Ulster Correctional Facility

During the 1980's, the Department was in the midst of its greatest population expansion due to the "crack cocaine" epidemic that was gripping not only New York but the entire nation. Officials envisioned building a new maximum-security facility for males on property adjacent to Eastern in the town of Napanoch, to be modeled after the design of Southport.

The logic revolving around the new facility that would be known as Ulster appeared solid. By locating facilities next to each other, they could share needed services like wastewater treatment, solid waste removal, water service, snow removal, training facilities, emergency response resources and other services. And the corresponding savings for New York state taxpayers would indeed prove substantial over the years.

But what you initially expect is not what you always get.

A changed mission during its infancy

After taking another look at the plan, Department officials rethought it. While the shared services concept remained in place, the new notion was that Ulster, which was already under construction as a maximum-security facility, would better serve DOCS' changing needs as a medium-security reception/classification center for males. The facility had to be retro- fitted in several areas to accommodate the change and, in October of 1990, Ulster opened and began its new mission.

Ulster is one of the Department's newest prototype facilities, or so-called "cookie cutter." The facility cost $69 million to build and is comprised of25 separate brick/masonry buildings.

All of the buildings are connected by paved roadways. The facility perimeter is surrounded by an exterior 17- foot fence and an eight-foot interior fence, both banked and topped with razor ribbon. Additional security is provided through the use of cameras and sensors monitored from a control center in the administration building.

The vast majority of Ulster commitments come from New York City. A small pre-classification unit operates on Rikers Island through a cooperative effort with the New York City Department of Correction. All inmates sentenced to state custody and parole violators are screened in this New York City unit. Those inmates who appear to meet the criteria for maximum- security placement or who have serious mental health needs, sensorial disabilities or other special needs never make it to Ulster. Instead, they are forwarded to Downstate, a maximum- security reception/classification center, in Dutchess County.

While the majority of reception intake is new commitments, Ulster also receives a large number of returned parole violators, inmates committed to the Willard Drug Treatment Campus and inmates going to and returning from court.

To say that Ulster is a busy place would be an understatement. It's the Department's most active transportation center, with over 20,000 inmates a year in transit from one facility to another, being processed at the facility.

Ulster's mission is unique in the fact that it is the only non- maximum-security reception/classification facility. Of its 840 general population beds, 720 are for reception. The result: more than 36,000 inmates pass through those beds each year.

Ulster's major focus involves processing, classifying and moving inmates. The facility works on an extremely tight schedule within clearly defined guidelines.

All new commitments start a five-day schedule of reception/classification activities upon arrival. The purpose of this process is to determine an inmate's classification and placement, collect information for the destination facility and pro- vide the inmate with enough information to successfully adjust to life in a correctional facility. Returned parole violators are put through a similar classification process which is accomplished in just three days.

Establishing an inmate's placement consists of determining his security classification as well as his program, medical and mental health needs. An inmate's security classification is determined by a Correction Counselor using the standardized Initial Security Classification Guidelines for Males.

An inmate's medical needs are determined after a complete physical and dental exam which includes diagnostic X-rays and lab work. The Office of Mental Hygiene (OMH) provides a psychologist at Ulster to identify programs for those inmates identified as having mental health needs.

The typical length of stay is approximately one to three weeks. During their remaining time at Ulster, inmates participate in recreation and religious activities and may utilize the general and law libraries.

Comprehensive classification a staple

Since it is designated as a reception/classification center, a lot of work and fine-tuning has been accomplished over the years to ensure that staff issue each inmate a proper and consistent classification, a vital component of Ulster's mission. This process crafts a blueprint for the path an inmate will travel while in the Department's custody. The Classification Unit has three major objectives. First, each inmate is assessed to ensure placement in a facility that can adequately address security, medical and mental health needs. The second is to identify those factors which contributed to his criminal activities and to recommend programs to address them. And finally, to provide a program of orientation which will assist the inmate in making a positive adjustment.

The security classification is accomplished by using the Security Classification Guideline in conjunction with an initial interview. The guideline is an objective classification instrument which attempts to measure the inmate's risk to the community and the risk he presents within an institution.

