Is Green Sustainable?

Washington and California state governments are the leaders of LEED implementation. Washington currently has 34 LEED certified correctional facilities. California, with plans to retrofit 16 facilities to become more green, is home to the country’s first LEED gold certified jail. Green, LEED certified facilities have been given the reputation of environmentally friendly and more efficient–contrary to the old concrete-box approach. But how sustainable is green?

While projected numbers and figures of cost savings derived from green tactics may be thrown around, sustainable solutions to operational cost reduction cannot be determined by the check list offered by LEED or predetermined solutions such as solar and wind. Sustainable design solutions that offer cost savings through efficiency need to be customized to each individual project based on the needs of the facility, requirements of the government and opportunities of the location.

LEED certified does not completely mean the facility is sustainable. We do not fully discredit LEED, however. Using LEED as a guide to designing a sustainable building is one aspect of creating an environmentally friendly facility and is not a one-size-fits-all program. Prison architects and designers need to work with the guidelines to build a strategy that works for the long-term sustainability of each unique prison.

 Sustainable design solutions are derived by:

• 1. Listening and fulfilling the operator’s goals for the facility: approaching a project to first fulfill the needs of the facility and improve its processes-so entity itself survives and thrives
• 2. Understanding the location: certain alternative energy solutions are proven to be more effective in certain geographical regions
• 3. Determine a sustainable strategy with operator: not coming on project with predetermined solutions

 

How to Get the ROI You Want

Bluntly- construction of a new facility is downright expensive. Furthermore, if not built to suit the needs or goals of your organization, it could end up costing you even more in renovations and operations. It is extremely important that the huge investment you secure in a facility pays you back. It all begins in the predesign process. Follow these three steps to ensure your finalized facility works to enhance your organization and doesn’t hinder it with hidden post-construction costs.

1.) Carefully choose an architect firm– one that doesn’t come to the table with predetermined solutions to your problem they have not yet heard.

Often times, administrators seek an architecture firm with only one thought, “I need a new building.” Owners often don’t understand what exactly they need and can be easily sold. An architecture firm that tries to sell a solution to you before understanding the challenges and goals of your organization will create a facility that costs you more in the end. An architecture firm that guides prethinking process by asking the right questions to understand your culture, users and processes will provide a facility that performs to enhance your organization and help you regain what was spent on the initial construction project.

2.) Identify the blood of your organization

In the project planning stage with your architect, identify and define the problem and discuss, identify and review the directives (goals, objectives, assumptions, critical issues, facts, milestones etc.) for the entire endeavor. These directives are used as the road map to guide the project. Also in this step, make sure your organization’s processes are carefully mapped by the architect.

3.) Manufacture a master plan

Working side-by-side with your architect, create a master plan that explores and develops a conceptual model for physically organizing the site and facilities. The master plan should include prioritized and scheduled capital investments.

 

How to Find Money for Prisons

Federal and state aid for state, county and city municipal projects is drying up. Many state governments are dealing with budget deficits reaching into the millions and billions. While this is the case, the prison population and population types are consistently growing and diversifying as existing local prisons and jails age. 

In the past, General Obligation Bonds (GOB) have provided long-term financing of capital projects. These types of bonds for many states require an approved voter referendum, which can take several years to pass. In addition, GOBs calculate into the municipality’s debt limit, which could limit funding for other needed projects and equipment. 

Municipal Lease-Purchase Financing (MLPF) allows for easy access to the funds needed for much-needed projects without weighing on the debt limit. MLPF is structured as a series of one-year renewable obligations that are subject to the governmental entities ability to appropriate funds for the continuation of the lease. If the lessee discontinues payments, the agreement is terminated and the title of the items on lease is surrendered to the lesser.

Private organizations such as the Municipal Capital Markets Group provide MLPF to local municipalities in need of upgrading their detention centers even when cash flow from state and federal bodies is strapped.
Unlike GOBs, MLPF:

• Does not require voter approval
• Not treated as debt, but as an alternative source of capital
• Does not sit on the municipal budget as huge investment
• Is able to be used for the whole project or just parts of it
• Allows for municipalities to eventually own the leased items

 

Corrections.com: Connecting Point for Correctional Staff

From guards to facility principals and operators, Corrections.com is an engaging informational resource on all topics pertaining to the correctional industry. News and information on the site is updated daily, so there is always fresh information waiting to enhance your career.

