Govt creates Department of Corrections

The CNMI government got bigger yesterday with the creation of a new Department of Corrections.

Gov. Juan N. Babauta signed into law yesterday House Bill 14-152, which creates a Department of Corrections under the Executive Branch, and transfers all responsibilities for correctional and detention functions from the Department of Public Safety’s Division of Corrections and the Division of Immigration’s Office of Detention to the new department.

“This is the latest chapter in a long history. Efforts preceding this administration included much debate about the future of our prison system—how to upgrade facilities, how to design a new institution, how to merge our culture with modern penal practices, and how to fund for this endeavor,” Babauta said.

He said these concerns have been addressed as shown by the ongoing construction of a bigger, federally approved prison facility, among others.

Babauta formed yesterday a transition committee and appointed special assistant for administration Tom Tebuteb to oversee the transfer during a one-year transition period.

Babauta said that he and Lt. Gov. Diego T. Benavente would discuss and name a secretary for the newly created department in two to three weeks.

Earlier estimates showed that it would require some $8 million to run the new adult prison facility, which would cover for 200 FTEs to guard 340 prison cells.

The administration said the maximum capacity of the new prison—set at 586—“far exceeds the current inmate population of 151.

The facility is projected to open in Sept. 2005.

Projected costs for staff, operation, utilities, and maintenance of the new prison will dramatically increase, the administration said.

The division is reportedly operating right now on a tight budget of $2.6 million.

Current Corrections staffing is 63. An increase of 60 to 80 more staff members will be required upon the opening of the facility.

The new law, authored by Rep. Clyde Norita, said that a Corrections Department is necessary to promote a more efficient administration within the prison and detention system.

The need for the legislation came as a result of the Consent Decree issued by the U.S. District Court in Feb. 1999, which among others required that a plan be developed to address operating the detention and prison facilities as a system, to correct deficiencies, and to address future population growth.

The new law mandates the department to establish, maintain, operate, and control the adult correctional facility “for the protection of the general public and crime victims, and for the care, custody, and discipline of persons convicted of offenses against the Commonwealth.”

It is mandated to set up and administer funded correctional programs including rehabilitative, educational, and vocational programs; institutional alcohol and substance-abuse treatment programs; sex-offender counseling or treatment; repeat-offender prevention; and other remedial programs.