Welcome to the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
Pay-for-stay™ was again the topic of discussion at the CCNO Board meeting on August 26, 2009. Executive Director Jim Dennis informed the Board that the tentative start date is September 15 due to software programming that needs to occur. The Board directed that all persons entering CCNO would have to pay a $100 reception fee. They would not be given an option to pay later as discussed at the earlier Board meeting. The Board also directed that offenders serving weekend sentences would pay the $100 booking fee with a $25 fee for each subsequent weekend that they re-enter on the same charge. Dennis discussed the collection of commissary balances upon release. The Board directed that upon release CCNO should take 50% of the final commissary balance allowing a minimum $25 dollar balance to be released with the inmate. The Board also determined that credit and debit card payments will be accepted. Debt collection will be the responsibility of Intellitech, a Youngstown, Ohio company that specializes in assisting this type of collections program.
Dennis notified the Board that Recovery Services of Northwest Ohio received a grant to fund the New Beginnings and TAMAR programs for seventeen months. The TAMAR (women’s trauma program) had lost it’s funding through the Ohio Department of Mental Health. The New Beginnings program was to be cut by the CCNO Board as a cost savings measure. Both programs will be funded by the grant. CCNO will provide 25% matching funds for the programs, which is approximately $66,000.
Executive Director Dennis said today’s population was at 540 or 85% of capacity. June and July average daily population was 524 and 550 respectively. This is a reduction of 50-60 per day from the summer of 2008.
Dennis informed the Board that the number of participants in the Electronic Monitoring Program has declined to approximately 55 per day. In 2008 the program averaged 80-100 per day. In addition, two EM Staff have resigned. The Board directed Dennis not to fill the vacancies and fund all EM staff through the existing grant program. In 2008 CCNO had 19 overcrowding emergencies and had peak populations in EM/GPS at 171 participants. Dennis stated “No one could have predicted this and unfortunately we can’t really explain it.”
CCNO Board also informed CCNO staff that the 2010 budget should not be submitted with an increase. Budget cuts are probable. Dennis reminded the Board that CCNO had already cut approximately $800,000 from the 2009 budget. Defiance County Commissioner Otto Nicely stated “that would be where budget discussions would start.” Dennis stated “ Making further cuts to the existing budget will be a challenge. We will have to get creative and lucky. We will need to incarcerate less people and do it consistently. Safety is our first priority; a reduction in inmates would help.
The meeting concluded after entering Executive Session to discuss current and future union negotiations.
This site was updated on June 10, 2010