Thread by @alleghenyJOB

~ AUGUST 2023 J.O.B. LIVETWEET THREAD ~
🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵

Streaming here on the Jail Oversight Board's YouTube channel, starting in about 5 minutes!! let's go gang

Murray mentions @PIINPAORG and the @apapgh_ coalition so perhaps she is reading the statement on behalf of those orgs.

PIIN has been trying to meet with Ashley Brinkman and Deputy Warden Blythe Toma but they're refusing :-/

NEXT: Ann McStay

she mentions the VERY concerning finding from the Corrections Collective's survey of healthcare staff that many employees feel they are asked to do things that jeopardize their licensure

Recap of the survey, which John K and the crew presented last week. VERY bleak.

pinjnews.org/survey-alleges…

McStay says @PIINPAORG is embarking on a letter-writing campaign to our state representatives.

GET ME THOSE DETAILS PIIN, LET'S DO THIS!

NEXT: Ronnie Cook-Zuhlke, repping PIIN

she reads a list of recommendations for the jail's healthcare administration to address their crisis-level staffing problem

One of the recommendations is for administrative healthcare staff to work as frontline healthcare staff to pitch in, but I have to say I'm not entirely sure that makes sense. If they don't have medical training I don't understand why they would serve as frontline staff?

^ maybe I missed the nuance of what she was saying there, but it sounded a bit wonky to me as the jail healthcare admin has been frequently criticized for lacking relevant qualifications

NEXT: Laura Perkins

She reads a recommendation that the jail stop relying on online training. Some survey respondents stated that all of their training is little online modules that they found boring and unhelpful. and this is life or death, ya know?

NEXT: Fran McDowell

She reads a recommendation that communication structure at the jail shift from authoritative and top-down to collaborative and bottom-up. The COs and healthcare staff both mentioned this in their respective job satisfaction surveys.

McDowell also recommends admin staff spend time shadowing front-line staff for their entire shifts, to learn more about the challenges of the job.

suggests there be a suggestion box and that admin respond with a "warm affect" when suggestions are made. good luck with that...

NEXT: [firstname] Shaughnessy

He speaks about Dr. Patterson, who worked for years as the jail's doctor. He died in the past few years and the JOB intended to post a plaque honoring him; apparently the jail has not posted it yet and said they did not plan to.

Shaughnessy says that whomever our new County Exec Sara Innamorato appoints as the next Warden will take the action of renaming the medical unit after Dr. Patterson and will hang the plaque. Patterson's family will be invited to attend. aw

NEXT: Sharon Bonavoglia, also repping PIIN

as you can see, the crowd has brought signs again this month with the names of those who have died at ACJ since April 2020

Bonavoglia asks everyone to rise while she reads their names.

Richard Lenhart, Robert Blake, Cody Still, Daniel Pastorek, John Brady, Martin Bucek, Robert Harper, Vinckley Harris, Justin Brady, Paul Allen, Roger Millspaugh, Paul Spisak, Gerald Thomas, Jerry Lee Ross, Jr. ...

...Victor Joseph Zelenik, Ronald Andrus, Anthony Talotta, William Spencer, James Washington, Damon Leroy Kayes, Tim Manino, Douglas Bonamo

RIP

after Bonavoglia finishes reading the names there is a moment of silence.

next: Kyna James of @apapgh_

Judge Howsie ~accidentally~ mispronounces her name

James says William Spencer's family still has heard nothing from the jail, although they've reached out many times. she also condemns the jail admin for continuing to violate the ban on solitary confinement every single day

I have split the threads for the 2nd time tonight already! GAHHH

https://twitter.com/alleghenyJOB/status/1687203359139540992?s=20

NEXT: @Tanishaevonne of @ALCCourtWatch @AbolitionistLC

Question 1: "Where's Rich?"

Not sure who she's addressing, but Long asks someone-- the Warden?-- why they need to be on their phone right now. sooooo disrespectful.

Last month, Long's public comment was about Rachel Bridgeman.... who was trapped in the jail under "nearly identical circumstances" to Richard Bonomo, who died about 2 weeks ago.

spotlightpa.org/news/2023/03/p…

Howsie's 3 minute time goes off and Long says "I'm taking back the time I had to spend to tell him to stay off his phone." She finishes her thoughts, as the sheriff's deputy gets up and stands next to her, reminding us she escort Long out by force if necessary.

