NORTH DAKOTA LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
Minutes of the
BUDGET COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT SERVICES
Wednesday and Thursday, April 14-15, 2004
Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center
New England, North Dakota
Southwest Multi-County Correction Center
Mandan, North Dakota
Representative Ron Carlisle, Chairman, called the meeting to order at 1:10 p.m. (MDT) at the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center in New England. The center provided a luncheon for committee members before the meeting began.
Members present: Representatives Ron Carlisle, Bette B. Grande, Joe Kroeber, Ralph Metcalf, Darrell D. Nottestad, Louise Potter, Amy Warnke; Senators Richard Brown, Joel C. Heitkamp, Ed Kringstad, Stanley W. Lyson
Members absent: Representatives Pam Gulleson, Chet Pollert; Senators Duaine C. Espegard, Elroy N. Lindaas
Others present: Aaron Krauter, State Senator, RegentLarry Robinson, State Senator, Valley City
James Kerzman, State Representative, Mott
Herb Urlacher, State Senator, Taylor
C. B. Haas, State Representative, Taylor
Francis J. Wald, State Representative, Dickinson
David Drovdal, State Representative, Arnegard
Nancy Johnson, State Representative, Dickinson
Frank Klein, State Representative, Dickinson
Ken Svedjan, State Representative, Grand Forks
Ray Holmberg, State Senator, Grand Forks
See Appendix A for additional persons present.
It was moved by Senator Lyson, seconded by Senator Brown, and carried on a voice vote that the minutes of the January 15, 2004, meeting be approved as distributed.
DAKOTA WOMEN'S CORRECTIONAL REHABILITATION CENTER
At the request of Chairman Carlisle, Mr. Norbert Sickler, Administrator, Southwest Multi-County Correction Center, presented information on the status of housing state female inmates, including medical costs, and the center's facilities in New England. A copy of the information presented is on file in the Legislative Council office.
Mr. Sickler said the minimum security section of the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center is up and running, but some plant renovations need to be completed before the medium and closed custody inmates can be housed at the facility. Mr. Sickler said the 150-kilowatt standby generator project will be installed by the third week of April 2004. Mr. Sickler said the bids for the sprinkler system are scheduled to be received on April 16, 2004. He said the City of New England obtained a grant for the installation of a water pipeline, which will assist the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center in obtaining proper quantity and water pressure from the New England water system. He said the environmental study is being completed, after which construction will begin on the pipeline installation.
In response to a question from Representative Carlisle, Mr. Sickler said he estimates the sprinkler system project to be completed by June 1, 2004.
At the request of Chairman Carlisle, Mr. Sickler said he will notify the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Legislative Council office when the bids for the sprinkler system project have been received and will also provide the information relating to the bids.
In response to a question from Representative Nottestad, Mr. Sickler said the project completion date was not included in the request for bids.
In response to a question from Representative Potter, Mr. Sickler said three companies have expressed interest in bidding on the sprinkler system project.
In response to a question from Senator Brown, Mr. Sickler said he plans to have medium custody inmates in the facility sometime in June 2004, preferably during the first week.
In response to a question from Senator Lyson, Mr. Sickler said a project completion date will be negotiated with the construction company that is chosen for the sprinkler system project.
Mr. Sickler said remodeling work is underway for a new infirmary, which will meet the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). He said the infirmary will have three individual rooms with hospital beds and three offices--one for the medical director, one a doctor's exam room, and one a doctor's exam room and a dental office.
Mr. Sickler said the security fence surrounding the recreation area at the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center is in the process of being reinforced with a concrete barrier at the bottom of the fence line and should be completed by the end of April 2004.
Mr. Sickler said Prairie Industries, which is the industries program at the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center, employs eight women inmates who are working on two projects. He said one project is a contract with TMI Systems Design Corporation of Dickinson in which the women inmates are doing lock assemblies, and the other project is a contract with Weber and Weber, a garment-producing business in Mandan, with the women inmates providing a variety of sewing projects, currently mainly hospital gowns.
