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The Prison Timeline:
August 2011- Internal Audit by Quality Improvement of Mental Health Department within Central Prison
November l4, 2011 - Biesecker's article on prison debacles is in the N & O
November 27, 2011 - NAMI NC's Letter to the Editor on the prison debacle is published in the News and Observer
December 6, 2011 NAMI NC Sends Letter to Governor with Petition for Redress. Click here to see the petition.
December l3, 2011- NAMI NC and group of advocates from the Coalition for Persons Disabled by Mental Illness meets with Al Delia and Meghan Brown from the Governor's office. Click here for documentation of that meeting in these minutes.
January 5, 2012- Second meeting; Secretary Reuben Young, Jennie Lancaster (brought in by Governor Perdue from retirement to head up corrections), Al Delia (interim DHHS Secretary effective Feb l), Meghan Brown (Governor's policy staff), Mike Arnold, Deborah McSwain (counsel for Public Safety) Clickhere for the minutes of that meeting.
January l6 - Deby calls Meghan Brown with concerns about lack of follow up in sending action plan; receives email saying she will work on it on January l7
Early February - Planned tour of new mental health facility within Central Prison for advocate group; Jennie Lancaster will have for us her ideas on how to use the outside expert to help with necessary reforms; further review of the petition and where we stand.
The Good news:
- The Warden who had worked for 30 plus years was immediately let go, once this hit the papers
- We have quickly formed an effective coalition of advocates who will track our progress continuously.
- The Governor has brought in new leadership (Jennie Lancaster), and has been responsive in ensuring that already two meetings have occurred, including the Secretary level (Reuben Young) and of course Al Delia who is now the Secretary of DHHS
- Training is being addressed. The administration acted quickly to identify a team to attend the CIT for Corrections training in March, at our request. The right members of the team have been identified, and the training is confirmed. There will be a member of the custody staff, the mental health staff, and an advocate (Gerry Akland, NAMI Wake). This team will function as train the trainers to spread what they learn across Central Prison and ultimately more teams will be sent from other prisons in the state. Additionally, free consultation has been arranged.
- We were asked to help in drafting a training plan for them. Click here for that plan. We have also secured free consultation from a nationally renowned organization with prison expertise. They can function as the objective, third party experts in ensuring that required corrections are made.
Our Concerns:
- At the December l3 meeting, we were assured that we would get within two weeks their action plan/ plan of correction. Still have not received it after asking about it after the January meeting, and sending an email and calling.
- There is reluctance about the need for an outside expert to help them get the corrections in place; a feeling that the new people need to be given a chance first to correct things. This is probably the single biggest item on our list of remedies.
- Occupancy of the new mental health facility with Central Prison has once again been delayed due to operational problems.
- Time has passed- no action yet on the speeding up of implementation of the Prison Rules.
- We are hearing that an RFP may have been put out to determine interest in privatizing the mental health unit within the prisons; this has never been mentioned in the advocates' meetings.
- We need solid assurances that every single violation and abuse is being corrected!!
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Secretary Cansler Steps Down from DHHS
Effective February l, 2012 We have been extraordinarily lucky to have Secretary Cansler and his remarkable and effective public service for nearly three years. Mr. Al Delia, a top aide to Governor Perdue, will serve as interim DHHS Secretary probably through next November. Secretary Cansler served as our Honorary Walk Chair a couple of years ago, an indication of how far he would go to work closely with the constituents covered in his very large department. He will be returning to the private sector.
Deby Dihoff, MA Executive Director, NAMI NC |