NEXT: Marion Damick

She's speaking about the youth population in Allegheny County-- the kids being held in the jail, and the kids who would be going to Shuman if it were open. She hopes the new County Exec will do something to keep the kids safe.

NEXT: MAN-E of @1hood

He tables in front of the jail on a weekly basis to provide emotional and material support to people leaving the jail. says he's met at least 39 people since last month, and he's here to represent them.

@1hood MAN-E mentions the Joseph Garcia & CSAU contract. He demands that the jail remove the rifles, shotguns, and ammunition that Garcia had them buy as part of their "training." the Board voted to remove all the weapons in September 2021

pghindependent.com/allegheny-coun…

@1hood He smiles slyly and jokes that he wanted to bring in a rifel and shotgun to demonstrate what these dangerous weapons look like and what they can do to a human body-- but he was advised not to "by people smarter than me."

@1hood NEXT: @BethSchongar

She asks the board to review its contract with Allegheny Health Network (@AHNtoday), the jail's medical service provider. healthcare is inadequate, as we all know pretty fucking well by now.

NEXT: Brian Englert @AcjUnion

He invites us to an upcoming county hiring event- PSYYYYCH he's describing an event that was held recently in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. apparently the starting wage for their COs is $24/hr

Englert says the jail is doing subtle unionbusting by having sergeants do work that unionized COs should be doing. he castigates them as scabs.

"They're rats. They're rats. And we got enough rats running around the kitchen."

Englert was the last commenter, and Howsie moves on to approving the minutes-- Hallam asks if they can vote to approve the minutes since they don't have a quorum? Howsie announces a 2 minute break and gets up to leave hahahaha. has to go make a phone call to Fitz I bet

Howsie has returned. Let's see if he decided to hold a vote to approve the meeting minutes (violating the law), or will choose to move along (violating his pride)

the boyz whisper again....... and then they move on to the Warden's report without voting on the minutes. ha.

[time for my first mini-break]

Warden Harper said that the jail's discharge and release center has begun distributing xylazine test strips. xylazine, like fentanyl, is a ridiculously strong opiate that is now being used to cut heroin. @RachelRadical2 has advocated for this in the past!

wesa.fm/health-science…

the blonde female warden who was still never been introduced and is still not listed on the jail's staff website says the jail is now doing "harm reduction education" groups. wonder who's facilitating these groups and what the content is? hope they're not just calling it that

she also says Leon Ford recently visited the jail to speak to incarcerated individuals about ending gun violence

hearfoundation.com/about-the-hear…

Health Services Administrator Ashley Brinkman says there have been 120(?) individuals who received suboxone in the jail and 46 who received methadone. certainly still too slow, but it is progress!

as always tho i probably goofed up the numbers lol

Warden Harper (presumably girding his loins) opens the floor for questions

Judge Howsie jumps in before Hallam can start asking her questions to ask something about the new commissary vendor. but the jail doesn't have an answer anyway, so it's BethanyTime

read Beth Schongar's full comment here!!

https://twitter.com/BethSchongar/status/1687209399297908736?s=20

aaaaaaaaaaaaaand it's time to talk about CSAU and Joseph Garcia. cue the fireworks.

pghindependent.com/allegheny-coun…

Warden Harper admits that the jail is STILL carrying the "special delivery systems." he means guns. he's talking about shotguns and rifles.

Harper repeats the bullshit excuse he used back in Sept 2021, which is that he is allowed to continue to terrorize people with guns because he has not brought in any NEW guns since the board voted to ban them

triblive.com/local/warden-p…

Y'all, please hear and understand, there are individuals with shotguns, rifles, and "less-lethal ammunition" patrolling our jail.