Mr. Sickler said the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center has been overbilled for medical services by its medical providers as a result of the use of incorrect Medicaid rates. He said the medical providers are in the process of recalculating the cost of the services they have provided the center since November 17, 2003, when the first female inmates arrived at the facility. Mr. Sickler said pharmaceutical drugs are purchased at wholesale price plus 2 percent. He said the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center belongs to a buyers group and after the Department of Drug Enforcement completes the assignment of a user identifying number to the center, the cost of its pharmaceutical drugs will also decrease.
In response to a question from Representative Nottestad, Mr. Sickler said two elevator companies are bidding on the elevator installation project at the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center. Mr. Sickler said the estimated cost of the elevator is $34,000 to $35,000, plus the cost of the elevator shaft, and he said he was uncertain when the elevator installation would be complete.
In response to a question from Senator Robinson, Mr. Sickler said all the security projects, including security doors and fence, should be completed before June 1, 2004, and it is the completion of the sprinkler system and elevator projects that will determine when the facility is ready for the medium security inmates.
In response to a question from Representative Carlisle, Mr. Sickler said the actual medical expenses for the female inmates were higher than expected when the first female inmates arrived at the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center, but have since decreased noticeably. Mr. Sickler said the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center has not yet billed the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for any additional medical expenses.
In response to a question from Representative Svedjan, Mr. Sickler said the medical account at the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center is funded by $15.50 of the daily inmate reimbursement rate and is used to pay for all medical-related expenses, including nursing salaries. He said the center is responsible for providing the first $50,000 of medical expenses after all the funds available in the medical account have been used. Any medical expenses in excess of the $50,000 paid by the center will be billed to and paid for by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
In response to a question from Representative Svedjan, Mr. Sickler said the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center incentives to hold down medical costs are that the center wants to avoid having to pay any of the $50,000 and any excess funds in the medical account remaining after paying medical expenses can be used for other operational costs of the center.
In response to a question from Representative Kroeber, Mr. Sickler said as of April 2004 he estimates the center will need to spend the additional $50,000 in medical expenses.
Ms. Tara Bieber, Medical Director, Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center, presented information relating to the center's medical budget. Ms. Bieber said a large portion of the center's medical expenses are for dental costs resulting from the dental work for the female inmates with teeth problems resulting from the use of methamphetamine. She said another large expense for the center when it first opened was the pharmacy bill for psychotropic drugs. However, she said, the center's costs for psychotropic drugs has been decreasing as more of the inmates are adjusting to prison life at the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center.
In response to a question from Senator Robinson, Ms. Bieber said almost 90 percent of the inmates at the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center are incarcerated as a result of substance abuse and of that amount approximately 85 percent were using methamphetamine.
In response to a question from Representative Svedjan, Ms. Bieber said there is no health insurance available for inmates that would help defray their medical expenses while incarcerated, including inmates that are covered under their parents' or spouse's health insurance plan.
In response to a question from Senator Brown, Ms. Claudia Ziegler, counselor, Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center, said there are 10 to 12 female inmates in treatment on an ongoing basis at the center.
In response to a question from Representative Kroeber, Mr. Sickler said the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center will provide the necessary staff for inmate treatment programs, but the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation controls the number of inmates going through treatment because the department must approve each inmate for treatment and pay an additional $12 per day per inmate to the center for each inmate in intensive treatment for a period of six weeks.
In response to a question from Representative Nottestad, Ms. Bieber said a child born to an inmate while incarcerated would either be placed with a family member of the inmate or in foster care and the costs associated with the child would be the responsibility of the county in which the inmate resided before being incarcerated.
Ms. Bieber said the daily medical reimbursement amount for one inmate provides funds for one hour of a nurse's salary at the Dakota Women's Correctional Center and, therefore, the requirement that the center have nursing staff at the center 24 hours a day seven days a week is a large medical expense for the facility.