The Web site features:

• Feature stories from industry leaders promoting the well being of all staff involved in corrections:
• Tracy Barnhart writes the “Tell It Like It Is” blog. This blog pinpoints the struggles C Os face while on duty and offers expertise tips on dealing with them.
• Caterina Spinaris Tudor writes the “Safety & Sanity” blog dedicated to the mental and physical well being of all staffed within prisons and jails.
• Joe Bouchard publishes his articles on “Foundations“. Blog posts revolve around two themes: contraband control and recognizing and repairing staff division.
• Bill Sturgeon writes on emergency preparedness and security for the blog “For Those In The Field“.
• Current industry headlines from the U.S. and around the world
• Community forums to connect with people who share common interests and struggles
• Careers page for recruiters looking to hire or those looking to be hired within the correction industry. You can post a resume and review job openings or post job openings.
• Easily accessible information segmented by topic of interest
• Library of information organized by topic

 

Correction.com is not a Web site simply feeding you information, but seeks your involvement. You can submit your news, an article or story idea to the editor. At the end of every blog topic or article you are also given the opportunity to post your comments and thoughts on themes discussed.

 

4 Ways to Dramatically Cut Operation Costs

Whether you are a private or public prison operator, you understand the continual pressure to cut costs while providing the best rehabilitative care for inmates.  One of the most commonly overlooked opportunities to cut costs is optimizing work flow and usage during the facility design process.  Here are 4 proven ways to dramatically cut operation costs.

1. Map Work Processes: Analyze all work processes, staff traffic flow, proximity and tasks to create a floor plan that reduces wasted time and maximizes productivity.

In the healthcare industry, one study found that nurses spent nearly 29 percent of their time walking to and from the nurses’ station and on supply runs. Through an analysis of work process, designs that include decentralized nurse stations and supply caches reduced budgeted staffing care hours and increased the time spent in direct-care activities. 

2. Document Key Operational Technologies: Advances in technology reduces required staff and improve staff productivity. When building, consider what technologies would best suit your facility. The National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC), part of the National Institute of Justice’s Office of Science and Technology, offers prison operators support, research findings and technological expertise assisting in technology selection allowing them to perform their duties more safely and efficiently.

3. Map Traffic Patterns: Projecting inmate traffic flow to determine possible bottlenecks that could be areas of security concern resulting in increased amounts of correctional officer supervision.

4. Document User Needs and Ideas: A previous blog, entitled Correctional Facility Design to Enhance Staff Outcomes and Satisfaction, explains four design strategies to increase staff productivity and reduce  turnover rates. Building with the user behavior and tasks in mind will ensure optimized productivity which directly brings down operational costs.

 

5 Proven Steps That Will Cut Prison Operation Costs

Performa’s ebook Five Correctional Facility Strategies that Cut Construction Costs lays out the five steps every prison builder should undergo before digging the dirt. The ebook is a great guide for correctional facility developers, both private and public, as they drive the prethinking process.

If the strategies defined in the ebook are successfully executed before the construction or designing process of any facility project, owners and operators will attain their top priority: dramatically decreased operational costs.

The five key steps are:

1.) Understand how your land selection and use affects your future: rushing to build often results in reduced site capacity and a huge waste of land. Reversely, if land is analyzed before construction and design, the most-valuable resource will be utilized to reduce post-construction operational costs.

2.) Create an end-of-game plan: creating master plan with the needs to tomorrow and today in mind will result in organized growth that doesn’t result in significant expansion costs.

3.) Analyze operational processes: designing to optimize work processes will directly result in maximum productivity of both staff and inmates.

4.) Take a standardized approach to design: contradicting the creative notion of architecture, often times the most cost-effect and saving designs are ones that can be repeated with minor modifications.

5.) Bring all project bodies together early: collaborating early with call construction bodies including architects, contractor and construction crew will bring down construction costs, efficiently.

 

Property Shape Handcuffing Expansion?

Feeling the pressure of the demanding need to house the ever-growing inmate population, prison developers often rush to build and ignore how their biggest resource, land, affects their long-term facility strategy for the present and the future.