The instrument assigns numerical values to factors such as the violence involved in the inmate's crime of commitment; his most serious prior crime; the amount of time that the inmate will be in custody until he's eligible for release; whether he has any history of escaping from custody or absconding from supervision, and, if applicable, the inmate's prior history of adjustment while incarcerated.

The guide-line also takes into account any history of sex offenses, arson and particularly vicious violence which would affect placement decision.

When it comes to programming, Classification Counselors conduct an initial interview with each inmate and assess his demeanor and willingness to work to address his needs and short- comings. Counselors then analyze the inmate's criminal and personal history through a review of case materials and additional interviews. Based on their findings, they recommend programs to address those factors that have contributed to an inmate's criminal behavior.

For instance, inmates who have a history of' violence or sex offenses are recommended to participate in aggression replacement training and/or sex offender counseling. Inmates who have histories of alcohol or substance abuse arc recommended to participate in the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Treatment (ASAT) program. Based on an inmate's work history and job skills, recommendations also may be made for vocational training. Finally, an extensive educational assessment is done on all inmates to pinpoint their needs.

The final objective of the classification Unit is to provide the inmate an orientation program which will give him information about the Department and what is expected of him while he is in custody.

Burgeoning program provides big benefits

One of Ulster's claims to fame is its highly-successful Criminal Alien Program. Its purpose is to allow federal officials to determine each inmate's alien status at reception, so a decision can be made on each offender's future long before they are eligible for parole.

The program was a result of the realization in the early 1990's that states around the nation were seeing an increase in the number of potential aliens in their systems. By law, only federal officials can determine immigration status.

An intensive, cooperative effort between federal and state governments was begun in 1994. Its goal was to identify foreign-born inmates, investigate their cases and determine whether or not they are subject to deportation.

Of equal importance, it allowed the Department to identify such aliens and to closely monitor their activities. That allowed New York to prevent some of the unrest occurring in other states as alien inmates reacted to news events in their home nations.

In 1994, the Department was unaware of the immigration status of 13 percent of 8,574 foreign-born inmates. This year, the status of only 4 percent of 8,461 foreign-born inmates remains unclear, a tremendous improvement that is a direct result of this joint federal-state initiative.

Inmates with undocumented alien status are identified at reception by Ulster staff through a record review; once identified they are referred to U .S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) officials for investigation.

The U.S. Department of Justice administers the program. INS and the Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR) are separate agencies in the Department of Justice.

Twelve years ago, the INS unit had two staffers. Today there are six investigators and clerical support.

The INS Litigation Unit was established in 1994 and currently is staffed by two attorneys. The unit's main function is to present the government's case in the deportation hearing conducted by the EOIR Court.

A Deportation Unit, currently staffed by five deportation officers and one clerk, also was established in 1994. Its function is to process and transport inmates who are slated for deportation upon release. Inmates also are brought to Ulster from other facilities around the state for deportation.

The EOIR Court is an administrative court which is responsible for conducting legal hearings at which time it is determined whether an inmate is eligible for deportation. The court is staffed by a full-time federal judge with three support staff. Four years ago, the EOIR Court and the Department moved to video teleconferencing to conduct hearings. This has resulted in a savings, to date, of tens of millions of dollars as a deportation hearing for an inmate from, for example, Wyoming, now can be conducted over the airwaves. Previously, all inmates from throughout the state had to be escorted by security staff to Ulster for deportation hearings and then returned to their facility of origin.

The true spirit that is Ulster

The Old Stone House has become the logo for Ulster. Located at the northwest comer of the facility, it is a graceful, beautifully restored example of a pre-Revolutionary farm house. It is the oldest structure on the prison grounds.

Known as the Wood-Jansen-Johnson house due to multiple owners over the years, it has a some- what mysterious history. A house on this site appears in Warwarsing town records in 1709, 1745 and 1787. It is most likely that the house as it now stands was built around 1745. It was built in a style typical of Dutch or Huguenot settlers in the area. The house was occupied until 1932, known as the Wood House. It was sold to New York state by Leo and Margaret Carroll. Over the years, the 43-acre property has been used by Eastern as a potato farm. The house was used for the storage of farming materials and ultimately fell into serious disrepair.

