U.S. DEPT. OF HOMELAND SECURITY • PORT ISABEL, TX
Lowest Performing Outpost Rises to One of the Best
CHALLENGES
- The Detention and Removal Facility at Port Isabel, Texas was the lowest performing of the 12 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing centers. A workforce of 250 officers oversaw detention, care, and repatriation or incarceration of over 800 illegal immigrants, from nearly every country in the world. 200+ new illegals processed and housed regularly.
- Non-compliance with American Correction Association Standards:
– Length of detainee stay – beyond set guidelines
– Poor accountability for location of detainees, with two recent escapes
– Severe overcrowding
– Excessive rework due to redundant paperwork and inefficient processes
– Poor security at entry point to facility
– Lack of adequate control of equipment including utensils that could be weaponized
– Delays in granting detainees access to the immigration court
– Corruption among staff, including bribery, sexual misconduct, nepotism
– Inadequately trained supervisors
– Limited use of automation - Dedicated staff, but low morale, distrust of leadership, no empowerment, sense of isolation
SIGNATURE SOLUTIONS
- Conducted structured interviews with randomly selected employees and managers
- Operation Deep Dive – Embedded with leadership and staff, observed work processes, sat in on leadership and staff meetings, identified communication gaps, disconnects and process failures
- Conducted Leadership Frameworks workshop for 100% of leadership/management
- Conducted Grass Roots Innovation (GRI) workshops to engage the front line – 75% of front-line staff participated, identified key problems and developed and implemented tangible solutions
RESULTS
- Achieved a score of 95% on the subsequent ACA accreditation review
- Improved out-processing time of detainees by 50%
- Reduced detainee detention time by 66%
- Reduced process failures and re-work by 75%
- Annual savings of $1M due to new processes
- New leadership put into place
- Reward and recognition programs implemented
- Morale and empowerment took hold as workers implemented their own process improvements
- Supervisors received regular management and technical training
- Promotion opportunities for supervisors into management positions