- On Thursday, November 10, I had an impromptu encounter with a few inmates from “The Farm” as the Lawrence facility is known. I had taken my nephews for an outing at Moseley Woods and noticed a vehicle from the sheriff’s department in the parking lot. About three men were raking pine needles in the playground. I remembered that the Moseley Commission has had prisoners work there every year to clean up after the park closes for the winter. My nephews were quite fascinated watching the three of them riding around on the trailer pulled by a small tractor. I didn’t tell them they were prisoners since they are at the age where they say anything to anyone, often times very inappropriate comments such as “are you a farty man?” which one of the park rangers at Parker River Wildlife Refuge was asked on last week’s outing. Who knows what would come out of their mouth. At the Citizens Academy, they told us during the lecture on community service that anyone with a history of sexual assaults or violence is never allowed to participate. Nevertheless, we kept our distance. I didn’t want to end up in some nasty hostage situation. (too much tv) Only one of the three seemed friendly enough to make eye contact and joke with me about the kids wanting to go on a hay ride. They were being watched closely by someone in the parking lot as well as someone in another van by the driveway entrance. One of them was probably Joseph Furnari, superintendent of the Lawrence Correctional Alternative Center and most likely the brother of Tony Furnari, the director of public services in Newburyport.
- Jason Ebacher, Asst. Supt. of Training and Staff Development and Asst. Supt. Arsenault led the Week Seven session. Asst. Supt. Arsenault gave us the lowdown on the screening process for applicants to the Correctional Academy. In the current candidate pool, they had started with 200 applicants that met the basic education requirements, but only about 160 showed up for the physical fitness test. Despite knowing the fitness requirements beforehand, several more were weeded out since they could not pass the test. There is a written exam, a background investigation, an interview process before a board of staff and finally a psychological written exam to see if the candidates have the right profile to meet the job requirements. Those that make the grade in every testing area then must have a medical exam and a drug test to be eligible for Basic Training. Even with a passing score at each level, there is no guarantee of admission to the program because a limited number can be accepted, something like twenty (not sure on that) If thirty pass, those with the highest ranking are the ones accepted.
- The starting base salary for a Correctional Officer is $43,202 but with performance, education and physical fitness incentives, a clothing allowance and a shift differential they can make closer to 50,000. Sheriff Cousins instituted the hierarchy used in the police departments so that officers could advance on the career ladder. The performance incentive is based on the number of sick days used. There is a $250 bonus if less than five sick days are used. Absenteeism has always been a huge problem in many of the schools I’ve worked. With a slightly sweeter pot than $250, I bet it would be an effective incentive. When I worked in Lawrence Public Schools, once you accumulated 200 days (given 15 per year), you could buy back up to seven days each year if you were only out sick once, less if out more than once. I don’t imagine there are substitutes for the Correctional officers so that must be an additional strain on the budget to pay overtime to other officers in order to cover the shifts.
- Assistant Superintendent Arsenault had a slide show for us with multiple pictures from within the jail, things she was surprised we had not seen on our tour such as the visiting area(no-contact visits), the inside of the barber shop, the cafeteria, views of the interior of a typical cell including the stainless steel toilet/sink combo. She offered interesting information we had not heard while going through the slides; the inmates are issued two sheets, two uniforms and one wool blanket in the winter. The cell is carefully constructed with nothing one can hang himself on. The tables are bolted down. They are allowed one hour of recreation per day but each day that time slot varies. When groups of inmates go to the gym, all the pins on the nautilus equipment are counted before they return to their block. There are no free weights. Only prisoners in good standing are allowed to eat in the cafeteria. Many eat right in the cell block and are given only fifteen minutes to do so. Their eating utensil is a plastic spork, the clever spoon fork combination I personally have many years of experience using as a public school employee. They do not get even get a plastic knife.
- When Jason asked us to go around the room and introduce ourselves, he asked what we had enjoyed the most so far in the academy. Several participants mentioned that they enjoyed the actual interaction with the inmates. While he spoke, I couldn’t help but think how familiar he looked somehow. I was wondering if he was one of the correctional officers that substituted at Triton Middle School several years ago. I don’t know whose brainstorm that was to join forces, but none of them lasted long. Dealing with 7th and 8th graders without the restrictions of a maximum security facility is a whole new challenge. I’ll never forget one of the guy’s comments to me after a particularly rough class, “This is ridiculous!” If I see him at the graduation they are having for us, I will have to ask him if he was one of the substitutes. Jason showed us an interesting video he made of typical procedures within the Middleton House of Correction and answered many of our questions.
- There was much to see in both the video and slide show that perhaps could be considered to be part of the tour in the next citizens’ academy that is offered. The tour could even be spread out into a couple of sessions. As interesting as everything was to hear about and learn, a picture tells a thousand words. Seeing things yourself is even better! I am so impressed with the effort every single presenter put into their talks and demonstrations and I hope that they will continue to offer this to the outside. The academy helped to clear up many misunderstandings we all have on prisons and allowed us to have the unique opportunity for some “hands on” experience with some of the situations encountered in the law enforcement circle.
- Next week is graduation. I have no idea what that entails. I hope we aren’t asked to put on uniforms and tossed onto a block for a game of Hearts! It certainly would be interesting however to stand around and eavesdrop on conversations. But I’ll take a piece of cake and coffee with my diploma! I am looking forward to my next visit to a prison which will be the Salem Jail. My husband is taking me for my birthday since the food now has improved dramatically! http://www.greatescaperest.com/#!
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