26 Apr

Posted at 10:38h in Hot Topics, Implement Strategically, Improve Lives, Invest in Staff, Latest News, News Archives, Strategic Plan, Uncategorized, Work Together
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Mosquitoes have been a concern for the Utah State Correctional Facility (USCF) in Salt Lake since July 2022, when the facility began housing incarcerated individuals. While mosquitoes and other biting insects are always a nuisance in remote wetland areas, such as the site that USCF occupies, the influx of incarcerated individuals, UDC staff, and the facility’s infrastructure have all acted as attractants for even more mosquitoes. This makes abatement efforts essential for maintaining the well-being and safety of our incarcerated population and staff. Thanks to the support of Utah’s legislators, $300,000 was approved this year in additional funds to address mosquito abatement at USCF.  UDC’s facilities team – which maintains the Department’s facilities – and the Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District (SLCMAD) have stepped in to provide assistance and expertise. The district’s experience has been crucial in helping the UDC develop an effective abatement plan. Earlier this year, UDC communications specialist Liam Truchard spoke in-depth with Salt Lake City Abatement’s education specialist, Michele Rehebin, along with UDC’s Facilities Director, Shawn Anderson.  “Collaboration is the big key,” said Rehebin. “We are communicating with everybody to make sure we each know what we are supposed to be doing and how we can accomplish these different types of activities.” You can hear the full discussion on the UDC’s Youtube page here: https://youtu.be/X4n49Q9mnj0 As temperatures rise and standing water collects around the facility, the mosquito problem is expected to become more severe. One of the most important steps in the abatement process is larviciding. According to the National Institute of Health, larviciding refers to the regular application of chemical or microbial insecticides to water bodies or water containers to kill the aquatic immature forms of the mosquito (the larvae and pupae).  Training will be provided to staff, who will be carrying out the process. Larvicide will be used in storm drains throughout USCF, killing mosquito larvae before they can grow into adults. Another method in the abatement plan is the implementation of traps on facility grounds. The SLCMAD is identifying species and potential breeding sites at the facility and surrounding areas. The elimination of standing water sources like puddles, ponds, and drainages should be an effective way to reduce the source of mosquitoes. “Mosquito abatement is a critical component of public health, especially in areas with particularly large mosquito populations,” said Spencer Turley, assistant deputy executive director with UDC. “The collaboration between SLCMAD and USCF staff is an excellent example of how agencies can work together to address public health concerns. We truly value this partnership and the positive impact it will have on our facility, staff, and incarcerated population.” As the spring and summer seasons approach, mosquito abatement efforts will continue to be a priority at the USCF. With the combined efforts of the UDC and SLCMAD, officials hope that the mosquito problem will be effectively controlled, and incarcerated individuals and staff can enjoy a safe and healthy environment. After approval last year through both UDC’s medical and prison operations teams, mosquito repellant continues to be available for incarcerated individuals through commissary. [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4n49Q9mnj0[/embedyt]...

09 Mar

Posted at 15:47h in Hot Topics, Invest in Staff, News Archives, Strategic Plan, Uncategorized
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The Utah Department of Corrections is turning a corner on recruitment and retention efforts with significantly more individuals coming into the agency than leaving.  “Everyone’s efforts to help both recruit and retain certified staff are paying off,” said Spencer Turley, assistant deputy executive director with the Utah Department of Corrections in a message to Department staff earlier this week. “Thank you to everyone for your diligent efforts, please continue doing all you can to improve our staff retention and help recruit new staff. As you have additional ideas, please share them.” The agency is now gaining officers at a rapid rate. To take a snapshot of the past 12 months, from February 2022 through July 2022, 87 correctional officers left the agency, and 28 correctional officers were hired into the agency. This was a net loss of 59 people. In August 2022, following the opening of USCF, and after correctional staff received a substantial pay increase, these numbers reversed themselves. From August 2022 through February 2023, 34 correctional officers left the agency, 105 correctional officers were hired into the agency. This is a net gain of 71 people.  After the August 2022 compensation increase, Governor Spencer Cox personally sent a letter to previous employees and asked them to return to work for Corrections. From August 2022 through February 2023, UDC has had 27 former staff members return to work as officers.  During the 2023 calendar year, there are 10 academies scheduled, with seven in Salt Lake and three in Gunnison. There is also potential to add more classes if needed.  Currently there are two academies underway in Salt Lake and one Gunnison with a second Gunnison class starting March 28. For the two Salt Lake classes, there are 38 officers that were hired for the Utah State Correctional Facility (USCF) and 12 that were hired for Community Correctional Centers. The current Gunnison academy has 21 correctional officers for the Central Utah Correctional Facility.  Hiring for the March 28 academy, to be held in Gunnison, is still underway. At this point, it looks like CUCF will be really close to filling - or will actually be able to fill - every correctional officer position they have. And once the academy is complete, they will be fully staffed. This alone will help lessen the overtime load on all of our staff.  In January 2023, UDC’s staffing models indicated a need for an additional 135 officers at USCF to eliminate mandatory overtime. If retention rates stay like they are now, and if UDC can average a minimum of 20 officers in each of the seven academy classes this year, that will be enough to nearly eliminate all mandatory overtime at USCF. ...

