Nassau Jail Board of Visitors members reappointed

The Nassau Legislature’s Republican majority voted Monday to reappoint members to the county jail’s Board of Visitors, ignoring complaints from minority Democrats that the group failed to improve conditions at the troubled East Meadow correctional center.

The Nassau Charter says the panel’s mission is to “advise the sheriff on developing programs . . . in respect to improving conditions of inmate care, treatment, safety, rehabilitation, recreation, training and education.”

But board members, responding to questions from Democratic lawmakers, said their role is limited to responding to inmate complaints.

“You had a responsibility to try and develop programs and to improve the correctional facility’s medical care and security,” said Legis. Siela Bynoe (D-Westbury). “To me you failed to hit the mark.”

Legis. Dennis Dunne (R-Levittown) said the board, “is doing an incredible job,” and criticized Democrats for “attacking” the integrity of committee members.

The jail has come under scrutiny after a series of inmate deaths, allegations of negligent inmate care and the arrest of a jail nurse charged with smuggling drugs and razors to prisoners.

Board vice chairwoman Helen Meittinis said the committee has neither the staff, funding nor legal responsibility to conduct independent investigations of jail conditions.

“Our job is to advise and then call the jail and ask them to take care of the situation and investigate,” said Meittinis, adding that the board has received few inmate grievances.

In a party-line 12-7 vote, legislators voted to reappoint to the board Meittinis, a Westbury civic leader; Leon Campo, superintendent of the East Meadow School District; Michael Califano, a part-time jail employee; Michael Ferrandino, a former law enforcement executive; and Alfonzo Albright, a former deputy commissioner of the New York City Department of Probation. Humberto Chavez, a chaplain at the New York Racing Association, was appointed to the board for the first time.

The board formed in 2013 after a lawsuit by the New York Civil Liberties Union.

Meittinis said the board meets six times per year — only one meeting is open to the public — and “does not reach out to the public” to inform them of their activities.

Nassau Civil Service Employees Association president Jerry Laricchiuta Monday also asked lawmakers to “seriously consider” returning the jail medical contract to Nassau University Medical Center, saying the county’s partnership with a for-profit provider is a failure. A spokeswoman for NUMC declined to comment.

County Executive Edward Mangano’s administration is preparing a request for proposals for the new jail medical contract after breaking off talks with the Tennessee-based for-profit company it selected out of three bids from an RFP last year. Mangano also is trying to negotiate with the current provider, Armor Correctional Health Services, for an extension beyond the end of its contract in May.

With Bridget Murphy

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.