Patuxent Institution
Encyclopedia
The Patuxent Institution is located in Jessup, Maryland
one mile east of US Route 1 on Maryland Route 175
. It is a treatment-oriented maximum-security correctional facility. With a maximum static capacity of 987 beds, it offers the most diverse services to the most varied male and female offender population in the state, and possibly in the nation. Patuxent Institution is the only institution for sentenced criminals in Maryland that is not part of the Maryland Division of Correction. Its foundation lies in the Maryland Public General Law, codified as Title 4 of the Correctional Services Article. The predecessor of
this statute, Article 31B of the Public General Laws of Maryland, was enacted in 1951.
Maryland’s most dangerous criminal offenders. Its mission was to ensure public safety through the psychotherapeutic treatment of “Defective Delinquents.” These were offenders who demonstrated persistent antisocial
and criminal behavior, and who were designated by the court to be involuntarily committed to Patuxent Institution under an indeterminate sentence. From its inception, Patuxent Institution was specifically designed to be a self-contained operation that was staffed by full-time clinicians, including psychologists, social workers and psychiatrists, as well as by custody personnel. Patuxent Institution was also unique in that it was provided with its own admission, inmate
review, and paroling authority separate from that of the Maryland Division of Correction (DOC). Thus, once designated as a defective delinquent, an offender was to be released from Patuxent only upon the findings of the court that the inmate’s release was for the "[inmate’s] benefit and the benefit of society..."
A gubernatorial commission was formed in 1977 to review Patuxent Institution’s functioning, as well as the laws governing it. This review resulted in Article 31B being rewritten. The Defective Delinquent Law and indeterminate sentencing were abolished, and on July 1, 1977, the Eligible Persons, or “EP” Program came into existence. In 1987, fueled by a consent decree resulting from the court case of Brown, et al. vs. Gluckstern, another significant institutional change was implemented. The EP program, which initially served only male offenders, was expanded by this decree to include female offenders, as well. In 1990, the 109-bed Patuxent Institution for Women (PIW) opened on the grounds of the institution.
In 1992, the Correctional Mental Health Center - Jessup (CMHC-J) was established within Patuxent Institution to provide a more effectively coordinated and centralized treatment environment specifically tailored to the needs of an increasing number of inmates with serious mental illness. This 192-bed mental health
unit consolidated services for DOC inmates throughout the state who were suffering from serious psychiatric disorders.
In 1994, Patuxent Institution shifted the approach of its core treatment program in response to the swelling numbers of young offenders entering the correctional system. The new approach, which targeted the needs of youthful offenders rather than those of the older more chronic
offenders, was conceptualized as "remediation" rather than rehabilitation
. Remediation
identifies and treats an inmate's particular deficits, as opposed to trying to effect change in their overall personality. In order to implement the remediation approach, the treatment staff was reorganized into smaller, more flexible units called Remediation
Management Teams (RMT’s). As well, treatment modules (such as Social Skills, Moral Problem Solving, and Relapse
Prevention), as well as specialized programs (such as the Patuxent Drug Recovery Program, and the Sexual Offender Treatment Module), were introduced to broaden and
enhance the traditional group therapy
model.
The Regimented Offender Treatment Center (ROTC) was also implemented in 1994 as a cooperative effort with the Maryland Division of Parole and Probation. Now privatized, the program delivers a four-month treatment cycle to male and female inmates with significant substance abuse
histories who are preparing for parole
or mandatory release.
In 2000, the Mental Health Transition Unit, which was designed to augment the CMHC-J, was established at Patuxent Institution. This unit provides evaluation and support to inmates referred from DOC institutions who have mental health
histories and who are scheduled for release
to the community. A Step-Down Mental Health Unit, which is currently consolidated under the CMHC-J umbrella, was also developed in 2000 to serve inmates who have histories of positive response to mental health treatment, but who decompensate when returned to their "home" DOC institutions. The unit was specifically designed to provide those
mentally ill inmates with the support necessary to prepare for an eventual lasting return
to their "home" institution’s general population
.
In March 2004, Patuxent Institution also developed a new six-week program for men
located within Patuxent, and for women located within the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women, but managed by Patuxent Institution. The Substance Abuse Transition Program (SATP) is a correctional “time-out” designed to provide both relapse prevention and transitional planning modules to technical parole
violators who have a modest substance abuse problem.
. Known as the Institutional Board of Review, this body also annually reviews offenders' progress in the EP and Patuxent Youth Programs, and may grant, deny, or revoke conditional release status to offenders in these programs. It may find offenders ineligible for a treatment program, or may recommend that the sentencing court release an offender from the remainder of a sentence
.
