FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 8, 2014

CONTACT: Peter Van Delft
(617) 704-6682

SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT WELCOMES CHINESE DELEGATION FOR TOUR OF SUFFOLK COUNTY HOUSE OF CORRECTION

Assistant Superintendent Richard McCarthy (far left) and Deputy Superintendent Rachelle Steinberg (third from left) with a tour group made up of Chinese nationals and law practitioners who visited the House of Correction to learn about programming and exchange best practices.

Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department recently hosted a tour of the Suffolk County House of Correction for twenty–seven attorneys visiting the United States from China.

The tour, which was led by Deputy Superintendent Rachelle Steinberg and Assistant Superintendent Richard McCarthy, served as an opportunity for the group to learn more about the Department’s correctional programming and the system through which attorneys are granted access to their clients.

Superintendent Yolanda Smith welcomed the international guests and provided answers to multiple questions posed by the group about the functions and programming at the facility.

The tour included stops into Booking, an inmate housing unit, the contact visiting area and several adjacent attorney/client visiting rooms, the Education Division and Women’s Programming.

Members of the delegation asked a variety of questions about topics that included: rates of recidivism, public sentiment about the level of funding for the institution, inmate/detainee meal schedules, the types of vocational programming that is made available to inmates/detainees, and many others. Throughout the course of the tour, members of the group remarked about the large number of programs and services that are offered to inmates for rehabilitation.

Sheriff Tompkins spoke about the significance of having international members of the law enforcement continuum taking an interest in the operations of the Suffolk County House of Correction.

“It’s heartening to have a group visit us from such a long distance to learn about what it is that the Department does,” said Sheriff Tompkins. “The work that we do every day in corrections and law enforcement is important, and sharing our respective experiences and best practices is critical for our professional evolution. No matter how well we believe that we’re doing our jobs, we should always look for ways in which we can do them even better.”

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