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND REHABILITATION
At the request of Chairman Carlisle, Mr. Dave Krabbenhoft, Director of Fiscal Affairs, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, presented information on the status of the department's 2003-05 biennium budget relating to contract housing of state female inmates and the male inmate population. A copy of the information presented is on file in the Legislative Council office. Mr. Krabbenhoft said as of April 14, 2004, assuming the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center is fully functional by June 1, 2004, the 2003-05 biennium appropriation for female inmate contract housing and medical is projected to have approximately $1.6 million remaining at the end of the biennium. However, Mr. Krabbenhoft said, the large increase in the number of male inmates from the number estimated for the 2003-05 biennium budget and the increase in the medical contract amount will result in an estimated $3.2 million increase in costs. Mr. Krabbenhoft said the net budget effect for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for the 2003-05 biennium as of April 14, 2004, is estimated to be a $1.6 million shortfall. He said this estimate is based on an annual male inmate growth rate of 2.7 percent for the remainder of the 2003-05 biennium, but the actual male inmate population growth rate has been 9.6 percent from July 2003 to April 2004. Mr. Krabbenhoft said the department is doing everything possible to avoid deficit spending for the 2003-05 biennium.
Chairman Carlisle requested the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation provide the committee members with monthly updates on inmate populations and the related effects on the department's 2003-05 biennium budget.
In response to a question from Representative Warnke, Mr. Krabbenhoft said the increase in the male inmate population is mainly due to drug offenders. He said the department plans to prepare its inmate population projections differently for the 2005 legislative session than it has in the past by separating drug offenders from inmates with non-drug-related convictions.
In response to a question from Representative Kroeber, Mr. Krabbenhoft said the daily medical rate in the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's budget for the 2003-05 biennium is $9.92 per day per inmate at its prison facilities and the amount paid for medical expenses for the female inmates at the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center is $15.50 per day per inmate.
In response to a question from Representative Wald, Mr. Krabbenhoft said the 2003-05 biennium deficiency appropriation could range from $1 million to $3 million.
In response to a question from Senator Robinson, Mr. Krabbenhoft said as of April 13, 2004, there were 26 North Dakota male inmates at the private prison at Appleton, Minnesota, and at an average inmate growth rate of 2.7 percent, the department estimates having approximately 50 male inmates at Appleton by June 30, 2005.
At the request of Chairman Carlisle, Mr. Krabbenhoft presented information regarding the lands owned by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the related land values. A copy of the information presented is on file in the Legislative Council office. Mr. Krabbenhoft said the department owns an additional 919 acres of land at the Missouri River Correctional Center site, which is valued between $3,000 and $4,000 per acre. He said this estimate was arrived at through the consultation of a realtor. Mr. Krabbenhoft said the department owns 279 acres of land a few miles east of Bismarck, of which approximately one acre is used as a gun range and the remaining acreage is farmland that is leased to area farmers. He said hay land in that area is valued at $314 per acre and pasture land is valued at $199 per acre. Mr. Krabbenhoft said the department also owns 1,179 acres of Sunny farm land located west of Mandan adjacent to the Youth Correctional Center. He said the Sunny farm land is leased to area landowners and is managed by the North Dakota State University Experiment Station for agricultural research, including research relating to the control of leafy spurge. Mr. Krabbenhoft said hay land and pasture land in that area are valued at $288 and $193 per acre, respectively, and agricultural land in that area has sold in the range of $230 to $254 per acre.
Chairman Carlisle called on Ms. Elaine Little, Director of Corrections, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, to present a report on the female inmate population and the related treatment, programming, and training needs. See Appendix B for information regarding a summary of treatment programming for female inmates at the James River Correctional Center (JRCC) and the Tompkins Rehabilitation Correctional Center (TRCC) in Jamestown, the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center (DWCRC) in New England, and the female transition program (FTP) in Bismarck and Fargo.
At the request of Chairman Carlisle, Ms. Little presented information on an update of inmate populations. A copy of the information presented is on file in the Legislative Council office. Ms. Little said on April 8, 2004, the inmate population was 1,295, of which 1,173 were males and 122 were females. She said the projected inmate population for April 2004, as included in the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's 2003-05 biennium budget, was a total of 1,160 inmates--1,044 males and 116 females. Therefore, Ms. Little said, as of April 8, 2004, the actual male inmate population exceeded the projected population by 129 inmates and the actual female inmate population exceeded the projected population by six inmates. Ms. Little said on April 8, 2004, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation had 49 male inmates housed on contract in county jails around the state and an additional 27 male inmates contracted to the private prison in Appleton, Minnesota. She said the department's 2003-05 biennium budget only includes funding to contract out five male inmates at any one time. Ms. Little said the increase in the inmate population continues to be driven by drug offenders. She said of the 998 inmates admitted to the prison system in 2003, 724 inmates, or 73 percent, admitted to having a substance abuse problem; 604 inmates, or 61 percent, admitted to having abused marijuana; and 506 inmates, or 51 percent, admitted to abusing methamphetamine. Ms. Little said for the first quarter of 2004, between 60 and 70 percent of inmates stated their "drug of choice" was methamphetamine.