In 1982, as a response to changing needs within corrections, the legislature modified a number of aspects of the Board of Review's authority. Specifically related to paroling
offenders serving a Life sentence, these modifications allowed the Board of Review to:
• Approve parole for an offender serving a Life sentence if the offender's crime was committed prior to July 1, 1982.
• Recommend parole for an offender serving a Life sentence, but must have the Governor's approval if the offender's crime was committed after July 1, 1982, and on or before March 20, 1989.
• Recommend parole for an offender serving a Life sentence, but must have the approval of both the Governor and the Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services if the offender's crime was committed after March 20, 1989.
• Offenders serving a Life sentence may be considered for parole after completion of 15 years of the court-imposed sentence. Additional requirements for an individual with a Life sentence to be considered for parole include successful completion of two years of Work Release, a favorable clinical review conference, a recommendation from the RMT, and the support of the Institutional Board of Review for referral to the Governor.
• Inmates serving a Split Life sentence may be eligible for parole consideration upon completion of 50% of the term imposed by the court. As with individuals serving Life sentences, completion of two years of Work Release, a favorable clinical review conference, a recommendation from the RMT, and the support of the Institutional Board of Review for referral to the Governor
.
• The Board of Review can also approve parole for offenders serving a non-Life sentence. If the offender's crime was committed on or before March 20, 1989, the Board of Review can act autonomously. If the crime
was committed on or after March 20, 1989, the Board of Review can recommend parole but must have the approval of the Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Subsequent to a revision
of and amendment
to the law in March 1989, approval by seven of the nine Board of Review members is also required for an offender to be granted any type of conditional release status including day leaves, work/school release, and parole.
The REF staff provides a wide range of services to the residents and parolees it supervises. These services include individualized therapy, weekly status supervision meetings, group therapy
, and assistance in finding employment. Offenders are strictly monitored for use of illicit drugs or alcohol
.
As the offender progresses through the various stages of the pre-release and parole program, he or she is expected to demonstrate an increased level of personal responsibility with decreasing reliance on external support. When the RMT recommends an offender for Community Parole, the REF is confident that the offender has mastered social skills adequate for crime-free, productive community living.
The parolee is detained at Patuxent Institution to await a formal parole revocation hearing before the Board of Review, if the Hearing Officer determines there is probable cause
. At that formal parole revocation hearing, the Board of Review determines whether or not the offender's parole status should be revoked. In cases where the Hearing Officer determines that probable cause does not exist to retain the parolee at Patuxent Institution, the parolee is permitted to return to the REF or the community.
Jessup, Maryland
Jessup is an unincorporated town and census-designated place in Howard County, Maryland and Anne Arundel County, Maryland. The population was 7,865 at the 2000 census. The center of population of Maryland is located in Jessup. It was the location of Maryland House of Correction, which was one of...
one mile east of US Route 1 on Maryland Route 175
Maryland Route 175
-Annapolis Road:MD 175 begins at MD 3, just south of the latter's northern terminus at Interstate 97, known as Annapolis Road. It runs west as a two-lane suburban highway, passing through local neighborhoods and south of Arundel High School before widening into a four-lane suburban arterial south...
. It is a treatment-oriented maximum-security correctional facility. With a maximum static capacity of 987 beds, it offers the most diverse services to the most varied male and female offender population in the state, and possibly in the nation. Patuxent Institution is the only institution for sentenced criminals in Maryland that is not part of the Maryland Division of Correction. Its foundation lies in the Maryland Public General Law, codified as Title 4 of the Correctional Services Article. The predecessor of
this statute, Article 31B of the Public General Laws of Maryland, was enacted in 1951.
History
Patuxent Institution began operations in 1955, a unique facility created to houseMaryland’s most dangerous criminal offenders. Its mission was to ensure public safety through the psychotherapeutic treatment of “Defective Delinquents.” These were offenders who demonstrated persistent antisocial
Anti-social behaviour
Anti-social behaviour is behaviour that lacks consideration for others and that may cause damage to society, whether intentionally or through negligence, as opposed to pro-social behaviour, behaviour that helps or benefits society...
and criminal behavior, and who were designated by the court to be involuntarily committed to Patuxent Institution under an indeterminate sentence. From its inception, Patuxent Institution was specifically designed to be a self-contained operation that was staffed by full-time clinicians, including psychologists, social workers and psychiatrists, as well as by custody personnel. Patuxent Institution was also unique in that it was provided with its own admission, inmate
Incarceration
Incarceration is the detention of a person in prison, typically as punishment for a crime .People are most commonly incarcerated upon suspicion or conviction of committing a crime, and different jurisdictions have differing laws governing the function of incarceration within a larger system of...
review, and paroling authority separate from that of the Maryland Division of Correction (DOC). Thus, once designated as a defective delinquent, an offender was to be released from Patuxent only upon the findings of the court that the inmate’s release was for the "[inmate’s] benefit and the benefit of society..."