Hallam asks Ashley Brinkman why some people were switched from Suboxone to Sublocade, and Brinkman says it's so that they will already be on Sublocade in case they get transferred to a facility that only has Sublocade. uhhh

Hallam asks Brinkman again about induction, the process of initiating people on Medication Assisted Treatment. Brinkman says they're working on it but they need to resolve issues with staffing first. they wouldn't be able to meet the current demand.

ha bet the Warden though we were done talking about the guns but Hallam pivots back. she's asking for an inventory of which weapons are currently in use in the jail. Harper says he doesn't want to do that in a public setting (which doesn't make sense bc we've seen the contract)

the amount of weapons they purchased is ALREADY public record. but this is just his default response.

here's some background on Joseph Garcia and CSAU, since it's been a minute

alccourtwatch.org/blog-2/016-acj…

ok, WHAT... Hallam asks if the weapons have been used in the jail, and Harper says yes. but when she asks for clarification if they've been used ON an individual, he says he doesn't know. sounds like they've most frequently been used to intimidate individuals.

here's the product page for one of the models the jail purchased

keltecweapons.com/firearm/shotgu…

Hallam is now asking if the jail keeps records about how long individuals are held in intake, and Deputy Warden Beasom says the jail doesn't keep track??

the jail only counts wait time starting when the individual is processed. does not include time they wait to BE processed.

Next Q: Hallam wants to know about the jail's mortality review process

Harper says the County Manager's office is working with NCCHC to do a review.... annually??? but they're supposed to do a review after every death.

Brinkman says they're not required by law to do a review after each death, it's just best practices to do a review. Hallam is referencing an NCCHC standard, which ya is not a law. but Brinkman sounds very chill about it, not like this is something they're striving to implement

Harper definitely does not understand that an individual mortality review is a separate thing from the NCCHC historical review of jail deaths. The jail should be producing their own reports; NCCHC reviewed their records and produced a report on THAT. not actually that complicated

Still not clear to me if NCCHC is being contracted to write an annual report, or if the jail is saying they are contracting NCCHC to review every single death? Deputy Toma says something about how it's "not uncommon" to hire "subject matter experts" to do a review

I will post a PDF of the NCCHC standard on mortality reviews after the meeting, and should probably email a copy to the jail administration too. they seem hella confused.

ok Hallam now asking about Bonomo's death. Harper says he can't get into that in this forum because of "pending litigation."

hahaha Hallam has a strategy tonight of switching up topics when the jail thinks they're done-- asking about mortality reviews again. she asks Brinkman what she thinks a mortality review is for? and Brinkman says it's a "continuous quality improvement procedure" (true)

so Brinkman definitely understands what's going on, at least. but maybe that's worse because she fully knows what she's (not) doing.

Depty Toma says something about how mortality reviews should be done by a doctor and none of the jail admins who are present are doctors soooo of course they can't answer! silly!

Toma says there was an executive session with NCCHC months ago. Hallam was, apparently, not invited.

wow so it sounds like the board held an executive session and did not invite Bethany Hallam.

Hallam asking about "the 6A process" -- this is the form the jail fills out to release someone from custody when they're at the hospital and about to die, basically. i mean it has other uses too but it's only come up at meetings in that context.

it's a loophole that jails use to avoid reporting deaths that occur on their watch. it's not actually a loophole though, they are still required to report those deaths. jails just incorrectly use that as a justification.

pennlive.com/news/2022/02/m…

Howsie explains that a 6A is just a court order, and is not only issued to people who are dying. Which is besides the point. Hallam is trying to figure out more about when/why the 6A release is used for individuals who have been transported to the hospital.

Hallam asks if anyone has ever recovered AFTER a 6A was issued? Brinkman says she wouldn't know, because a 6A is a release so they don't keep track. Hallam asks if the person would be re-arrested if they recovered? Brinkman & Beasom say no.

Hallam: "I don't think that's true."

Howsie interjects to back up Brinkman and Beasom and says that if someone is granted 6A release at the hospital because they're in critical condition and later recovers, that person is free to go. but Hallam says she has heard of people recovering and then being rearrested.

Howsie says Hallam seems to be under the impression that the jail uses 6A releases to circumvent reporting requirements. Hallam nods yes, that's exactly what she thinks. and it is also literally true lol, don't make me post the link again!!!!

pennlive.com/news/2022/02/m…

Howsie keeps talking about how 6A releases can be used for any reason, "most of the time it has nothing to do with health conditions." she says she knows, that's not what she's asking.

