Onieda Correctional Facility

Oneida, a medium-security facility on the southwest outskirts of downtown Rome in Oneida County, gives new meaning to the term central New York. The U.S. Geographical Society says the exact geographical center of the Empire State is located within the secure perimeter of this facility, a short distance from Building 2. So the next time you think of visiting central New York ...

Oneida opened in 1988, when the Department took over part of the former Rome Developmental Center. The site has had several names and personas over its many years of service.

It stands out today as a unique facility which has helped streamline various operations throughout the entire prison system. These innovations have meant greater efficiencies than ever before and a substantial savings for state taxpayers.

The history of Oneida as a state property can be traced back to 1893. That's when the state bought the Oneida County Alms- house at a cost of $104,000. The Almshouse cared for people considered poor and insane. It was also known to have housed criminals, the physically disabled and the mentally retarded.

In 1894, the insane patients who had been cared for at the Almshouse were transferred out to state hospitals throughout New York. The facility was renamed the Rome State Custodial Asylum for Unteachable Idiots.

Objectionable to most today, that terminology was a reflection of its era. A more appropriate term today would be developmentally disabled.

As a custodial institution, it was a secured environment with thick, locked doors and sturdy iron bars. Asylum residents were cared for only in terms of meeting their basic physical needs. Those committed to the asylum remained there for life.

Around 1902, the philosophy of care for the mentally disabled began to change. Concepts of socialization and training developed. Residents of the asylum were provided with farm and domestic training and a self-supporting environment took shape.

The year 1904 marked the beginning of what became a colony system. Rather than all clients residing communally in large numbers, they were assigned to separate residences on the property called colonies, from which they worked the fields and performed other duties.

Brush Colony opened on the grounds of Rome in 1906, being the first such colony for the asylum. The home is today occupied by the Rome Developmental Services Office.

The colonies assisted with foods such as meat, milk and vegetables that were used at the institution. Eventually, the institution also had a bakery, producing several hundred loaves of bread weekly. A creamery opened in 1912, supplying the one-ton of butter that was needed each month.

By 1919 the name changed again and the institution became known as the Rome State School.

While doing some research, an Oneida employee came upon some old newsletters, entitled The Herald, that were published by the institution. A menu item contained in The Herald for the Thanksgiving dinner in 1949 listed what could be considered the long-time staples of that annual holiday feast: roast turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberries, pickles and celery, cheese, winter squash, orange juice, coffee, bread, butter, milk and pumpkin pie.

By 1960 the population of the Rome State School, which had grown in to one of the area's largest and well-paying employers, peaked at 5,166. It was around that time that the concept of care for the mentally disabled shifted to new community care and treatment. Rome's population began to steadily decline.

In 1974, the name changed again, to the Rome Developmental Center. Then in 1979, it became known as the Rome Developmental Disabilities Services Office. A five-year plan was implemented which dictated the beginning of the end for the facility's use as a developmental center. The movement of its clients began, into small residential units in communities sprinkled throughout the area.

All proceeded according to Hoyle and, in a short while, the once booming grounds of what initially was the Oneida County Almshouse fell silent.

DOCS expands into central New York

Around the time the developmental center was being phased out, the DOCS inmate population was bursting at the seams as a result of thousands of new commitments due to the "crack cocaine" epidemic that was gripping not only New York state but the entire nation. That set off a frenzied construction of proto-type "cookie cutters" throughout the state to handle the additional inmates. However, DOCS saw an opportunity to house a prison on the grounds of the developmental center, which itself was designed as a secured facility but then lay fallow.

Just as Commissioner Thomas A. Coughlin III of the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities planned the opening of small residential centers to replace large developmental centers such as Rome, he sought the Rome campus for a prison after he became commissioner of this agency.

DOCS acquired the site in 1986 for $45 million and, by 1987, the north campus of the grounds began transformation into what would become Oneida. In 1989, the south Rome campus was converted to become Mohawk.

Existing buildings were converted in the new Oneida facility to meet the Department's security and programming needs. By the end of 1988, its population exceeded 1,000 inmates.

