Program Authorization: R.S. 15:821-840.2; R.S. 36:401-409; R.S. 15:1111; Hayes Williams, et al v. John McKeithen, et al CA 71-98-b (M.D. La.)

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The mission of the Adult Services Program (organizationally expressed as the Office of Adult Services) is to provide administrative oversight and support of the operational programs of the adult correctional institutions. The assistant secretary leads and directs the department's audit team, which conducts operational audits of all adult and juvenile institutions and assists all units with matters relative to the maintenance of American Correctional Association (ACA) accreditation. Staff in this office also supports the Administrative Remedy Procedure (inmate grievance and disciplinary appeals).

The goals of the Adult Services Program are:

1. Continue to maintain the consent decree prison limitation and maintain ACA accreditation of all adult corrections institutions.
2. Continue to maximize available capacity and provide services in the most efficient and effective manner possible.
3. Continue to monitor security operations at adult institutions to assure the safety of inmates, staff, and public.
4. Continue to coordinate and monitor the provision of basic/broad-based educational programs to adult inmates who are motivated to take advantage of these services and have demonstrated behavior that would enable them to function within an educational setting.
5. Provide guidance and support to prisons as they continue to seek efficient, effective strategies to address inmate health care issues.
6. Lead efforts to reduce recidivism among adult offenders.

Louisiana has 11 state adult correctional facilities, two of which are operated by private prison management corporations. Louisiana's adult prison system was placed under federal court order in June 1975. During 1997, ten adult state prisons were released from the federal consent decree, under which all state prisons had operated since 1983 (except for a brief period of time when nine had been released from the consent decree). Only Louisiana State Penitentiary (LSP) remains under the consent decree. Upon successful completion of a six-month transition period, the LSP will be released on February 12, 1999.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin: Prisoners in 1997, Louisiana continues to have the second highest state incarceration rate (the number of prisoners with a sentence of more than one year per 100,000 resident population) in the nation--672 per 100,000 population at year-end 1997 (December 31, 1997). Only Texas had a higher incarceration rate (717 per 100,000 population). The U.S. total incarceration rate (including both state and federal prisoners) was 445 per 100,000 population; the federal only incarceration rate, 35 per 100,000; and the state only incarceration rate, 410 per 100,000.

On June 30,1998, there were 70,008 adult offenders under the supervision of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, Office of Corrections Services. Of this total, 17,652 were state prisoners (actual average number of inmates in state and private institutions, excluding those housed in adult community-based rehabilitation program and in local jails); 19,895 were under parole supervision; and 32,461 were under probation supervision.

OBJECTIVES AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Unless otherwise indicated, all objectives are to be accomplished during or by the end of FY 1999-2000. Performance indictors are made up of two parts: name and value. The indicator name describes what is being measured. The indicator value is the numeric value or level achieved within a given measurement period. For budgeting purposes, performance indicator values are shown for the prior fiscal year, the current fiscal year, and alternative funding scenarios (continuation budget level and Executive Budget recommendation level) for the ensuing fiscal year (the fiscal year of the budget document).

RESOURCE ALLOCATION FOR THE PROGRAM

SOURCE OF FUNDING

This program is funded entirely with State General Fund.

ANALYSIS OF RECOMMENDATION

The total means of financing for this program is recommended at 77.9% of the existing operating budget. It represents 62.9% of the total request ($1,703,692) for this program. The decrease in the recommended level is primarily attributed to the technical adjustment transferring one (1) Coordinator from the Office of Management and Finance Program to reflect funding in the appropriate program and the transfer of the Records’ Section along with ten (10) positions to Hunt Correctional Center to reflect funding in the appropriate agency.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

OTHER CHARGES

ACQUISITIONS AND MAJOR REPAIRS

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