Howsie, again, suggests she just doesn't understand. (she does)

oops Howsie just said that the jail is not required to report anyone who dies who is not in the custody of the jail. BZZT WRONG.

ok i will post the link a 3rd time.

pennlive.com/news/2022/02/m…

Hallam read the rules aloud, and Howsie immediately straight up denies that the words mean what they mean. infuriating !

https://t.co/grewfGrl38bja.ojp.gov/funding/perfor…

[mini-break time again]

i don't think i have ever taken a break longer than 3 minutes during these things lmao.

https://twitter.com/Horse_ebooks/status/218439593240956928

Hallam says the Warden's Report shows there have already been 200+ transports from the jail to the Emergency Room this year. sounds like a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hallam has this stack of papers-- apparently they are records of these E.R. runs!!! she got them by good ol Right to Know request, not from the jail, of course. the jail has been maintaining that they couldn't share any of this info because it would violate HIPAA. it does not.

now Toma and Hallam are having an argument that I do not understand. something about "how much an ambulance run costs."

Hallam says that in the first 6 months of 2023, the county has spent $55,835 on ambulance runs

Hallam points to a piece of paper she's holding (acquired via Right to Know request) and says she wants THIS exact piece of paper every time there is an ambulance run. Warden says Hallam asks too much and needs to just send him an email in advance asking for specific info.

I have to admit that I don't understand why Hallam doesn't just do that lol. Possibly to make it more difficult for them to lie? More fun to watch them squirm instead of giving the county a chance to write a nice polished response?

They're talking about Dr. Patterson's plaque. Honestly I don't know anything about this but it seems like the Warden hated Dr. Patterson for some reason and refuses to honor him. VERY weird.

Hallam asking about how the county compiles data for the monthly Solitary Confinement report. Harper says they can talk about that last month and--THANK GOD-- Hallam lets it go.

I just don't have it in me to listen to Harper and Hallam argue about data collection.

oh no actually she has a lot more questions about Solitary Confinement data

i checked out for 5 full minutes. record-breaking! but i'm back

Hallam asking about issues with people getting their meds on time; Harper says this is the first time he's EVER heard that people don't get their meds on time; my eyes pop out of my skull because this has been discussed many many many many many many times previously

Harper says to contact the jail if anyone's meds are late and Hallam asks if the warden can promise that there will be no retaliation against individuals who report late meds.

Harper says, "Nobody retaliates at this jail." 💀

Adjournment is imminent, but first Hallam is reading Judge Lazzara's housing status report for her since she's not here tonight. Howsie is making one of his classic Howsie faces.

The newly hired JOB Liaison Karen Duffola is, apparently, in the audience tonight but when Hallam asks her to introduce herself Howsie cuts it off.

Sheriff Kraus makes the motion to adjourn and somebody seconds it. The end!

gun math

https://twitter.com/alleghenyJOB/status/1687245535793537024?s=20

ok, and about this mortality review thing... you can read this lil 2pg pdf of NCCHC's standard on "procedure in the event of an inmate death" here:

img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/a7d3…

Like Ashley Brinkman said, NCCHC standards are basically just recommendations and getting NCCHC accreditation is totally optional. They are not breaking the law by failing to do these reviews. But they should still do them!!!!!

The NCCHC actually recommends 2 separate reviews after a death: 1) clinical mortality review and 2) administrative review

The clinical one is done by a doctor to review the medical care the individual received, but the administrative one is basically a debrief among staff

(There's even a 3rd kind of review, which Hallam also mentioned tonight-- the psychological autopsy. That's recommended in the event of a suicide. It's meant to review "the individual's life with an emphasis on factors that led up to and may have contributed to the death.")

There's really no excuse not to do an administrative review. Basically you sit down with the COs that were on duty and stuff and talk about what happened and if there's anything anyone could have done better. No doctor required.

Brinkman is dropping the ball

So that's what all that was about. and you can also read the 3 reports the county commissioned from NCCHC here:

abolishacj.org/ncchc

btw sorry that this is literally just a scanned document but the NCCHC makes it pretty impossible to find this stuff online. their books of standards are like $90/ea so it would fuck up their business model lol

my.ncchc.org/productdetails…