It's somewhat of a hodgepodge as one tours the facility's sprawling grounds. Oneida is comprised of 45 buildings, displaying a wide tapestry of architectural styles such as Queen Anne, Gothic Revival, buildings built during the turn of the century and buildings reflecting the growth spurts of the 1920's through the 1960's.

One gets a sneaking suspicion of what's in store beyond the secured perimeter even before entering the lobby of the Administration Building.

Staring down menacingly from high above are three stone gargoyles, human or animal figures grossly carved in stone. They're found on a structure designed to drain water away from the building. Some gargoyles illustrate stories from do the Bible while others depict images of eternal damnation. Many are simply grotesque; the reason for their presence was the carver's belief in those days that these figures would scare off evil spirits.

"Those days" date back to 1825 when Building 4 was constructed as the original site of the Oneida County Almshouse. The facility also sits in the shadow of another historical site, the majestic stone water tower at adjacent Mohawk, which was built in 1898 at a cost of $10,290. A second building at Oneida, the Administration Building, features not only gargoyles but Queen Anne-style architecture, with rich wood interiors, stately marble bathrooms and molded tin ceilings. This building, once the director's residence is presently under consideration as an historical site.

The Department's takeover of Oneida as a prison required more renovation of existing structures, as opposed to new construction.

More than $62 million was spent on renovations. New construction, excluding the $22.5 million cook chill expansion, totaled approximately $8 million.

New construction included a gymnasium building, mess hall addition, auto garage and storehouse.

Central pharmacy reduces costs

Within these old but stately environs is one of the state's newest and most efficient initiatives -the Central " Pharmacy, which serves all 71 state facilities.

Because of Oneida 's centralized location, the pharmacy provides for a highly efficient drug distribution process to the 71 facilities around the state.

Central Pharmacy serves as the Department's registered wholesaler/supplier of drugs and medical supplies. It supplies DOCS' facilities with stocks of prescription drugs, over-the- counter (OTC) medication and medical supplies.

Central Pharmacy also supplies OTC medications to several Office of Children and Family Services facilities.

Twenty-four DOCS regional pharmacies serving from one to six facilities receive their products from Central Pharmacy and then parcel them out.

Central Pharmacy also provides assistance with special purchases, such as the statewide Automated External Defibrillator initiative. The units have already been credited with saving the lives of several staff and inmates.

The statewide Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, which is comprised of physicians, pharmacists, nurses and administrators, determines what products will be made available. The medications and medical supplies carried by Central Pharmacy reflect current community standards and are regularly reviewed for cost effectiveness. By utilizing state contracts, purchasing staff are able to obtain extremely competitive pricing, which in no small part is attributable to the volume generated.

Oneida also has one of the local dispensing pharmacies that provides prescriptions and OTC medications to inmates at Oneida, Mohawk, Mid-State, Marcy, Hale Creek and Pharsalia; plans include adding Georgetown and Summit in the future.

Food Production Center undergoing expansion

The Food Production Center (FPC), provides cost-saving "cook/chill" meals to inmates at 61 facilities. An ongoing expansion at the FPC will permit it to serve all 71 facilities in 2003, translating to additional savings for state taxpayers.

A $19.3 million construction and expansion project is under- way at the FPC, which began as a small pilot program serving a mere four facilities in 1992. The pilot was designed to spear- head a program to provide greater efficiencies, better food quality and enhanced inventory controls.

As of late last month, the FPC was providing daily breakfast, lunch and dinner meals -along with accompanying beverages and desserts - to 61 facilities housing approximately 58,065 inmates, some 87 percent of the total population.

That translates into 174,195 inmate meals each day, at a cost of $2.10 per inmate per day for food prepared at the cook/chill operation. Compared to a per-day cost of $2.24 per inmate for food prepared at individual facilities, that's a savings of $3 million annually.

Once the expansion is completed and all 67,000 inmates are served by cook/chill, the annual savings would , at Marcy, prepares ID cards increase to $3,423,700. Additional to Oneida. savings also are expected as a result of ongoing and scheduled food preparation enhancements and other related efficiencies.

Under the innovative cook/chill process, huge quantities of food are cooked to a just-done state, then chilled rapidly and stored under tightly controlled temperature conditions. Shipped in large, sealed plastic bags, the food then only has to be reheated at the participating prisons for serving.