A gubernatorial commission was formed in 1977 to review Patuxent Institution’s functioning, as well as the laws governing it. This review resulted in Article 31B being rewritten. The Defective Delinquent Law and indeterminate sentencing were abolished, and on July 1, 1977, the Eligible Persons, or “EP” Program came into existence. In 1987, fueled by a consent decree resulting from the court case of Brown, et al. vs. Gluckstern, another significant institutional change was implemented. The EP program, which initially served only male offenders, was expanded by this decree to include female offenders, as well. In 1990, the 109-bed Patuxent Institution for Women (PIW) opened on the grounds of the institution.
In 1992, the Correctional Mental Health Center - Jessup (CMHC-J) was established within Patuxent Institution to provide a more effectively coordinated and centralized treatment environment specifically tailored to the needs of an increasing number of inmates with serious mental illness. This 192-bed mental health
Mental health
Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
unit consolidated services for DOC inmates throughout the state who were suffering from serious psychiatric disorders.
In 1994, Patuxent Institution shifted the approach of its core treatment program in response to the swelling numbers of young offenders entering the correctional system. The new approach, which targeted the needs of youthful offenders rather than those of the older more chronic
Habit (psychology)
Habits are routines of behavior that are repeated regularly and tend to occur subconsciously. Habitual behavior often goes unnoticed in persons exhibiting it, because a person does not need to engage in self-analysis when undertaking routine tasks...
offenders, was conceptualized as "remediation" rather than rehabilitation
Rehabilitation (penology)
Rehabilitation means; To restore to useful life, as through therapy and education or To restore to good condition, operation, or capacity....
. Remediation
Therapy
This is a list of types of therapy .* Adventure therapy* Animal-assisted therapy* Aquatic therapy* Aromatherapy* Art and dementia* Art therapy* Authentic Movement* Behavioral therapy* Bibliotherapy* Buteyko Method* Chemotherapy...
identifies and treats an inmate's particular deficits, as opposed to trying to effect change in their overall personality. In order to implement the remediation approach, the treatment staff was reorganized into smaller, more flexible units called Remediation
Management Teams (RMT’s). As well, treatment modules (such as Social Skills, Moral Problem Solving, and Relapse
Relapse
Relapse, in relation to drug misuse, is resuming the use of a drug or a dependent substance after one or more periods of abstinence. The term is a landmark feature of both substance dependence and substance abuse, which are learned behaviors, and is maintained by neuronal adaptations that mediate...
Prevention), as well as specialized programs (such as the Patuxent Drug Recovery Program, and the Sexual Offender Treatment Module), were introduced to broaden and
enhance the traditional group therapy
Group therapy
Group psychotherapy or group therapy is a form of psychotherapy in which one or more therapists treat a small group of clients together as a group...
model.
The Regimented Offender Treatment Center (ROTC) was also implemented in 1994 as a cooperative effort with the Maryland Division of Parole and Probation. Now privatized, the program delivers a four-month treatment cycle to male and female inmates with significant substance abuse
Substance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
histories who are preparing for parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
or mandatory release.
In 2000, the Mental Health Transition Unit, which was designed to augment the CMHC-J, was established at Patuxent Institution. This unit provides evaluation and support to inmates referred from DOC institutions who have mental health
Mental health
Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
histories and who are scheduled for release
Legal release
A legal release is a legal instrument that acts to terminate any legal liability between the releasor and the releasee, signed by the releasor. A release may also be made orally in some circumstances...
to the community. A Step-Down Mental Health Unit, which is currently consolidated under the CMHC-J umbrella, was also developed in 2000 to serve inmates who have histories of positive response to mental health treatment, but who decompensate when returned to their "home" DOC institutions. The unit was specifically designed to provide those
mentally ill inmates with the support necessary to prepare for an eventual lasting return
to their "home" institution’s general population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
.
In March 2004, Patuxent Institution also developed a new six-week program for men
located within Patuxent, and for women located within the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women, but managed by Patuxent Institution. The Substance Abuse Transition Program (SATP) is a correctional “time-out” designed to provide both relapse prevention and transitional planning modules to technical parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
violators who have a modest substance abuse problem.
