NEIGHBORHOOD ADVISORY COMMITTEE  
MONTGOMERY COUNTY DETENTION CENTER

 

Administrative Conference Room, MCDC

  Corrected Minutes for Thursday, October 17, 2002

 

Include in the "reuse" MCDC POR an appropriate secure meeting space for visitation to individuals by cleared representatives of faith based organizations. Such space should be in the vicinity of the housing units that are used for incarceration of those waiting transfer to MCCF. In the interim - after opening of MCCF and before completion of "reuse" construction - provide an appropriate secure meeting space for visitation to individuals by cleared representatives of faith based organizations.

ATTENDANCE: Arthur M. Wallenstein, William L. Smith, Jim Main, Dwayne Jenkins, David Heltemes, Mike Menaker, William Campbell Jr., Carl C. Furr, Gloria Paul and Kelli Holland.

INTERNET EMAIL LINK: Mr. Wallenstein reported that all committee members email address have been put together on a link for our Department to be able to email all members on committee issues. Please note that any citizen may be placed on the committee list, to be able to receive emails from the Department. The Department is very serious about keeping everyone in the committee informed at all times.

DAVID HELTEMES - Project Manager for the MCDC Project: Mr. Heltemes works for the Department of Public Works and Transportation for the Division of Facility Services as a Project Manager. Mr. Heltemes has been working MCDC project for two (2) years, which was when this program started. At this time, the MCDC project FY03 July design program was approved. October 29, 2002, there will be a pre-bid conference held at DFS. All bids must be submitted by November 12, 2002 to the procurement office. In mid January there will be oral interviews. Around January or February 2003, selection of the architect firm will be made. Design work will begin shortly there after. Year and a half after design is finished; the reuse project for MCDC will begin approximately April of 2004. The estimated time for the reuse project to be completed 2006.

WHEN MCDC RE-USE PROJECT IS COMPLETED: When MCDC re-use project is completed, the facility will house no more than two hundred (200) inmates. There will be limited visitations for inmates in this facility. Inmates will only be housed at MCDC up to seventy two (72) hours and sent to MCCF. As promised, all releases will be done at MCDC.

CARL C. FURR - Records Manager, MCDC: Mr. Furr is the Records Manager for the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation. Mr. Furr is responsible for commitment records, releases, intakes, medical releases, and court releases. Mr. Furr has been employed with Montgomery County Government for twenty (20) years and has been the Records Manager for twelve (12) years. Mr. Furr will be serving as a member of the MCDC Re-use project.

SNIPER: The investigation process for the sniper at this time is on a need to know basis. The Department has assisted the Department of Police in many ways. Our officer's have answered phones for the tip line and checked press passes at headquarters. The Department is prepared to bring suspect in to this facility should an arrest be made, we will notify all committee members as soon as they arrive. The Rockville Police Department has met with staff and walked the grounds of the Detention Center and we thanked Chief Treschuk for meeting with Mr. Smith.

Mr. Wallenstein will act as Public Information Officer (PIO) for the Department.

Halloween activities will be held indoors. You can contact Recreation and Parks Services to assist you in getting locations.

MCCF STATUS - Clarksburg: At this time, the facility is about 95% completion. There are some electronic issues that need to be completed. There are over 18,000 connections that need to be tested and retested yearly in 2003. Once we decide to move inmates, the community will be notifies along with the press. The Department is very satisfied with the progress of the new facility. Once the Department decides on a date for the opening of the facility, all will be invited for the over night stay. The Department will be inviting five hundred and fifty (550) citizens. No jail staff will be permitted to stay over night.

FOOD SERVICES: Starting November 1, 2002, the department will assume full responsibility for food service. The contract with Aramark will be terminated on that date due to contractual issues. We will be advertising for Correctional Dietary Officers, which means that the individual has to have experience in food services and must be certified as a Correctional Officer. The department is currently interviewing for these positions already and will continue interviewing until all positions are filled. There is a banner up at MCCF along 270 announcing this position to all citizens that happen to drive by.

MCDC WARDEN - William L. Smith: Mr. Smith has done a great job since taking over as Warden for the Montgomery County Detention Center. There hasn't been one (1) suicide in two (2) years. There have been little or no turnovers and the department has hired wonderful staff. Mr. Campbell mentioned that as a volunteer, the staff at MCDC has been great to him, Mr. Smith to be included.

TRANSPORTATION: There was a discussion brought up by Mr. Campbell regarding the ride on bus turn around at MCDC after the reuse project is completed. There was a bus turn around at MCDC at one time, but because there wasn't much use out if it, the turn around was discontinued. Since there will not be visitation at MCDC and the staff with be minimized, is there a need for the Ride-on bus turn around? At this time, there is a Ride-on bus stop located at the top of Seven Locks Road on Wotton Parkway. The plan is when the reuse is completed; there will be a single turnaround for the Ride-on bus, originally there was going to be a double turn around, but decision was made to make it a single turn around. The committee of Falls Ridge wanted to completely close down Seven Locks Road and have entrance to Detention Center off of Wotton Parkway. In agreement with the Department the decision was made to have a bus turn around.

The Department will speak to Albert Genetti regarding this issue, but a promise was made to the adjacent community, that there will be a bus turn around services, and we will not break our promise to them.

RELIGIOUS OVERVIEW: Mr. Campbell brought up another discussion regarding religious overview. At this time when an arrestee is brought into CPU, the arrestee has no visitation rights. Mr. Campbell felt that at this time an inmate is feeling very vulnerable, very upset, angry and there is no one he/she can speak to. Mr. Campbell asked if we can hire a religious counselor to be available to talk to any inmate that might require such service, and if so then the Detention Center would need to consider this during the design and development phase of the Re-use project. Mr. Campbell also discussed the possibility of hiring some form of religious/pastoral counseling for those inmates waiting to be transferred to MCCF.

RELEASING OF INMATES FROM COURT: There are about a ten (10) inmates released from court each month. Once an inmate is released from court, they are to be given a taxi voucher to return back to the Detention Center to retrieve their property. To many times when released by the court; the inmate is walking from the Court House back to the Detention Center. The department will be meeting in Annapolis with judges to discuss permitting releases brought back to MCDC by Sheriffs. The Department of Correction and Rehabilitation and Mr. Russ Hamill are taking this issue very seriously and will continue to raise the issue until we receive a final determination.

WEEKENDERS (INMATE): Hopefully this coming spring, inmates that are held in the Detention Center on weekends will work with the City of Rockville to help with community projects. Work details such as, picking up trash, for a total of eight (8) to ten (10) hours a day. Inmates who are sentences for weekend sentences are not charges felons, they're usually charged with traffic violations, DWI. Therefore, they will not pose any threat to the community and will be supervised by a Correctional Officer.

The next meeting will be January 16, 2003.

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