Senator Lyson said although the use of methamphetamine is not new to the state, the treatment required for methamphetamine use is something new. He said the treatment required for methamphetamine addiction is a very long process that lasts months and the state needs long-term treatment centers to provide treatment for methamphetamine users. He said the state's problem of an overcrowded prison system resulting from drug offenders will not be solved until the public and the Legislative Assembly decide that methamphetamine users are not criminals and decide to provide the necessary treatment for methamphetamine users instead of locking them up in the State Penitentiary.
At the request of Chairman Carlisle, Ms. Little presented information on the status of a vocational welding program between the Missouri River Correctional Center and Bismarck State College. A copy of the information presented is on file in the Legislative Council office. Ms. Little said the Missouri River Correctional Center discontinued the welding program in 1997 when the Carl Perkins federal funds received by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation were reduced from $120,000 to $22,300 per year. She said the remaining funds have been dedicated to the auto tech program. Ms. Little said Bismarck State College is willing to work with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to reestablish a welding program at the Missouri River Correctional Center, but it would be very expensive to start up the program again. She said when the previous welding program was discontinued, some of the welding equipment was transferred to Roughrider Industries and the remaining equipment was sent to Surplus Property. Ms. Little said the equipment that was transferred to Roughrider Industries is now outdated and would be very expensive to replace. Ms. Little said although the department is not able to fund a welding program with Bismarck State College, Roughrider Industries works with SturD Manufacturing of Carson on welding projects at the Missouri River Correctional Center, in which there are 10 to 12 inmates working on the welding projects.
In response to a question from Representative Carlisle, Ms. Little said the recidivism rates have not changed much since the information was last distributed to the committee at the January 15, 2004, committee meeting and, therefore, the department will provide updated sentencing and recidivism rate information at a future committee meeting.
The committee conducted a tour of the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center, including the facility's two gymnasiums, the dorms for minimum security inmates (Haven Hall) and medium/high security inmates, the chapel, the outdoor recreation area, the infirmary, and the industries room.
COMMENTS BY INTERESTED PERSONS
Representative Svedjan said he supports private prisons in North Dakota and the state contracting with private prisons to house its inmates, and he supported the state contracting with the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center to house its female inmates during the 2003 legislative session. He said although he has had some concerns regarding this project, he wants it to be successful.
Ms. D. Joyce Kitson, Northern Plains Outreach, Bismarck, said she works on behalf of male and female inmates in the state. She said inmates suffer psychological trauma when they enter prison and they need help when they reenter society. She said she will provide information regarding the number of inmates she helps and a budget to the 2005 Legislative Assembly for the support and transition of inmates reentering society. She said her goal is to get 200 individuals to become mentors for inmates after they are released from prison.
The committee recessed at 4:10 p.m. (MDT), at which time members had an informal discussion with several female inmates regarding the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center and then traveled to Dickinson.
SOUTHWEST MULTI-COUNTY CORRECTION CENTER
The committee reconvened at 9:07 a.m. (MDT) on Thursday, April 15, 2004, at the Southwest Multi-County Correction Center in Dickinson.
Chairman Carlisle called on Mr. Sickler to present information regarding the Southwest Multi-County Correction Center in Dickinson. A copy of the information presented is on file in the Legislative Council office. Mr. Sickler said the Southwest Multi-County Correction Center has 48 beds for adults and houses 12 state male inmates on a regular basis. He said the juvenile population has decreased from an average of 38 to 40 juveniles to 22 juveniles. Mr. Sickler said the center is requesting the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to certify the Southwest Multi-County Correction Center as a juvenile detention center.
In response to a question from Representative Nottestad, Mr. Sickler said the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center in New England will install a "Sallyport" at the front door before the medium security female inmates arrive. He said the medium security inmates will be kept separate from the minimum security inmates, they will be fed at different times, and will only be mixed during some education and treatment classes.