Board of Review
One of the unique functions accorded Patuxent Institution at its inception by the Maryland Legislature, is having its own independent paroling authorityAuthority
The word Authority is derived mainly from the Latin word auctoritas, meaning invention, advice, opinion, influence, or command. In English, the word 'authority' can be used to mean power given by the state or by academic knowledge of an area .-Authority in Philosophy:In...
. Known as the Institutional Board of Review, this body also annually reviews offenders' progress in the EP and Patuxent Youth Programs, and may grant, deny, or revoke conditional release status to offenders in these programs. It may find offenders ineligible for a treatment program, or may recommend that the sentencing court release an offender from the remainder of a sentence
Sentence (law)
In law, a sentence forms the final explicit act of a judge-ruled process, and also the symbolic principal act connected to his function. The sentence can generally involve a decree of imprisonment, a fine and/or other punishments against a defendant convicted of a crime...
.
In 1982, as a response to changing needs within corrections, the legislature modified a number of aspects of the Board of Review's authority. Specifically related to paroling
offenders serving a Life sentence, these modifications allowed the Board of Review to:
• Approve parole for an offender serving a Life sentence if the offender's crime was committed prior to July 1, 1982.
• Recommend parole for an offender serving a Life sentence, but must have the Governor's approval if the offender's crime was committed after July 1, 1982, and on or before March 20, 1989.
• Recommend parole for an offender serving a Life sentence, but must have the approval of both the Governor and the Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services if the offender's crime was committed after March 20, 1989.
• Offenders serving a Life sentence may be considered for parole after completion of 15 years of the court-imposed sentence. Additional requirements for an individual with a Life sentence to be considered for parole include successful completion of two years of Work Release, a favorable clinical review conference, a recommendation from the RMT, and the support of the Institutional Board of Review for referral to the Governor.
• Inmates serving a Split Life sentence may be eligible for parole consideration upon completion of 50% of the term imposed by the court. As with individuals serving Life sentences, completion of two years of Work Release, a favorable clinical review conference, a recommendation from the RMT, and the support of the Institutional Board of Review for referral to the Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
.
• The Board of Review can also approve parole for offenders serving a non-Life sentence. If the offender's crime was committed on or before March 20, 1989, the Board of Review can act autonomously. If the crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
was committed on or after March 20, 1989, the Board of Review can recommend parole but must have the approval of the Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Subsequent to a revision
Revision
Revision is the process of revising.More specifically, it may refer to:* Update, a modification of software or a database* Revision control, the management of changes to sets of computer files* Belief revision...
of and amendment
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
to the law in March 1989, approval by seven of the nine Board of Review members is also required for an offender to be granted any type of conditional release status including day leaves, work/school release, and parole.
Community Re-Entry Facility
The Community Re-Entry Facility (REF) is managed by an RMT that provides supervision and treatment services to male work/school release offenders who reside in the facility. They also provide services to parolees who live independently in the community, and who report to the REF for supervision. Female Work/School release offenders continue to reside in and receive services from Patuxent Institution. Female parolees also come to the institution for supervision.The REF staff provides a wide range of services to the residents and parolees it supervises. These services include individualized therapy, weekly status supervision meetings, group therapy
Group therapy
Group psychotherapy or group therapy is a form of psychotherapy in which one or more therapists treat a small group of clients together as a group...
, and assistance in finding employment. Offenders are strictly monitored for use of illicit drugs or alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
.
As the offender progresses through the various stages of the pre-release and parole program, he or she is expected to demonstrate an increased level of personal responsibility with decreasing reliance on external support. When the RMT recommends an offender for Community Parole, the REF is confident that the offender has mastered social skills adequate for crime-free, productive community living.
Parole Revocation
Whenever the REF staff has reason to believe that a parolee has violated condition(s) of his/her parole contract, or has violated a State, Federal, or municipal law that parolee is returned to the institution. The parolee is brought before a Hearing Officer for a preliminary parole revocation hearing within 72 hours of his/her return.The parolee is detained at Patuxent Institution to await a formal parole revocation hearing before the Board of Review, if the Hearing Officer determines there is probable cause
Probable cause
In United States criminal law, probable cause is the standard by which an officer or agent of the law has the grounds to make an arrest, to conduct a personal or property search, or to obtain a warrant for arrest, etc. when criminal charges are being considered. It is also used to refer to the...
. At that formal parole revocation hearing, the Board of Review determines whether or not the offender's parole status should be revoked. In cases where the Hearing Officer determines that probable cause does not exist to retain the parolee at Patuxent Institution, the parolee is permitted to return to the REF or the community.