correctional Facilities generated returned revenue through a number of sources to off-set Correctional costs:

	Returned $851,578.92 to the General Fund of Lake County from rented bed space Since 1993 $24,381,772 million dollars has been generated and returned to the General Fund through rented bed space
	Returned $ to the General Fund of Lake County from inmate phone commissions Since 1993 $3,143,273 has been generated and returned to the General Fund through inmate phone commissions
	Returned $54,779 to the General Fund of Lake County from MSJ Pay-For-Stay program in 2003. Since 2001 $423,401 has been generated and returned to the General Fund through the MSJ Pay-For-Stay program
	Note: In total, since 1993, $ has been returned to the General Fund of Lake County through billing programs in the Correctional Facilities.

The following press release from February 2007 speak of the impact of changing jail population

The average Lake County inmates being housed on Lake County charges ( i.e. not being housed for agencies outside of Lake County ) reached a new record level in 2006 when we averaged 327 Lake County inmates per day, a 50% increase over the 1993 level of 206 per day.

In 2006 the Lake County Correctional Facilities generated returned revenue through a number of sources to off-set Correctional costs:

Returned $851,578.92 to the General Fund of Lake County from rented bed space

Since 1993 $24,381,772 million dollars has been generated and returned to the General Fund through rented bed space

Returned $ to the General Fund of Lake County from inmate phone commissions

Since 1993 $3,143,273 has been generated and returned to the General Fund through inmate phone commissions

Returned $54,779 to the General Fund of Lake County from MSJ Pay-For-Stay program in 2003.

Since 2001 $423,401 has been generated and returned to the General Fund through the MSJ Pay-For-Stay program

Note: In total, since 1993, $28,265,548.08 has been returned to the General Fund of Lake County through billing programs in the Correctional Facilities.

( Reference the 2006 Billing Reports for overview )

The following press release from February 2007 speak of the impact of changing jail population

The significant rise in the County population has greatly impacted many areas for the Criminal Justice System of Lake County according to Capt. Leonbruno. "When we built the maximum security jail at 104 East Erie Street and opened it in 1990, we brought 100 inmates over the from the "old jail". Because we had 353 beds, leaving over 200 beds opened, we were able to rent bed space to the United States Marshal Service and Cuyahoga County who needed a place to house their inmates. We seized the opportunity and at one point were housing nearly 130 inmates a day from outside jurisdictions. The revenue generated from housing outside inmates over the past 15 years returned over $30 million dollars to the General Fund of Lake County, paying for the construction and financing on the maximum security jail. When you are bring in $2-$3 Million Dollars each year it is a great benefit to assist the County in offsetting the costs of criminal justice programming in Lake County. Now that our County inmate population is so significant, we do not have many empty beds to rent, thus reducing what we can return back to the General Fund."

Capt. Leonbruno notes that even with the significant reduction in available beds, a significant amount of money is returned to the General Fund by the Sheriff’s Office. "By managing contracts efficiently the Sheriff’s Office has been able to return over $1.2 Million Dollars back to the General Fund of Lake County through rented bed space, commissions generated through the jail phones, and revenue generated by charging work release inmates for their stays in jail in 2006.

"Effective jail management means returning our incarcerated citizens back to the community better then when they first arrived at our doors" says Sheriff Dan Dunlap. "As our jail population increases so does our needs for GED training, Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment, as well as Inmate Programming services required by the State such as access to Religious Services, Counseling, Recreation, and Legal access. Each of these areas involves staffing and expenditures. Here again we are fortunate in Lake County to have active involvement of our area Church volunteers, Neighboring Mental Health Services proving counselors, and many A and NA volunteers who come in during their free time and sacrifice their extra time to assist the inmates."

"It is important" Sheriff Dunlap adds, "to understand that treatment does not mean soft on crime. Although the "chain gang" picture of incarceration looks good on television, it does little to solve the problem of recidivism in the jail systems. Each year 50% of the people going into our prisons have drugs or alcohol related to their crime. There are 33% more mentally ill people in jail then in our psychiatric facilities. Being on a chain gang does not cure mental illness, it does not resolve drug addition, and it does not cure alcoholism. Chain gangs are released from jail and return to our communities with the same problems they had when they arrived in jail. Today 67% of the inmates released from incarceration return back to jail nationwidfe. By offering treatment in our jail system we reduce recidivism. 65% of the inmates who complete our drug and alcohol treatment program have not returned to jail, a statistic that has remained consistent since we started the Drug and Alcohol program in 1993. 96% of the women in jail who complete the WITTS program did not return to jail in 2006. This translates to returning mothers and fathers, sons and daughters back to our community better then when they first arrived, ready to become more productive members of our society."

Sheriff Dunlap adds "In a time when 95% of the jails in America are overcrowded, we are fortunate here in Lake County to have such a collaborative effort in our Corrections Board. The Commissioners, Judges, Prosecutor, Public defender, Police Chiefs, Probation Departments, and Sheriff work closely together to try to handle the rising costs of housing inmates. This collaborative effort allowed us to build a Minimum Security Jail, paying for the construction with Federal funds, which opened additional bed space in the County. Had it not been for the MSJ opening we would at times well exceeded are jail beds available and been forced to house 30-50 inmates on the floor."

Capt. Leonbruno adds "It is important that people are aware of the rising inmate population in this County. When the Maximum Security jail opened in 1990 at 104 East Erie Street many thought it would provide enough bed space for the next 20 years. In less then 8 years after opening we already were planning the MSJ. Truly we are fortunate in our proactive court system, probation system, prosecutor’s office, and innovative policing efforts to reduce incarceration here in Lake County. But we need to realize that the rising incarceration rate here in Lake County effects everyone of us."

