The Department's Internal Investigative Unit (IIU) was revamped and greatly expanded with about a 90% increase in staff, streamlining DPSCS's intelligence-gathering and investigative powers. IIU now directly oversees and coordinates all DPSCS intelligence activity. And as of this October 1st, the unit will have a new name - the Intelligence and Investigative Division. Also, for the first time DPSCS will have the authority to polygraph correctional employees, including correctional officers, as a condition of employment.

Big-ticket budget items secured by the department include an additional $7.2 million to render useless contraband cellphones at two Baltimore City prisons; $4.1 million to hire 100 new correctional officers; $788,000 to establish a department-wide security camera and equipment replacement fund; $563,000 to expand the DPSCS K-9 unit; and $637,000 to expand in-service training for correctional officers.

The legislature also eliminated a 90-day deadline to bring certain charges against an officer charged with criminal activity inside a correctional facility, related to officer's official duties, or that involves an inmate or detainee. Penalties for delivering or attempting to deliver a telecommunications device, charger or SIM card into a facility rose from $1,000 to $3,000, and an additional sentence of three to five years. And the department will now have the ability to suspend corrupt officers without pay for delivering into a facility telecommunications devices, and any sort of drug or alcohol.

See our 2014 Legislative Report here.