16 Feb

Posted at 10:20h in Latest News, News Archives, Uncategorized
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On March 1, 2023, the Utah State Correctional Facility will change the length of in-person visiting from one (1) hour to two (2) hours. Though there will be fewer visiting sessions, the additional visiting length will allow more visiting hours during the day. More visiting spots per session may be opened as needed due to demand. All offenders will still receive the same number of visits per their privilege level attached below: ANTELOPE LEVELS: a – 1 barrier visit every 60 days b – 1 barrier visit per month c – 2 barrier visits per month d – 2 barrier visits per month e – 3 barrier visits per month f – 3 barrier visits per month GENERAL POPULATION LEVELS: g – 2 visits per month (1 In person and 1 video visit) h – 3 visits per month (1 In person and 2 video visits) i – 4 visits per month (2 In person and 2 video visits) j – 5 visits per month (2 In person and 3 video visits) k – 8 visits per month (4 In person and 4 video visits) l – 12 visits per month (6 In person and 6 video visits) As we open new visiting opportunities, please remember the following rules: – All kisses and hugs must be brief. Any prolonged kisses, open mouth kisses and hugs will result in suspensions from visiting. – All visitors will be required to remove their shoes during the screening process. Visitors who refuse will be turned away....

09 Dec

Posted at 15:02h in Latest News, News Archives, Uncategorized
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In an effort to better align governmental services under those agencies best-equipped to oversee them, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will be assuming responsibility for health care in Utah’s prison system beginning July 1, 2023. The Clinical Services Bureau, a roughly 200-employee division of the Utah Department of Corrections, will transition under DHHS as its staff continue to deliver medical, dental, optical, mental health, and pharmacy services to those incarcerated in Utah’s prison system. DHHS will maintain all bureau staff positions after the transition. The state’s correctional system includes approximately 6,000 individuals housed at the Utah State Correctional Facility (Salt Lake City), Central Utah Correctional Facility (CUCF) and those state inmates housed at county jails through contractual agreements. Gov. Spencer Cox announced the transition Friday while releasing his proposed budget for the coming fiscal year. The Governor’s budget priorities include additional funding for medical services in the prison system. Those recommendations will be reviewed by the Utah State Legislature during the coming session beginning in January. Because DHHS employs a number of trained and licensed medical professionals as part of its broader organizational structure and leadership team, the Governor felt the agency should oversee this specialized function. “Ensuring continued high-quality clinical outcomes for patients in state custody should be important to all of us from a humanity perspective,” Gov. Cox said. “All Utahns deserve the opportunity to live safe and healthy lives, and that does not cease upon incarceration.” When various nurses and leaders from DHHS helped UDC resolve a recent medication crisis in the prison system, it created an opportunity for dialogue around whether a team of people with such vast specialized medical knowledge should oversee clinical functions on a day-to-day basis. DHHS and UDC will be jointly represented on planning and implementation committees as part of the move to ensure a seamless transition. All clinical staff will remain in their positions under new leadership, and the agencies will work to ensure there is no interruption to services provided to Utahns experiencing incarceration during the coming months. “We are committed to working together to make this transition smooth and seamless and doing so in a transparent way,” said DHHS Executive Director Tracy Gruber. “We are no strangers to bringing diverse groups together to work for the greater good. I look forward to adding this population to our continuing mission of making all Utahns and their communities safer and healthier.” UDC Executive Director Brian Nielson thanked existing clinical staff for their dedication to serving the incarcerated population, their families, and the broader community. “We are so grateful to each of these women and men for performing one of the more difficult and important jobs in state government,” Nielson said of the clinical staff, adding his appreciation for Gov. Cox and the DHHS team. “Access to quality health care and mental health services plays a critical role in improving the lives of these women and men, and creating safer communities for all of us.”  There are approximately 2,600 men and women incarcerated at USCF, 1,750 men at CUCF, and another 1,500 men and women under state supervision assigned to various county jails. DHHS Executive Medical and Deputy Director Dr. Michelle Hofmann reiterated that good medical outcomes for people who are incarcerated translate into good outcomes for society. “As health outcomes improve, individuals who are incarcerated will have lower risks to reoffend,” she said. “Lower risk means people who eventually transition out of institutions back to their communities can do so with more certainty about their own health and well-being.”...

28 Nov

Posted at 17:58h in Latest News, News Archives, Uncategorized
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After receiving positive feedback from inmate family and loved ones last year, the Utah Department of Corrections is again offering expanded video visiting opportunities at the Utah State Correctional Facility and the Central Utah Correctional Facility on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The UDC increase in video visiting will happen in all areas of the prisons to provide more inmates the opportunity to visit with family and loved ones on the holiday. To accommodate the increase in video visiting, in-person visitation will be suspended on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. For many inmates, 2021's modifications gave them an opportunity to visit with family members they don't normally see and even allow them to be a part of gift opening with their families. To sign up, please visit: https://corrections.utah.gov/visit-an-inmate. Time slots to sign up are limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Once the time slots are full, the UDC will not be able to add any more, but can add people to a wait list if a cancellation occurs....