When plans were being drawn up Ulster, it was decided that the once-grand and proud house would be restored as a historical site. Restoration began in 1992 and was completed in 1996.Craftsmen from the maintenance staffs at Ulster and Eastern did the skilled work with the assistance of Ulster inmates.

Today, the Old Stone House is used as a meeting and conference center and has become a symbol of the Ulster spirit. And in 2001, the Old Stone House was for the first time ever a stop on the Annual D&H Canal Walk.

Being a good neighbor

During Ulster's 12-year history, it has developed an excellent track record of service to the community. Its supervised community service crews have left their mark.

Ulster staff and inmates have built and maintained local baseball fields. They've assisted local towns with cleaning up after blizzards and other natural disasters. They painted a local school, and have provided drinking water to Ellenville Hospital during water emergencies.

Two recent projects received exceptionally high kudos from local officials and area residents.

Ulster provided a welcomed helping hand to the Fantinekill Cemetery Board, which was looking for a large stone to erect outside their gates.

A member of the board, recently-retired Sullivan Superintendent Robert Kuhlmann, suggested that the board contact Ulster to see if supervised community services crews could help. A two-ton stone meeting those specifications eventually was discovered by staff, and it was installed by Ulster employees and inmates. Board members plan to eventually affix a plaque with the name of the cemetery on the front of the impressive stone.

June of 200 1 saw a combined effort initiated by the Watershed Agricultural Council. Over that summer, under the supervision of security staff, inmates provided daily watering and composting and helped to maintain plant health for some 3,000 trees and 300 shrub stems. The trees and shrubs then were planted along rivers and streams in the New York City water- shed area by an independent planting contractor, providing for water conservation and pollution prevention.

"It was a great opportunity for Ulster to get staff and inmates involved in a worthwhile project that benefits the community," said Superintendent Joseph Smith. "We're always ready to assist. We believe in the concept of being good neighbors."

Staff who are assigned to Ulster's community service crews aren't the only ones who go out of their way to lend a hand in the community. And that was demonstrated once again in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City.

Two staff members at Ulster lost family members. In the attacks. Their co-workers quickly raised over $500 for each of the families.

The following month staff sponsored a booth at the Ellenville Harvest Festival to solicit donations from the public to be forwarded to the World Trade Center Relief Fund. Ulster staff collected $1,000 which was matched by the facility's credit union.

Additionally, Ulster Correction Officer Timothy Hughes spent several days working at Ground Zero with his specially trained dog, assisting with the recovery of bodies from the smoldering wreckage. And during a three-day period, Ulster staff and inmates made up over 6,000 bags with personal hygiene products to be delivered to rescue personnel toiling at ground zero. This was among their first deliveries to the scene and Ulster staff and inmates later received a letter of appreciation from Governor Pataki.

The continued efforts of giving by facility employees and inmates alike have not been confined solely to the survivors of disaster victims and lend credence to the phrase "the family that is corrections."

In March of 2002, over $600 was raised through a bake sale and a 50-50 raffle to help two Correction Officers at a neighboring facility whose child was born with several severe birth defects which will require multiple surgeries to correct.

Also, in 2001, staff raised $435 and numerous childcare and clothing items for a Lieutenant at another facility whose wife had died while giving birth to triplets. Ulster Correction Officers Rachel Devita and Daniel Countryman organized and led that successful fund-raising effort. One of the facility's most important and endearing annual activities remains the Ulster Kids Club.

Each December, staff members who volunteer to join the Kids Club put on a Christmas holiday party for children of Ulster employees. The party includes an appearance by Macaroni the Clown, craft activities, refreshments and, of course, a visit from Santa Claus. Each child receives a special gift from the jolly old soul and then has his or her picture taken with him.

The party is typically attended by about 160 appreciative children. The staff involved raises the money to put on the party throughout the year, holding assorted raffles, bake sales and other fund-raisers.

Like all other facilities throughout the state, Ulster also participates in annual Make AI Difference Day activities to assist the needy in the community.

They have raised donations of non-perishable food items an money for area food banks and other charitable organizations that service the needy in the community.

And on several occasions, staff have organized food and coat drives for family of Ellenville, which is an area organization that deals with the needy.

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