Directive 308.02 Inmate Recreation Fund

STATE OF VERMONT
AGENCY OF HUMAN SERVICES
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
Directive: 308.02
Subject:

Inmate Recreation Fund

Effective Date:

December 10, 2001

Review and Re-Issue Date:

Supersedes:

309.01 8/15/95

APA Rule Number:

Recommended for approval by:

Authorized By:

_____________________________________
Signature
Date

_____________________________________
Signature
Date

1.

Authority:
Policy 308, "Pro-Social Skills Program", 28 V.S.A., Section 816.

2.

Purpose:
The purpose of this directive is to establish guidelines for planning and distribution of the Inmate Recreation
funds. It is also to assign responsibility for the use and monitoring of these funds.

3.

Applicability/Accessibility
All staff, volunteers, and inmates of the Department are affected by this directive. Anyone may have a copy of
this directive.

4.

Directive
DIRECTIVE
Director of Correctional Services/or Designee
(1) To develop overall policy guidelines on the process for and distribution of Inmate Recreation Funds.
(2) To review facility audits to ensure compliance.
(3) To make final decisions on requested deviations from authorized use of funds.
Corrections Management Executive -- Central Office--Finance
(1) To develop procedures for the accounting of all inmate recreation funds.
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Directive 308.02 Inmate Recreation Fund
(2) To conduct at least an annual audit of all inmate recreation funds to ensure proper accounting of
expenditures.
Superintendent/or Designee
(1) To review the annual budget and assure that it is consistent with security and custody practices and the
purpose of the Pro-Social Skills Program Policy (308).
(2) To review and assure that the individual inmate recreation fund purchases are consistent with security and
custody practices and the purpose of Policy 308 and Directive 308.01 prior to signing any purchase order
form(s).
(3) To coordinate the development of an annual proposed budget for expenditure of inmate recreation funds.
(4) To oversee the expenditure of the inmate recreation fund, consistent with annual projected budget and policy
guidelines.
(5) To write and monitor facility procedures which ensure proper accounting of all inmate recreation funds.
(6) To review and assure Pro-Social Skills Programs are consistent with security and custody procedures and
the purpose of Policies 308 and directive 308.01.
(7) To write a facility procedure which ensures the implementation of this Directive.
(8) To oversee the process by which the Inmate Recreation Fund Committee operates.
(9) To file requests for deviations from authorized use of funds with the Director of Correctional Services. Such
requests shall consist of, but are not limited to, mitigating/aggravating circumstances, documentation supporting
the deviation from IRF Committee, and other pertinent information.
Coordinator of Volunteer Services (CYS)
(1) To supervise the Recreation Services Coordinator (RSC)
(2) To serve as a member of the IRF Committee and to chair the committee in the absence of the RSC
(3) To manage the facility volunteer services program which will support the goals of Policy 308 and directive
308.01.
Recreation Services Coordinator
(1) Chair the IRF committee and to manage the process by which the IRF committee operates in the absence of
the CVS.
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Directive 308.02 Inmate Recreation Fund
(2) To assist in development of the Inmate Recreation Fund budget.
(3) To manage the Pro-Social Skills Program.
(4) To monitor expenditures of the IRF Fund budget.
(5) To communicate with the Director of Correctional Services/designee on equipment purchased over $100.
(6) To assess inmate leisure skills
(7) To work with education staff to ensure the teaching of recreation/leisure skills.
Facility Business Manager
Works closely with CVS and RSC in areas of budget drafting and expenditure of funds.
Inmate Recreation Fund Committee (IRF)
The Committee is composed of both inmates and staff/volunteers. ill Central facilities it will be one inmate from
each unit (except close custody), and a number of staff/volunteers, to include at least the facility Coordinator of
Volunteer Services, a representative from Security, the Recreation Services Coordinator, and at least one
community member volunteer. In Regional facilities it will be at least two inmates (three at Chittenden
Regional to include the Women’s Unit) and the facility Coordinator of Volunteer Services, a representative
from Security, and the Recreation Services Coordinator.
(1) To develop a budget for the expenditure of the projected revenues from the inmate recreation fund
(excluding salary) for Recreation Services Coordinator to be presented to Superintendent for review.
(2) To regularly receive and/or develop and approve fund requests according to above guidelines.
(3) To hold regularly scheduled Inmate Recreation Fund Committee meetings with a minimum of at least
monthly.
1. An Inmate Recreation Fund Committee will operate at each facility. Composition of the Committee will be
different at the three central facilities than at the regional facilities, given the length of time inmates serve.
2. Any staff member volunteer or inmate can submit a request for use of funds to this Committee.
3. Expenditures, not including salaries for RSC's from inmate recreation funds must be directly inmate related.
They should promote constructive use of leisure time, be recreational and leisure skills focused, and must be
approved by the IRF Committee. The following are approved uses of the recreation and leisure services fund:
(a) Subscriptions for inmate use such as newspapers, periodicals, and cable television.
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Directive 308.02 Inmate Recreation Fund
(b) Small appliances for general inmate use, such as coffee pots and televisions.
(c) All recreation and leisure services equipment and program services and supplies.
(d) Supplies related to the support of inmate children/family visitation, such as toys or refreshments for children
during visiting hours.
(e) Supplies related to the enhancement of the living units not normally provided by the Department for basic
living comfort. The recreation and leisure services fund will not pay for basic furniture and supplies (e.g. fans,
clothing storage units, nor haircuts and associated supplies); these must come out of the General Fund.
(f) Equipment, training, supplies, and expenses for volunteer programs that are directly related to inmate
recreation and leisure services.
(g) Clothing that is related to inmate recreation and leisure services.
(h) Cultural and entertainment activities.
(i) Contributions that promote the restoration of crime victims or communities through the support of crime
victims programs or community organizations. Examples include but are not limited to; donation of offender
made arts and crafts, donations to youth summer camp programs, donations to community food shelves,
donations of offender made toys for distribution to children, restoration of bicycles to be given to social services
agencies to be distributed to children, and donations to crime victims organizations and programs.
Examples of organizations and programs include but are not limited to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Prevent
Child Abuse Vermont, Women Helping Battered Women and Rutland County Women's Network and Shelter.
4. Any of these uses of the recreation and leisure services fund can be divided up into individual unit
expenditures as determined by the Inmate Recreation Fund Committee.
5. Questions of interpretation of acceptable uses will be decided by the Director of Correctional
Services/designee.
6. Each local facility must write a procedure to delineate how this Directive will be implemented.
5.

