By C1 Staff
LINCOLN, Neb. — A recent attempt to audit the Nebraska Department of Corrections found holes and gaps in data, according to a specially made legislative panel.
The Journal Star reports that The Performance Audit Committee, who were looking into the department’s use of segregation, found incomplete records that could not address questions they had.
Violence reduction programming records had missing and inconsistent information on dates of inmates’ entry into and exit out of programs. Dates were also out of sequence.
Prisons Director Mike Kenney said many of the audit’s findings were too general or vague, especially if intended as a tool for policymakers or for the department to make improvements.
He wants a better description of what data is missing so that the department can address it accordingly.
The committee has been gathering information throughout the year on the department’s disciplinary process, use of good time and adequacy of programming, such as substance abuse and mental health services for inmates.
Auditors found that the rules of how long inmates may spend in segregation were within established limits, actual time spent separated from general pop were much higher.
Sen. John Harms, chairman of the committee, said the department should evaluate its use of segregation to better reflect current national standards.
Kenney responded by saying some inmates repeatedly committed serious or flagrant rules violations, thus receiving multiple misconduct reports resulting in consecutive disciplinary segregation sanctions.
He did add that this is not a common occurrence.
Auditors also found that the department did not have guidelines describing what types of behaviors were considered “serious or flagrant” enough to cause a punishment of segregation or a loss of good time.
They also found that there was no guidance in identifying inmates who may be mentally ill and dangerous. There is also no differentiation for those who are dangerous sex offenders.
They did not examine the case of one inmate, Nikko Jenkins, who was released into the community, only to go on and kill four people, but another group is investigating whether he received the mental health care he needed and sought. Prison officials testified that they believed he only had behavioral problems and was faking mental illness.
The committee has recommended that the department hire an independent consultant to audit its data system to ensure accurate and reliable information on both mental health diagnosis and programming, along with amount of time inmates spend in segregation.