Although the pasteurization associated with cook/chill process affords most of the prepared products a shelf life of up to six weeks, the food is produced and used quickly to ensure freshness, prevent spoilage and cut down on costly refrigeration space. Typically, products prepared at the center one week are shipped to the participating facilities the next week for consumption the following week.

Eventually, the center will be providing a total of3 1/2 pounds of processed food and drink per inmate per day. That translates, to 234,500 pounds a day and more than 85 million pounds of processed food and drink per year almost 43,000 tons.

Besides saving money for state taxpayers, the ongoing expansion could mean additional savings at the local level.

The Department has been contacted by a number of county " jail administrators throughout the state regarding the possibility of their purchasing cook/chill meals for their inmates. That It could result in a substantial savings at the county levels, as It some counties now pay as much as $4 per inmate per day for meals.

The Department already has such an agreement in place with Oneida County regarding its jail inmates and would entertain the possibility of providing food to additional county jails once inmates at all state prisons are getting their meals from Oneida.

Innovative programming, strong community ties

Oneida offers a full range of academic and vocational programming as well as

Several programs designed to meet the a unique needs of specific inmates. Oneida's Alcohol and Substance Abuse Treatment residential program, for instance, includes a unique White Bison Program component. This is designed to meet the spiritual needs of Native Americans utilizing tribal ceremonies to promote spirituality in the process of addiction recovery. While the program has its roots in the Long House tradition, it incorporates other tribal ceremonies to serve the many different tribal representatives enrolled in the program. Some of the unique ceremonies or activities include mind mapping, sacred pipe ceremonies, medicine wheel and a pow wow that includes native prayer, song, dance and stories.

Since 1997, Oneida also has offered a comprehensive counseling program for compulsive gamblers. This 10-week pro- gram is run by volunteers from a local gambling program and deals with the "hidden addiction" of problem gambling. Experts estimate that as many as 10 percent of gamblers are problem gamblers. The program has provided strong evidence that gambling issues are often at the root of an inmate's subsequent criminal behavior and eventual incarceration. More than 100 inmates have participated in the program, which received an award in 1999 from the New York Council on Problem Gambling for program innovation.

Through the Volunteer Services Program, Oneida operates its therapeutic programs with the help of professional and caring volunteers. The Alternatives to Violence Program (AVP), which is operated by Quakers from nearby Syracuse, addresses the violence counseling programming needs of the 41 inmates located in the facility's long-term Voluntary Protective Custody Unit.

AVP workshops present conflict management skills that can enable individuals to build successful personal interactions, gain insight into themselves and find new and positive approaches to their lives. There are a total of three separate workshops that inmates must complete to be certified as facilitators, which enables them to assist their peers in dealing with issues of violence and ways of avoiding it.

Another unique program is Oneida's Health and Wellness Program. This is an 8-10-week program in which various local professionals and community agencies provide information to inmates on health and wellness. Outside volunteers include the Oneida County Health Department, Cornell Cooperative Extension, the American Heart Association, Planned Parenthood and St. Luke's/Faxton Hospital. Topics include clinical depression, tuberculosis, HIV-AIDS, dental health, food and fitness connection, bereavement and mind and body connection. Oneida recently received the "Community Partnership Award" from Cornell Cooperative Extension for this successful collaboration.

Staff health and well-being are also a priority. Through joint union and staff support, Oneida features an Employee Fitness Center, which features weight and exercise machines to help employees stay in shape.

Just as members of the community playa pivotal role in the daily operation of Oneida, Oneida employees regularly return the favor in the community.

Each year, staff sponsors a picnic for underprivileged youths and their highly appreciative families at public park in Rome. Additionally staff and inmates participate each year in Make a Difference Day activities throughout the local community. Last year, a team of 12 employee runners and walker raised $581 while participating in America' Greatest Heart Run and Walk. Staffers also participated in a Buddy Walk in Utica to help educate the public about Down 'Syndrome.

Staff and inmates also gave to the World Trade Center Relief Fund last year; those assigned to the FPC also made thousand of bag lunches, for rescue and emergency workers a Ground Zero following the destruction of the twin towers.

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