Board Meeting February 24, 2010

Board members at the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio were informed during Wednesday�s meeting that CCNO will expand its use of technology while the offender population as well as revenues are down.

Starting March 1, all funds placed on an offender�s commissary account will need to be deposited electronically as cash and money orders will no longer be accepted. All funds will need to be deposited through JPay Inc., an electronic system that allows friends and family to make deposits on an offender�s account with the use of a credit or debit card.

Jim Dennis, CCNO Executive Director, said JPay Inc. will accept funds through its website, an 800 number or by visiting a MoneyGram store. There will be a service fee charged and a kiosk will be placed in the front lobby at CCNO. There is no cost to or revenue received by CCNO for use of the electronic system.

Mr. Dennis noted that phone and commissary revenues were down in the past four months but gives blame to the reduced offender population and the economy. He said it is too early to determine if the pay-for-stay policy, which was implemented in November 2009, is having an impact on phone and commissary sales which help offset operating costs.

CCNO staff is scanning inmate records, said Mr. Dennis in his update report, so that paperwork is more accessible to staff. Record scanning includes commitment and court paperwork as well as written inquiries to staff from offenders and other internal record keeping documents.

Mr. Dennis said Wednesday�s offender population stood at 520 or 82 percent. He noted the population in December averaged 515 or 81 percent and in January dropped to an average of 509 or 80 percent. In addition, participants in the electronic monitoring program were also down.

Mr. Dennis said one unit at CCNO has been closed in an effort to reduce costs although more medium security cells are needed. He added that the population count at CCNO has been down considerably, something he has not seen in the past 17 years he has served as executive director.

After some discussion, the board agreed to allow jurisdictions having video arraignment equipment to utilize such equipment as needed. Mr. Dennis brought it to the board�s attention that the use of some of the equipment has been expanded outside the courtroom, to include magistrate courts, probation offices, and the Lucas County Community Treatment Facility. The board allocated funds to purchase five units each for Toledo and Lucas County courts with three units distributed to the courts in the remaining four counties. The original intent in encouraging video arraignment was to reduce transportation costs.

Special recognition was given to Pam Roberts, Court Administrator for Toledo Municipal Court, upon her retirement. She served on the CCNO board beginning in the planning stages of the facility in 1987. Ms. Roberts also served on the regional community corrections board.

Board members met in executive session for 10 minutes to discuss security and personnel issues with no action taken.