In response to a question from Representative Carlisle, Mr. Sickler said the Southwest Multi-County Correction Center in Dickinson has four to six beds available to house female inmates that need to be separated from inmates at the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center in New England.
In response to a request from Senator Holmberg, Mr. Sickler said he will provide to the Legislative Council staff information sent to companies requesting bids or "price quotes" for the sprinkler system, information on the bids or "price quotes" received, and the results or contract for the sprinkler system project.
Mr. Sickler said a deadline was not included in the request for bids or price quotes for the sprinkler system at the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center because he wanted to get as many bids as possible for the project and then negotiate a deadline with the bidders.
In response to a question from Representative Potter, Mr. Sickler said the original plan was to have two licensed addiction counselors at the Dakota Women's Correctional Center when it first opened; however, there is only enough work for one counselor because all the inmates that need treatment are not receiving treatment because the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has to approve the inmates for treatment before they can receive treatment. Mr. Sickler said the center will add additional treatment staff as necessary and in addition to the one full-time counselor in New England, there are two counselors available at the Dickinson facility that can travel to New England to assist as necessary.
In response to a question from Senator Heitkamp, Mr. Sickler said the contract for the sprinkler system project will include a completion deadline.
In response to a question from Representative Metcalf, Mr. Sickler said he believes the treatment provided for the female inmates at the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center is equal to that provided for inmates at the James River Correctional Center in Jamestown, and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation approves the treatment program at the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center. Mr. Sickler said the reason the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation provides treatment for some of the female inmates at the James River Correctional Center instead of at the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center is because it is cheaper for the department.
In response to a question from Senator Lyson, Mr. Sickler said the Southwest Multi-County Correction Center receives $45 per day per inmate plus the cost of outside medical expenses from each county for its inmates housed at the center.
In response to a question from Senator Brown regarding the acronyms used by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Chairman Carlisle requested that the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation provide the committee with a glossary providing the names for all the acronyms the department uses for its programs and facilities.
In response to a request from Representative Grande, Chairman Carlisle said the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation will be asked to provide a report at the June 2004 Budget Committee on Government Services meeting regarding treatment costs at the James River Correctional Center versus treatment costs at the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center.
In response to a question from Senator Brown, Mr. Sickler said the Southwest Multi-County Correction Center and the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center are self-supporting facilities that operate from the funds received from inmates daily reimbursement rates. Mr. Sickler said funding for the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center capital improvements was provided from the Southwest Multi-County Correction Center's reserve fund of approximately $1 million.
In response to a request from Representative Grande, Mr. Sickler said he will report to the Budget Committee on Government Services at its June 2004 committee meeting detailing all the actual costs to date that have been incurred at the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center in New England, projected costs that will be incurred at the facility, and the funding for all the costs.
In response to a question from Senator Lyson, Mr. Sickler said the utility costs for the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center are included in the calculation of the daily inmate reimbursement rate. He said the estimate for "break even" for the center is $62 per day per inmate, excluding medical costs.
Senator Lyson requested Mr. Sickler provide information for the Southwest Multi-County Correction Center on the payments the center receives on an annual basis from the counties for housing inmates.
Chairman Carlisle requested Mr. Sickler present the 2005-07 biennium budget request information for the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center to the Budget Committee on Government Services at its June 2004 committee meeting and provide the same information to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
In response to a question from Senator Kringstad, Mr. Sickler said as of December 13, 2002, when he sent a letter to Ms. Little stating the prison facility in New England had been renovated to provide security, treatment, education, and food services and was relatively ready for use, he was not aware that a sprinkler system was required to be installed in the facility. Mr. Sickler said the Fire Marshal told him the facility did not need a sprinkler system. Mr. Sickler also said he did not anticipate the need for an elevator or an infirmary that needed to meet the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). He said the minimum security part of the facility is up and running and at the time he sent the letter to Ms. Little he believed the facility would only be used to house the state's minimum security female inmates.
