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You Get What You Pay For -- And Sometimes Even More
Posted 10-21-2002
Knowing what you pay for
something is usually pretty easy. We look at our checkbook or credit card
statement, and it is right there in front of us. But, I think you will agree
that sometimes it is a little harder to determine exactly what we got for
our money. All of us have taken home a purchase only to find that it does
not work as advertised or was not what we needed. It certainly can be
frustrating.
That is not the case with the
management contract to operate the Westmoreland County Prison. In this case,
we know exactly what we paid for and exactly what we got, and continue to
get -- cost-effective management and solid security, free of controversy.
Let's examine the cost side
first. Cornell Companies is a nationally recognized provider of correctional
services. Cornell provides substance abuse, juvenile justice, and
alternative education also, but for Westmoreland County, they only manage
our prison. The annual contract is for $360,000, and for that amount we get
a warden, deputy warden, and the company's expertise in the corrections
arena.
But, let's not forget that if
we did not hire Cornell, we would still have to employ a warden and deputy
warden. That would cost taxpayers about $150,000 per year, so the County is
actually paying $210,000 for Cornell's management services. But wait a
minute, didn't Cornell's management staff tell us that they would cover
their costs by double-bunking some of the cells? Yes, they did. Did they
produce? Most definitely -- more than some would lead you to believe.
Revenues from housing
out-of-county inmates, more effective management of the work release
programs, and the new room and board program that I proposed have brought
the county $444,522 in the past year. So, the math is simple. If you believe
we should recover the entire $360,000 contract cost, then the county earned
$84,522 through our contract with Cornell. Remembering that we would have to
pay a warden and deputy warden anyway, we earned $234,522. Either way, the
county is most definitely benefiting financially from this arrangement.
But, this is not simply a
matter of dollars and cents. Considering the inherent high profile,
high-risk nature of prisons in general, the financial benefit of the Cornell
contract is not the only benefit. In 2000, our prison was the subject of
criminal investigations and drug allegations that were the object of
derisive media coverage and an embarrassment to all of us. Cornell has done
a great job there too.
Consider just a few of the
accomplishments in the first year of the contract. The company restructured
the treatment and work release programs, reducing county liability,
improving public safety, and increasing revenue. Staff training was
increased, and shift policy changed to reduce overtime. Public safety has
been enhanced through the creation of an assessment team to review inmate
furloughs, treatment, and work release. And, we no longer have a drug ring
being run out of our prison. Professional standards have returned, and the
outstanding men and women who work in our prison can focus on the job at
hand.
County government has even
received a reprieve from the constant attention that the prison used to
require -- well, almost. The recent silliness over the food budget is a
perfect example of unfounded allegations. The prison originally budgeted
$417,000 for food, and we reduced that amount to $376,000, while ordering
Cornell to increase the population to help pay for its contract. Since we
have another company, Nutrition Incorporated, that oversees the food service
at the prison, the issue isn't directly Cornell's. But in 2001, we paid
$585,000 for food. In 2002, we approved $376,000 and now have added
$124,000, for a total of $500,000. Even if we add $40,000 more this year,
that is $45,000 less than last year, with an inmate population that has
increased by 15 percent.
When you look at the facts,
the positive changes at the prison under the Cornell contract speak for
themselves. The management contract has been a good deal for taxpayers, and
the prison is operating much more effectively today than in years past. Now
is the time to build on this success, not falsely attack it. |
