Sheriff responds to chance of jail break in Chenango
NORWICH – While police continue the search for two fugitives who escaped from prison in Clinton County, the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office is working around the clock to ensure something similar doesn’t happen here at home.
Chenango County Sheriff Ernest R. Cutting Jr. responded to questions from county officials about the prison break at a meeting of the county’s Safety and Rules Committee on Wednesday, sharing insights on the matter that’s made national headlines over the last two weeks. He said the correctional facility in Chenango County is taking measures to prevent similar mishaps from occurring.
Things could have – and should have – been done differently that may have stopped the schemes of convicted murderers Richard Matt and David Sweat, Cutting claimed.
“I think you really have to take a look at these people who have committed violent crimes. When you’re dealing with these kinds of inmates, you have to maintain vigilance,” he said. “I don’t want to say an escape can never happen here. It can happen. Inmates have 24 hours a day, seven days a week to figure out how to manipulate. And that is really why a lot of inmates are here, because they're manipulators. They’re con men; so they use a lot of different tactics to try to gain favor with staff. That’s ultimately how the breakdown in your guard comes, as they start befriending each other.”
Cutting said that in the effort to prevent close connections between inmates and jail employees (not unlike the relationship between Matt and a female employee at Clinton County Correctional), the 23 full-time member staff of the Chenango County jail alternate assigned shifts on a daily basis.
“No staff stays in one position for more than one day,” he explained. “Since they rotate, it’s pretty hard for one person to gain favor.”
Cutting also recalled an instance last year in which Ganesh R. Ramsaran, the New Berlin man convicted of killing his wife in 2012, attempted to cozy up to a correctional officer. Ramsaran is currently facing charges of bribery for allegedly offering a prison guard $100,000 to help him escape. That instance was reported to authorities in November.
In addition to rotating staff responsibilities, correctional officers conduct formal and informal headcounts two to three times every hour, ensuring that all inmates are accounted for.
As for clothing: “There’s a reason our inmates wear orange,” said Cutting, making reference to the civilian clothes Matt and Sweat were allowed to wear instead of the prison greens in a less restrictive wing of Clinton County Correctional. Authorities believe civilian clothing may have helped the two escaped inmates travel incognito after their jail break. “Orange is easy to spot,” Cutting added.
The Chenango County Correctional Facility has 130 cameras monitoring the facility both inside and out, helping correctional officers with assigned tasks. The job itself, however, Cutting called “psychological warfare.”
“Our corrections officers have to always be on guard. They have to be mentally prepared to do their job, and always stay five steps ahead. It’s a tough job.” said Cutting. In fact, turnover in staff is one of the biggest problems facing the jail. According to the 2014 Chenango County Sheriff’s Office annual report, the department saw a loss of 26 personnel in 2014 – a notable increase from the 16 staffers who left their job in 2012, but up only slightly from the 23 who left in 2013.
The Chenango County Correctional Facility currently boards more than 100 inmates.
Chenango County Sheriff Ernest R. Cutting Jr. responded to questions from county officials about the prison break at a meeting of the county’s Safety and Rules Committee on Wednesday, sharing insights on the matter that’s made national headlines over the last two weeks. He said the correctional facility in Chenango County is taking measures to prevent similar mishaps from occurring.
Things could have – and should have – been done differently that may have stopped the schemes of convicted murderers Richard Matt and David Sweat, Cutting claimed.
“I think you really have to take a look at these people who have committed violent crimes. When you’re dealing with these kinds of inmates, you have to maintain vigilance,” he said. “I don’t want to say an escape can never happen here. It can happen. Inmates have 24 hours a day, seven days a week to figure out how to manipulate. And that is really why a lot of inmates are here, because they're manipulators. They’re con men; so they use a lot of different tactics to try to gain favor with staff. That’s ultimately how the breakdown in your guard comes, as they start befriending each other.”
Cutting said that in the effort to prevent close connections between inmates and jail employees (not unlike the relationship between Matt and a female employee at Clinton County Correctional), the 23 full-time member staff of the Chenango County jail alternate assigned shifts on a daily basis.
“No staff stays in one position for more than one day,” he explained. “Since they rotate, it’s pretty hard for one person to gain favor.”
Cutting also recalled an instance last year in which Ganesh R. Ramsaran, the New Berlin man convicted of killing his wife in 2012, attempted to cozy up to a correctional officer. Ramsaran is currently facing charges of bribery for allegedly offering a prison guard $100,000 to help him escape. That instance was reported to authorities in November.
In addition to rotating staff responsibilities, correctional officers conduct formal and informal headcounts two to three times every hour, ensuring that all inmates are accounted for.
As for clothing: “There’s a reason our inmates wear orange,” said Cutting, making reference to the civilian clothes Matt and Sweat were allowed to wear instead of the prison greens in a less restrictive wing of Clinton County Correctional. Authorities believe civilian clothing may have helped the two escaped inmates travel incognito after their jail break. “Orange is easy to spot,” Cutting added.
The Chenango County Correctional Facility has 130 cameras monitoring the facility both inside and out, helping correctional officers with assigned tasks. The job itself, however, Cutting called “psychological warfare.”
“Our corrections officers have to always be on guard. They have to be mentally prepared to do their job, and always stay five steps ahead. It’s a tough job.” said Cutting. In fact, turnover in staff is one of the biggest problems facing the jail. According to the 2014 Chenango County Sheriff’s Office annual report, the department saw a loss of 26 personnel in 2014 – a notable increase from the 16 staffers who left their job in 2012, but up only slightly from the 23 who left in 2013.
The Chenango County Correctional Facility currently boards more than 100 inmates.
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