CRANSTON, R.I. – July 26, 2007 – The Rhode Island Department of Corrections is pleased to announce its first RIDOC Media Day to be held on Wednesday, October 3rd, from 8:30 a.m. until approximately 2 p.m. Space is limited, so members of the media are urged to mark their calendars and reserve their spot as soon as possible.
“Even though we are a small state with a uniquely compact prison campus,” notes Corrections Director A.T. Wall II, “there are many members of the Rhode Island media who haven’t had the chance to visit our facilities. This is an opportunity for the media to see firsthand the day to day operations of our facilities and for us to learn about any particular interests our media guests may have.”
Attendance at the Fall Media Day must be confirmed at least a week in advance. Proper dress and ID are required. The day will begin with a gathering at the main administration building, located at 40 Howard Ave., Cranston, where Director Wall and Chief of Information and Public Relations Tracey Z. Poole will distribute information packets, provide an overview of the Department’s new and improved website, review the Department’s media policy, and share brief remarks. Three facilities – The Intake Service Center, the John J. Moran Medium Security Facility, and Maximum Security -- will then be toured, with transportation between facilities provided by the Department.
The tentative schedule for the day is as follows: 8:30 a.m. – Gathering at the Administration building with Director Wall and Tracey Poole. Light refreshments will be provided. 9:30 a.m. – Tour of the Intake Service Center – As Rhode Island’s jail for men, this facility is where all male inmates begin their stay at the RIDOC. Of the over 19,000 commitments processed in 2006, all but 2,900 (females) entered through this facility. This tour will take you through the committing process. 10:30 a.m. – Tour of the John J. Moran Medium Security facility – With an average facility population of 881 (FY 06), the John J. Moran facility is the state’s newest prison facility, having been completed in 1992 at a cost of $65,000,000. The tour will include the medical, recreation, educational, and industries areas, as well as a typical cell block. A brief presentation by our NEADS Prison Pups Partnership Program inmate handlers and their pups will be included as will remarks about our sex offender treatment program housed in this facility. 11:45 a.m. – Tour of the Maximum Security facility – The state’s oldest operational prison 432 inmates in FY 07. 12:30 p.m. – Return to Administration Building for lunch and wrap-up with Assistant Directors – Brief remarks from Jake Gadsden, Assistant Director for Institutions and Operations; Roberta Richman, Assistant Director for Rehabilitative Services; and Ellen Evans Alexander, Assistant Director for Administration, will be shared and a light lunch will be provided.
To reserve a spot for the fall 2007 Media Day, please contact Tracey Z. Poole, Chief of Information and Public Relations, at (401) 462-2609 or tracey.poole@doc.ri.gov. In order to register, you must submit your date of birth so that a routine background check can be completed prior to entering the prisons. While we would be happy to discuss opportunities to get “b-roll” or take stock photos, that is not the purpose of Media Day.
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