Nancy Moran

Mr. Fred E. Jordan
Commissioner,
Division of Correction
6776 Reisterstown Road
Baltimore, Maryland 21215

Re:Pre-Release System: JPRU

Dear Commissioner Jordan:

Once again, I think it is important to call attention to problems with Pre-Release. This letter is in follow up to a larger packet of information from the IAC at JPRU mailed to Prisoners Aid Association, yourself and a number of others on May 18th.

Although I have never visited JPRU nor do I have much experience with inmates at this level, Pre- Release is where much of the rest of the population will be sooner or later. Further, as reported in the Division's Annual Report, JPRU's mission is "to provide opportunities for the inmate to assist his making responsible choices about societal reentry" and is supposed to be "work ethic oriented". For these reasons, I would like to call attention to the following problems which appear to belie JPRU's avowed mission:

1. Opportunities? JPRU (population 280) is completely without a library of any kind, much less a law library. At the very least, inmates at the pre-release/work release stage ought to have books and information on job finding and resume writing.

2. Societal reentry? I am perplexed that the property list at JPRU is more stringent than at the C-3s and C-4s. For example, televisions are banned when they are deliberately made available through commissaries throughout the rest of the system, including Super Max. Of particular concern to me is the ban on personal typewriters. I see no rational reason for this Pre-Release directive when I quite regularly receive typewritten communications from both West and South Wings of the Penitentiary, MHC and ECI.

   JPRU has had a long, incident-free history while these items were allowed. Typing is most definitely a job skill and is probably the most cost effective way to impart job readiness as it demands skill in reading, writing and thinking.

3. Responsible choices? JPRU inmates have had to resort to the Legal Aid Bureau to access a complete set of DCRs. (For this purpose, IAC members have even promised in writing to keep the DCRs in a locked cabinet accessible only to an elected few.) Since the DCRs embody the sum total of law, regulation and recourse by which Maryland inmates conduct themselves, I am given to believe either the employees consider the DCRs a closely held commodity (see also #4, below) or JPRU is not on the DCR distribution list.

4. Assistance? With JPRU's 6 classification workers, 1 social worker and 8 support staff, inmates are not getting information and assistance with work release, work release assignments, family leave and other counseling services relating to living at the institution and directly bearing on success upon release.

5. Work ethic orientation? Several tables in the dining area, marked "For Officers Only", are left vacant even when there are not enough seats during meals for the inmates. Also, it takes one month or more to get a check sent out from an inmate account (which might cover anything from magazine subscriptions to proper work clothes to prepayments on apartments).

In summary: Over half of the population is released directly to the street from medium, maximum and now, super-maximum. (I do realize that many of these factors may be outside the control of the Division.) Nonetheless, as the last "stopping point" before the street, Pre-Release should be the best organized, should have the best rehabilitative efforts and should be exhorted if not compelled to live up to its stated mission.

For the benefit of all of us, please redouble the Division's efforts regarding JPRU and the many other facilities in the Pre-Release system.

Sincerely,



Nancy Moran


nm
cc:
Delegate Timothy Maloney
Mr. Lee T. B, IAC-JPRU