NCJ Number
74182
Date Published
1980
Length
25 pages
Annotation
Activities of the Minnesota Ombudsman for Corrections during fiscal year 1979-1980 are presented in narrative and statistical tabular form; statutory authority and goals of the office are highlighted.
Abstract
The office of the ombudsman is an independent State agency with authority to receive complaints from any source concerning matters relating to the administration of corrections programs and facilities, investigate those complaints, make recommendations based upon the findings of the investigations, and publish those recommendations. The ombudsman's jurisdiction during the year remained unchanged at 27 counties which include approximately 12 correctional facilities. A total of 2,939 contacts were registered with the ombudsman during the year. Of the total complaints received, 2,126 resulted in opened cases, and the remaining 813 were not opened for investigation. A contact may be deemed an unopened case for a number of reasons including lack of jurisdiction over the matter raised, prematurity of complaint, and lack of merit. The number of opened cases during 1979-80 reflects a 22.7 percent increase over the 1,733 cases opened in fiscal year 1978-79. Dramatic increases in the number of complaints filed were recorded from the women's facility at Shakopee. With regard to overall categorical distribution of cases, parole complaints continued to decline in percentage of the ombudsman's caseload, although the total number of cases continued to rise. Other categories of complaints deal with threats and abuse, rules, medical issues, and programs. More contacts are received by telephone than by writing or through personal encounter. Of the cases that were closed in fiscal year 1980, the ombudsman managed to resolve 82.2 percent within 30 days. Graphs, a map, figures, appendixes, and extensive tables are provided in the report.