Training Method
The volunteer services and recreation services staff, in cooperation with local training coordinators, will
develop and regularly administer training for Department of Corrections staff for the purpose of:
Acquainting them with the responsibilities and uses of the Inmate Recreation Fund.
Staff to be trained include but not limited to: Superintendents -- field and facilities, Facility Business Manager,
Court and Reparative Service Unit Supervisors (Central Office meeting process), Casework Supervisors
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Directive 308.02 Inmate Recreation Fund
(Central Office meeting process), Correctional Services Specialists, Correctional Officers, Security and
Operations Supervisors, education staff, and administrative staff.
EVALUATION
The operation of the Inmate Recreation Fund shall be reviewed and evaluated on an annual basis. Facility
superintendents are responsible for arranging for the evaluation. Staff involved in the evaluation process include
Recreation Services Coordinators, Coordinators of Volunteer Services, Facility Business Managers, Director of
Administrative Services, and Program Service staff.

6.

Quality Assurance Processes
6.1.

7.

Financial Impact:
Twenty-eight V. S.. A, Section 816 authorizes the department to accept monies generated by telephone services,
commissary sales, and sales of vended items at correctional facilities. These funds may be used to hire persons,
or purchase services, equipment, and goods, and to establish .or enhance recreation activities for inmates. In
addition, inmates may volunteer to make contributions that promote the restoration of crime victims or
communities.
However, the department must reduce its reliance on telephone commissions as a funding source. In fiscal year
2006 funding to hire persons, purchase Services, equipment or to have Inmates make voluntary contribution to
promote restoration of crime victims or communities shall not be derived from commissions on telephone
services.
Salaries for Recreation Coordinators are derived from Inmate Recreation Funds.

8. References
7.1.
8.

Responsible Director and Draft Participants
Richard A. Smith, Assistant Director of Program Services
Joan Kersey, Volunteer Coordinator
Kit Andrews, Volunteer Coordinator
Kelly Mangan, Volunteer Coordinator
Mark Prest, Recreation Coordinator
Brent Mott, Recreation Coordinator
John Cassanno, Recreation Coordinator
Larry Ruffing, Recreation Coordinator
Rebecca Lesnik, CTRS, Recreation Coordinator
Jeff Poginy, Recreation Coordinator
Doug Bresette, Recreation Coordinator
Joe Hammond, Recreation Coordinator

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