October 1. 1986. Portland Observer Page 5
Audit Calls For Im provem ents in County Jail System
by Jerry Garner
A recent audit done by Multno
mah County Auditor Anne Kelly
Feeney, of the criminal justice sys
tern, reveals what critics of the sys­
tem have been voicing for some
time That is. the criminal justice
system is flawed when it comes to
managing the jail's population, and
that agencies within the system do
not share information adequately
with each other The audit came to
the following conclusions
• The manner in which the cri­
minal justice systems are or­
ganized contributes to the inef
ficiency of jail population ma
nagement information systems
in Multnomah County and is
organizationally flawed
• The most significant issue con
cerning the management of jail
space is the absence of a single
individual or function held re
sponsible for the management
of the criminal justice correc
tions system. Since it is neither
practical nor desirable to have a
single person in charge of all
aspects of the criminal justice
system, other efforts are need
ed to better coordinate the var
tous system activities
• Correction functions are frac
tured and disjointed with some
functions assigned to the De
partment of Justice Services,
and others to the State The
Circuit and District Courts,
operating under different pro
eedures, appear to add to the
confusion of the programs.
Consolidating all County cor
rections functions under one
manager should be evaluated.
Feeney went on to say in the re­
port that "effective administration
of jail space in Multnomah County
will worsen unless attention is given
to issues discussed in the audit."
The report indicated that some
offenders who are admitted and re
leased from the County jail could be
diverted into other correction pro­
grams that mentally ill inmates oc­
cupying jail space could be treated
at secure treatment facilities other
than the jail, some inmates could be
diverted into programs while wait
mg trial, instead of waiting in jail.
State prisoners who are held in the
County jail could be transfered to
State facilities, and that agencies
within the correctional system do
not share information adequately
with each other
The audit said the County jail
space could be better utilized by a
general overview of the composition
of the in-custody population, which
can provide correction administra­
tors with a framework for managing
the tail population
This can be
done, the report said, if correction
al officials utilize the Corrections
Population Management System's
comupter (CPMS).
Saying that
CPMS could assist corrections offi
cials in determining what inmates
could be released pending trial by
providing specific background infor
mation on individual inmates
Furthermore, the report recom
mends that County officials seek a
change in ORS 144 343 This sta
tute allows state parole violators to
be held in County jails The audit
said, "relief from the State in this
area could relieve some pressure on
the County corrections facilities
The report also concluded that
the orderly processing of offenders
through the criminal justice system
was delayed because of inefficient
flow of information among all agon
ties
While efforts have been
made to improve communications
among all agencies, we believe that
more efforts are needed to unify or
network the automated data sys
terns "
There are nine different automa
ted data management systems used
by various justice, corrections, and
law enforcement agencies in the
Portland metropolitan area These
nine agencies are not linked to allow
data to be shared, resulting in nei
ther data nor management informa
tion being transferred from one sys
tern for use by another system or
agency.
“Their checking fees
were low. And they’ve
kept them that way.”
The audit recommends that the
systems be integrated and working
befure the County courts are added
to the State system in 1989; that a
justice services data consortium be
establioshed to explore the posa,
bilities of interfacing the various
criminal justice data systems
The audit was the first (»art of an
audit the Board of County Commi >
sioners requested by resolution m
July, 1985 in an eflort to improv,
the State and County criminal |us
tice information systems
“I wanted to refinance
They were one of the
few who would work
with me, even though
they were so busy.”
“I thought they should
put in more parking at
my branch. They did’’
Brush Up On
Fire S a fe ty
October 6 10 is Fire Prevention
Week This is a good time to sit
down with your family and devise a
fire escape plan Develop two ways
to get out of each room. Part of
your escape plan should include a
meeting place outside to determine
if everyone has gotten out of the
house safely Stage a series of fire
drills at home so that you all can
practice leaving the house from var
ious exits
Draw your fire escape
plan, showing both exits from your
bedroom, on a piece of paper. Tape
it, and the safety tips below, to the
back of your bedroom door for
quick reference.
• Do not play with matches; they
are not toys
• Remember to unp.jg hair dry
ers. irons and other appliances
after you're finished using
them.
• Do not use the stove without
permission If you are cooking,
make sure potholders, paper
towels, or dishclothes are never
placed near the flames
• If you are alone in the house
when a fire starts, do not try to
call the Fire Department from
your home
Get out of the
house immediately, go to a
neighbor's house, and then call
for help
• In case of fire at night, touch
your bedroom door before go
ing out. If it is warm, use the
alternate escape exit.
• In case of fire, do not try to take
any possessions with you. The
most important thing is to get
out of the house immediately.
Shout to notify other family
members if you think there is a
chance they don't know about
the fire.
• If your clothes ever catch on
fire, do not run Stop, drop to
the floor, and roll.
• If you cannot get out of your
bedroom or another room due
to fire, do not hide. Close the
doors to hold back the smoke,
then go to a window and call
for help. Wait there until a
firefighter sees you.
Spray furniture polish over herd to
dean ashtrays, such as those made
of silvenor pewter. before using The
ashes dump out w ithout sticking and
leave no odor
?
ib u Talked. We Listened.
Since M arch of N 8 5 , we’ve been making
changes. W e’ve added more tellers during peak
hours. Streamlined procedures for opening new
accounts. Developed regional lending centers to
meet local needs. Remodeled one t liird of our
branches to make T h e Benj. Franklin a better
place to bank. Instituted 100 policy changes that
have made banking easier. And more. All part of
our commitment to “Plain Talk, Easy Banking”
A kit of these changes were a result of our “'Ialk
Back” program. T his direct line to our chairman
let customers tell us how we could improve. Or, as
Plain talk. Easy banking
“The
Beni.
F ra n k lin FSLK
r H i t RAI SA VING S AMD LOAM ASSN
Drpmit, insured Io $100.000 by Ihr FSI.IC
O ver 30 offices in the greater Portland area to serve you.
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in many cases, why we should keep doing the
things they liked.
Wisely, we listen ed ./W to// continue to listen.
Because Plain Talk Banking isn’t a one way street
4 •
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