The shape and contour of the land you expect to build your facility on will bring with it opportunities and constraints. A sober analysis of the land before it is purchased and a facility designed will ensure your selection best fits your project objectives and works to bring down your operational cost now and in the future.

Avoid being handcuffed by the land you choose:

• Understand the constraints and build on the opportunities: Understand your organization’s operational and functional requirements and then develop a facility which minimizes dimensions between the physical elements will result in a compact “lean” development plan that increases productivity to drive down operation costs.

• Define the end and move backward: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Or in the case of facility design worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in construction and operation costs. During the project prethinking process, start at the end and then move backward. Keeping the end in mind while land is purchased will ensure you have enough in order to attain your end goal. Rushing to get a facility built to meet today’s demands does not ensure you will be able to grow to meet the demands of tomorrow.

 

Evidence-based Design Interventions: Medical-Surgical Nursing Unit, Medical Offices and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Concluding our series of evidence-based design interventions within specific areas of healthcare facilities, this blog identifies problems and provides design solutions for enhancing patient and staff outcomes in Medical-Surgical Nursing Units, Medical Offices and Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

Medical-Surgical Nursing Units

Better design within Medical-Surgical Nursing Units will result in decreased caregiver stress and increased time a caregiver spends at a patient’s bedside.

• Standardized, acuity-adaptable rooms, a design tactic adopted from the aeronautical industry, have shown to significantly reduce human error in care. In this design, each patient room is set up exactly the same which minimizing potential mistakes such as administering improper gas, because the gases are located in different locations in each room.

• Decentralized nursing stations increase caregiver visibility and access to patient rooms. Utilizing this design is results in improved communications and reduces staff fatigue and stress from having to walk distances to patient rooms.

• Noise reduction design and materials on patient units result in speech intelligibility and reduced staff and patient stress. During the design process, architects should conduct a noise audit to determine sources and then identify design strategies that will reduce or remove noise.

Medical Offices
Creating a better environment through design should lead to increased patient and family satisfaction, improved provider-to-patient communication and enhanced organization efficiency.

• Improved access to the medical office by addressing proximity issues such as convenient parking and providing a clear way-finding system within the facility will increase patient and family perception and reduce stress.

• Attractive waiting areas are directly correlated with reduced patient anxiety, higher perceptions of quality care and shorter perceived waiting times.

• Patient access to technologies provides additional ways to improve communications between patients and providers.

• Spatial organization of the exam room and orientation as well as the sense of connection experienced by the patient.

• Decentralized nurse stations, information kiosks and implementing electronic medical records will reduce patient-wait times.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
The National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions identified loud noise, high light levels and infectious pathogens as environmental factors negatively affecting NICU patients.

• Infants exposed to excessive noise levels in the NICU have been shown to have poor auditory system development, poor auditory attention and increased stress. Sound-absorbing ceiling tiles, flooring and wall panels along with privacy curtains will significantly drive down access noise levels.

• Visual development and physiological outcomes among preterm infants is directly related to their sensitivity to light exposure. Cycled lighting and focused light over incubators will help improve sleep and developmental outcomes.

• Single family rooms within the NICU provide a controlled and safe environment for the infant and privacy for the family. Each infant receives appropriate lighting, sound and level of care. In addition, single family rooms are associated with fewer nosocomial infections. Several studies on staff perception and performance in an open bay versus private room model suggest staff perceive that the private room model improved the quality of the physical environmental conditions, interaction with infants’ families and overall patient care.

 

Solutions to Reduce Correctional Staff Stress and Inmate Aggression

While the effects of excessive noise are readily available, noise control within prisons is often overlooked in predesign, marginalized or victim of budgetary constraints. Many corrections professionals believe noise is part of the natural prison physical environment thus, beyond their ability to change. Through design interventions however, noise can be reduced to produce a better built environment for all inside.

 

Experienced jail administrator, Morton Liebowitz link to http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb6399/is_n3_v56/ai_n28645845/ suggested materials and designs to be implemented during the design and construction processes in effort to reduce noise within correctional facilities:

• Irregularly shaped rooms
• Acoustical materials between ceiling, wall and floor surfaces
• Acoustical materials should be at least an inch thick
• Air space behind acoustical materials to help absorb low-frequency sound
• Carpeting
• Acoustical materials located near sound sources
• Upholstered furniture

 

Exposure to loud noises for an extended period of time can lead to increased negative biological and psychological effects. According to researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health link to http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/  , excessive noise levels are also associated with patterns of increased irritability and aggression and decreased cooperation. Also, excessive noise levels in correctional settings are associated with increased levels of stress and heightened safety and security concerns among staff.

