The State of California has endured several years of controversy in both its adult and juvenile corrections agencies - from inadequate health care to improper use of force on those in custody. Last month, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced that he would no longer accept that status quo and that the agencies would change dramatically to bring them back to a level of excellence recognized nationally.

Directing this effort is Roderick Hickman, Secretary of the Youth and Adult Correctional Agency, which previously served as an overseer of both adult and youth corrections operations.

He recently spoke with The Corrections Connection's Michelle Gaseau about the plans for revamping corrections in California.

Q: Recently, you told the state's Little Hoover Commission that the reorganization will be founded on three principles: consolidation; elevation of rehabilitation services to be on par with "custodial" functions; and a proactive approach that has been lacking in the past. Can you explain that further?

Hickman: In terms of consolidation, were trying to look at administrative functions or  support functions to the operational area to see where we can consolidate those activities and look at efficiencies. When you look at procurement or the provision of services, are we more effective in doing that in another model than in each facility.

The other thing we are looking at in regard to the elevation of those things is how we define rehabilitative services. We have to look at all the divisions of service -- health care in adult institutions or education in the juvenile arena [and] to allow those disciplines and professionals equal access to the policy and decision-making process so we can accomplish their goals.

In the area of pro-active functions-- currently there are very few resources in policy planning and research, risk management and community partnerships, which I think is paramount to decreasing recidivism. It's really about collaboration. Increasing community safety and recognizing the rights of victims will take the private, public and social [sectors]. I tell people when I talk to them it is my job is to set the table and invite people to dinner. They might have an allergic reaction to what is being served but they are always able to participate in the dinner conversation.

We need to work on efficiencies and expediting processes to really expand the area of influence in a way that can provide us with success.

Q: What has been the reaction to this?

Hickman: I was really pleased with the way the Little Hoover Commission went about receiving the plan. I think they gave some positive feedback to what they believed was a thoughtful plan. For those folks in the juvenile justice area, there's a debate about whether the reorganization [should] maintain the youth operations within our agency. There are some arguing that the youth and juvenile justice should be in a whole other organization. I don't necessarily agree with that. I think our model is one of improvement. The commission thought we had provided them with a thoughtful reorganization plan. It may not be perfect and I may never be able to satisfy everyone but based on the work - that has been done is to design the best plan to achieve our goals in this [18-month] timeline.

Part of the problem in California is there wasn't a process to revisit the plan, you kept adding functions and responsibilities but there wasn't an approach to say, 'Let me step back an look at this to accomplish this.'

Q: How will the shift change political influence, union control? What specific changes will be made?

Hickman: We will be trying to diminish the opportunities for the union to negotiate in multiple forms. If there is something that management is going to implement and union complains about it, it will [now] rise to the top in one area [of the agency] rather than at the institutional level.

The other thing we are doing is aggressively asserting our management rights. What has happened in the past, the CCPOA has been able to insert themselves in the political environment and that has impacted management in the correctional environment. We're trying to be more thoughtful and assertive in a management perspective.

Q: Can you describe that major changes in responsibility that will take place?

Hickman: Health care, rehabilitative programming and community partnerships;
youth operations, adult operations and parole operations they will fall under the agency. The other administrative functions, labor, legal, IT, those are smaller and provide services to the operations side and services side [and they will be separate.]

There will still be a director of adult operations, probably a deputy secretary or assistant secretary of adult and one for youth operations and they still will be running the operations. They will run how we provide operations and services to them, now they have labor and legal under their departments [but] we are going to create service organizations that will provide those services to adult and juvenile.

This is one way to alleviate intersections of tension you get with differences in the organization. We have been operating a divisional model [now it will be] a three level matrix.

Q: The reorganization also calls for new accountability and performance measures? Can you describe how those will be defined?

Hickman: Part of [the] performance standards I will be determining in working with our experts and looking at what the Association of State Correctional Administrators has got in aligning us with national standards for performance. That's the best thing we can do. If we come up with common language and common measures, that will benefit all of us.
There are a couple of things going on. Right after looking at the commission's recommendations we established 20 teams we have communications, labor, adult, youth looking at what the new standards will look like and what their needs will be in the new organization.

Q: What is the mood among those who work within the agency?

Hickman: There's a sense of excitement and one of ambivalence. People like the misery of the known rather than the uncertainty of the unknown. There's some uncertainty. We're really trying to ramp-up our ability to communicate so people know what we are doing and plan to do. Training and communications will overcome [those feelings].

With the union it is just outright resistance, but the union is separate than our employees. I believe the hearts and minds of the employees are with management and they will come right along with us. In times of challenge and times of change people are looking for leadership in so much as we can provide good, solid, principled leadership, we can help provide support.