In response to a question from Representative Carlisle, Mr. Sickler said the administration of the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center believes it does not need an elevator at the center because of a review of the center by an Americans with Disabilities Act technical consultant from the Rocky Mountain Disability & Business Technical Assistance Center. Referencing the Americans with Disabilities Act Title II Technical Assistance Manual, Section 6.4000 - Leased Buildings, the review found an elevator would not be required in the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center facility. Mr. Sickler said the Americans with Disabilities Act Title II Technical Assistance Manual, Section 5.0000 - Program Accessibility, states a public entity's services, programs, or activities, when viewed in their entirety, must be readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. He said this standard is known as "program accessibility," and applies to all existing facilities of a public entity. Mr. Sickler said the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center administration has some potential methods whereby it can provide program access for inmates residing in the lower level of the main building. He said the potential methods include:
- Creating an accessible pathway from the lower level to the upper level of the building (outdoor pathway);
- Providing the services at an alternate site, such as at the Southwest Multi-County Correction Center in Dickinson which is handicapped accessible;
- Assigning aides to beneficiaries in an effort to provide or access the program services; or
- Bringing the program services to the individual, such as providing the program services on the residential level of the center.
Mr. Sickler said the administration of the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center plans to install an elevator at the facility even though it is not thought to be a necessity.
In response to a question from Senator Kringstad, Mr. Sickler said by July 2003 he was aware that the state wanted to house all female inmates, including medium and maximum security female inmates, at the prison facility in New England, but the delay in housing the medium and maximum security female inmates is a result of the delay of the installation of the required sprinkler system.
Senator Heitkamp said both the members of the committee and representatives of the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center are experiencing frustrations, but he wants this women's prison contracting project to be successful.
Mr. Sickler said he does not take the frustrations and questions from the committee members personally, but looks at this project as a challenge. He said the lack of water pressure to the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center and the sprinkler system project have caused the long delay in housing medium security female inmates.
The committee conducted a tour of the Southwest Multi-County Correction Center, located at the Law Enforcement Center in Dickinson, including the juvenile classrooms, the juvenile dorms, juvenile and adult gyms, the adult dorms, the kitchen, and the 9-1-1 emergency dispatch center.
COMMITTEE DISCUSSION AND STAFF DIRECTIVES
Chairman Carlisle said the next meeting of the Budget Committee on Government Services will be on Thursday, June 17, 2004, in Bismarck. He said the meeting will include presentations from representatives of the Department of Human Services, the Mental Health Association, the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the riverbank stabilization project at the Missouri River Correctional Center, the proposed treatment center in Rugby, and a tour of Roughrider Industries.
Representative Wald welcomed the committee members to Dickinson and thanked the committee for its tour of the correctional facilities.
Representative Metcalf said that representatives of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and representatives of the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center should be encouraged to meet and review the female inmate treatment services available at each location and reach an agreement on whether the state female inmates should receive their treatment at the Tompkins Rehabilitation Correctional Center in Jamestown or at the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center in New England.
Representative Metcalf said the effectiveness and the costs of the treatment programs at each location should be considered when reaching the agreement as to where state female inmates should receive their treatment.
Representative Warnke said travel costs should be included in the calculation of the costs associated with providing treatment services to the state female inmates.
It was moved by Representative Metcalf, seconded by Senator Heitkamp, and carried on a voice vote that the Budget Committee on Government Services ask that the chairman of the Legislative Council send a letter to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center encouraging representatives of the two facilities to meet and review the treatment services available for state female inmates at the Tompkins Rehabilitation Correctional Center in Jamestown and the Dakota Women's Correctional Rehabilitation Center in New England; discuss the effectiveness and the costs, including travel costs, related to the treatment services at each facility; reach an agreement as to which facility will provide treatment services for the state female inmates; and report the results of the meeting to the Budget Committee on Government Services at its June 17, 2004, meeting.
Senator Heitkamp requested the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation provide the committee with the written requirement for 24 hours a day seven days a week nursing staff at prison facilities.
Chairman Carlisle said time will be set aside for a presentation by Ms. D. Joyce Kitson at the June 17, 2004, committee meeting.
The committee adjourned subject to the call of the chair at 11:15 a.m. (MDT).
___________________________________________Stephanie A. Johnson
Fiscal Analyst
___________________________________________
Jim W. Smith
Legislative Budget Analyst and Auditor