Yet Leonbruno quickly notes that there are many hidden costs people are not aware of when the County inmate population increases so significantly. "Medical costs rise sharply when staffing needs to be increased, prescription orders rise, as well as costs involved in treating illness among an inmate population that often reaches nearly 400 on certain days. That is compounded by the significant costs involved in treating mental illness. There are nearly 33% more mentally people in jail today then there are in our psychiatric hospitals. Lake County is a reflection of that number and the costs associated with psychiatric care are significant."

The increased jail populations have directly effected many aspects of Correctional management. Medical and Mental Health are examples which witnessed significant increases in demand for services.

In 2006 the dispensary of the jail over 6,701 inmates were seen by the doctor and nurses in the jail dispensary. This is an average of 559 inmates seen per month, an increase of 50 inmates per month over 2005. Besides the daily medical problems that normally exist (colds, flu, etc) the medical staff treated health conditions such as: numerous pregnant females at one time, daily maintenance of numerous diabetic inmates requiring daily insulin injections, treatment of inmates with HIV and/or AIDS, gun shot wounds received prior to incarceration, heart problems, an aging inmate population, and dental treatment. Jail Physician Dr. Carla Baster, and medical programming co-ordinator Anne Takacs, RN, as well as Jane Lunceford, RN, Rhonda Webb, RN, and Carolyn Barbish, LPN worked together to insure the best possible medical treatment to an inmate population that did not have a very good history of medical maintenance andcare prior to their incarceration. They made such achievements through the best possible cost containment measures available to them without reducing the necessary quality of care that helped this facility achieve State certification. ( Reference the 2006 Medical Services Report for overview)

The cost of medical services declined in 2006 to $ , a decrease of about $ over 200. Yet is serves as a constant reminder of the increasing cost of medical programming in the coming years. Pressing issues in 2007 include responding to growing demands by the judiciary to provide 24 hour medical care by licensed doctors and nursing staff, as well as the continual plague of frivolous jail litigation by inmates.

The Medical Staff continues to work diligently to reduce the costs of medical services. By working with the ADAMHS Board and Neighboring they have continued the connection to the Central Pharmacy in Columbus. Since its inception approximately one year and half ago using this connection they were able to obtain 271 prescriptions. The cost was paid for by the Ohio Department of Mental Health, saving Lake County $38,938.

Unfortunately, the Correctional Facilities continue to witness a dramatic increase in the mental health needs of the expanded inmate population. The Mental Health professionals received over 1,720 referrals. The part-time psychiatrist contracted to the jail was called in to consult on 236 individuals on 413 occassions due to the seriousness of their mental health conditions. ( Reference the 2006 Mental Health Services Report for overview )

Yet, the jail remains committed to the mission of Sheriff Dan Dunlap to return inmates back to society better then when they first came to our doors. To this end the Corrections facilities continued in 2005 to develop and expand programming intended to meet such goals.

In 2006 Inmate Programming and Services continued to grow in the number of volunteers participating in Inmate Programming under the co-ordination of Lt. Kenneth Lorenz. In 2006 145 volunteers from outside of the facility donated 2,600 hours of service to the Correctional Facilities, serving a weekly average of 330 inmates. In total the combined attendance at all inmate programming throughout 2006 equaled 15,347 inmates. They provided such valuable services as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Men and Women’s bible study, Non-Denominational Church services, Catholic Church services, Library Services, GED Programming, and Men’s A.A. Recovery programming. ( Reference the 2006 Inmate Programming Report for overview )

Jail Services continued such programming through Anger Management Education groups and Anger Management Therapy provided by Western Reserve Counseling. Neighboring and Adult Probation assisted through Chemical Dependancy Aftercare, as well as Mental Health Counseling and Consultation. Much of this was paid for through a grant through the local ADAMS Board. ( Reference the 2006 Jail Services Report for overview )

In August 1993 the Jail Treatment program was established to reduce recidivism related to chemical dependancy ( Drugs and Alcohol ), as well as other related behaviors. Further, it was established to link dependant inmates to services intended to increase their chances for recovery through services such as mental health, anger management, and community based rehabilitation programs. In 2006 a total of 364 inmates completed the program. ( Reference the 2006 Jail Treatment for overview ).

Training is key to the development of the detention facilities, as well as the best defense possible in achieving the safe and secure operations of the jails. The State of Ohio demands that all Correction Officers receive 24 hours of in-service training each year. Given the fact that there are 106 Correction Officers this translates to 2,544 hours of training. Such a demand could exert an enormous financial burden on the Sheriff’s budget should such required training not be approached in an innovative manner. I am happy to report that Officers received in excess of 50 hours of in-service training each, totaling nearly 5,200 hours of in-service training at a cost of less then $7,000. Translated, this is a cost of about 1.35 cents per training hour. (Reference the 2006 Training Report for Training overview ). This training and financial success is due to the innovation of the Corrections Division Training Team members who used their skills to provide cost effective quality training to increase the professionalism of our staff. ( Reference the 2006 Training Report for overview )

Such collaborative efforts as I have highlighted here illustrate the dedication of the members of the Corrections Division to meet the growing demands placed on it with an expanding jail population. Such confidence is marked by the proven excellence and dedication of the men and women that make up the Corrections staff ( Correction Officers, Doctors, Nurses, Cooks, Counselors, Maintenance Staff...). Our success is truly possible only through their efforts, labored over 24 hours day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Thanks to all of them, Corrections is working in Lake County, Ohio !

Capt. Frank J. Leonbruno
Jail Administrator