 

Noise was studied at the Oshkosh Correction Institution in Oshkosh, Wis. “The Wisconsin Department of Corrections Noise Study” link to http://www.schoolconstructionnews.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=37E6A30FA7E84507AC28B998A782F082&AudID=A8CD3887511441F7AA259DA5A2CCFA71 concluded that:

• High noise levels contribute significantly to staff concerns about safety, assault and maintaining control of their housing units. In housing units with the highest noise levels, reducing noise was ranked as the single most important strategy for addressing staff concerns about safety and control.
• Correctional staff also identified noise as a major contributor to stress and tension over staffing levels, lack of program resources and co-workers’ management techniques.

 

So how loud should a prison be?

According to the American Correctional Association’s link to http://www.aca.org/ noise standard, inmate housing should not exceed 70 decibels during daytime hours and should stay below 45 decibels (dBA) at night. In Oshkosh, when noise levels were reduced below 65 dBA, staff tended not to consider their unit noisy and reported they were less concerned with inmate behavior as it affects their safety.

 

 

In addition, noise mitigation provides credits for facilities looking to become LEED link to http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=19 certified.

 

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Secrets to Sustainable Improvements in Hospital Operations

Many hospitals face significant nurse turnover rates, which can be very costly. Recent studies conclude that the costs of single nurse turnover can range from about $22,000 to more than $64,000 dollars. According the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)link to http://www.ahrq.gov/, the average annual turnover rate for healthcare workers is 20 percent due primarily to stress and the physically demanding nature of the job. In addition to instituting a supportive work culture, healthcare design should support ways of working that ensure health, safety and effectiveness for all in healthcare. 

 

1. Reduce Patient transfers to increase productivity and reduce errors: According to the Center for Healthcare Design link to http://www.healthdesign.org/a typical nursing unit transfers or discharges 40 to 70 percent of its patients every day. Acuity-adaptable rooms are rooms that are designed to care for patients as the demands of their health changes from admittance to discharge. This patient room design decreases the amount of time staff spends transferring patients and the chances of patient information getting lost leading to errors. Clarian Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, IN, under the leadership of Ann Hendrich link to http://www.healthdesign.org/aboutus/directors/ahendrich.php , equipped single-patient rooms of the cardiac wing with acuity adaptable headwalls that included gases and equipment needed to provide care as patient acuity changed. Patient transfers were reduced by 90 percent and medication errors were reduced by 70 percent.

 

1. Reduce caretaker walking: One study reported by the Center for Healthcare Design found that 28.9 percent of nursing staff time was spent walking. Research suggests that bringing staff and supplies closer to the patient helps reduce the time spent walking and increases the amount of time caregivers spend with patients. Hendrich’s project at Clarian included decentralized nurse stations and supply areas. The design reduced walking and supply trips which increased nursing time allowing for a reduction in budgeted staffing care hours, while at the same time increasing time spent in direct-care activities.

 

1. Reduce excessive stressful noise: The World Health Organization link to http://www.who.int/en/ recommends noise levels within hospitals to not exceed 35 dB. High sound levels are directly correlated with work interference and noise-induced stress. Reducing noise through the use of sound-absorbing ceiling tiles have been found to improve speech intelligibility, reduced perceived work demands and lessened perceived pressure and strain.

 

1. Reduce staff sickness: In addition to having better ventilation to reduce air-borne infections, poor hand washing compliance among staff is the primary cause of contact transmission of infections. Design aspects to increase hand washing include: visible and conveniently located sinks, handwashing liquid dispensers and alcohol rubs.

 

1. Reduce staff injuries: strains and sprains account for 44 percent of nursing injuries that result in lost days while more than 10 percent of back injuries are associated with moving and assisting patients. Ceiling lifts to eliminate the need to lift patients. PeaceHealth link to http://www.peacehealth.org/oregon/  in Oregon installed ceiling lifts in most patient rooms in its intensive-care unit and neurology unit to realize the annual cost of patient-handling injuries in these units reduced by 83 percent.

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