Department of Correctional Services

The Executive Budget recommends (analysis as of January 31, 2008):

A SFY 2008-09 workforce of 31,603 FTEs by March 31, 2009.  This is a decrease of 153 FTEs from the adjusted FTE level for SFY 2007-08.  The major decrease occurs in the Correctional Industries program.  According to the Senate budget analysis these 117 positions are being transferred to the Supervision of Inmates program.  The FTE decrease reflects anticipated closures of four facilities offset by additional hiring of 352 FTE positions for expanded mental health and re-entry programs. The following chart details the changes in DOCS FTEs:

*Includes cost of adding/reducing positions and associated non-personal services costs

The following chart identifies adjustments in the current fiscal year’s FTEs along with the recommended differences in SFY 2008-09 FTEs by program (if the FTE’s are the same the program is not listed):

The 234 FTE positions that were added to the Program Services and Supervision of Inmates programs during SFY 2007-08 were due to appropriations added by the Legislature to the department’s enacted SFY 2007-08 budget. It is unclear where the funding for the 8 additional Administration positions came from.

• An All Funds State Operations budget of $2.68 billion, a $63,544,000 or 2.4% increase over the enacted SFY 2007-08 State Operations budget.

• The total appropriation for Personal Service in SFY 2008-09 is $1.897 billion, a 0.8% increase from the personal services appropriation in the enacted SFY 2007-08 budget. According to the Assembly budget analysis DOCS expects $10 million in savings from reduced use of overtime.

• The Executive Budget proposes a January 2009 closure date for Camp Pharsalia, Camp Gabriels, the Camp at the Mt. McGregor Correctional Facility and the Hudson Correctional Facility.  The State has provided the required one year notice for such closures. Staff at these facilities will be offered positions at other correctional facilities or can accept openings in other State agencies.

• A significant decrease in the personal service appropriation for the Correctional Industry program ($4.9 million or an 18.8% decrease from the enacted SFY 2007-08 personal service appropriation). According to the Senate Budget analysis this reflects the movement of 117 Correction Officer FTEs from the Correctional Industry program (Internal Service Fund) to the Supervision of Inmates program (General Fund).

• There are significant increases in the appropriations for temporary services and travel in the Health Services program. It is possible that the 5 FTEs lost in this program are being moved to the Administration program. This issue should be clarified at statewide labor management.

• The Department will be “exploring new ways to deliver health services in a more cost-effective manner (including the expanded utilization of telemedicine which is estimated to save $400,000 according to the Assembly budget analysis), and from tightening overtime controls.”  According to the Assembly budget analysis DOCS expects $1.6 million in savings from internal control improvements at the Central Pharmacy. Health services costs will also be reduced by expediting the parole medical release procedures for terminally ill inmates and inmates with severe incapacitating conditions.

• There is a significant increase in the contractual services appropriation in the Program Services program.  This may be due to the Department’s intention to contract with an Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services licensed provider to deliver the treatment program at the new Edgecombe Parole Violator facility. This facility will initially hold 100 parole violators and “resources will be provided to expand this program by up to 130 additional parolees.” This issue should be clarified at statewide labor management.

• The Department will replicate the Re-entry Unit at Orleans Correctional Facility at three unidentified additional facilities during 2008-09.  DOCS Executive Board members have been told that one of these units will be located in the Marcy Hub.  This unit currently connects inmate nearing release in the Erie County area with community support programs. The Department will also expand its Family Reunion Program which provides select inmates the opportunity to meet in private with their families for an extended period of time.

• Additional residential treatment units, which provide intensive treatment and other programs to inmates with serious mental illness, will be opened at the Albion, Bedford Hills, Green Haven, Fishkill and Great Meadow Correctional Facilities. A new 100 bed Residential Mental Health Unit will open at the Marcy Correctional Facility to provide inmate-patients, who were identified with a serious mental illness while in disciplinary confinement, with specialized treatment. The department is also opening 215 beds for inmates to transition out of mental health units and back into general confinement as well as expanding mental health assessments at Reception Centers.  Overall an additional 238 FTE positions will be created to provide these expanded mental health services.

• There is an $18.5 million increase in the appropriation for Food Production Center account within the Support Services program, $1.7 million of which is for personal services. This is due to the expansion of the Food Production Center at the Oneida Correctional Facility which provides “cook-chill” meals to inmates at all of the Department’s 70 correctional institutions and will be offering that service to local jails. According to the Assembly and Senate budget analysis, 40 FTEs will be added to this program in SFY 2008-09.

• The Executive Budget refers to 242 staff added for enhanced treatment for sex offenders mandated by the Sex Offender Management and Treatment Act ($2.5 million).  We believe these are OMH positions, as 256 FTEs are added in the OMH budget for SOMTA services.  This should be clarified at statewide labor management.

• The consultant contract report for DOCS shows that DOCS will spend an estimated $8.074 million on consultants in SFY 2008-09, an 11% increase over the SFY 2007-08 disbursements. The number of consultant contract employees will increase from 40 employees to 44 employees. The average cost per consultant contract employee will increase from $181,223 per employee to $183,509 per employee. An explanation of what these consultant contract employees are doing and why their costs are escalating in SFY 2008-09 should be pursued at statewide labor management.

• The inmate population is projected to decline to an estimated 62,200 inmates by the end of SFY 2008-09 (3/31/09) — a drop of 9,000 inmates since peaking at nearly 71,600 in 1999, and a drop of 600 inmates from the start of the SFY 2008-09  (4/1/08).  The estimated inmate population for the end of SFY 2007-08 (3/31/08) is 62,800 a decrease of 232 inmates from the inmate population as of 8/31/07.  Interestingly during the first eight months of 2007 (the most recent data available to PEF) the inmate population at all four facilities slated for closure remained relatively constant.

• Proposed Article VII legislation includes a bill to revise the Medical Parole Statute to authorize the release of State inmates who are seriously ill and incapacitated, freeing regional medical units from serving as nursing homes and permanent sites for hospice care, at a savings of $5.4 million.