European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 14, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday. June 14. 1987 the stars and stripes Page 9 ass photos by Dave Stdio Muter sat Ronald e. Schlecht a Libura a correctional custody facility manager. Detainees Are required to keep hallways and Bays in inspection order every Day. Airmen position of ribbons on a Deta Filee s jacket stand at attention in a spotless hallway of the facility. Self discipline Pitburg correctional custody facility tries to instill standards in detainees by Mark Walsh Pitburg Bureau Pitburg a Germany the dormitory shouts Basic training floors buffed to a mirrored gloss Beds so tight a Quarter bounces on them dust free Corners. A red line and Black lettered slogan painted across the floor Alert those who enter that Pride starts  a Stern master sergeant instills that Pride and self discipline in air Force members who spend up 10 30 Days in the base s correctional custody facility. Master sgt. Ronald e. Schlecht the facility s manager says the correctional custody program should Leone of the first avenues considered in correcting minor violations of the uniform code of military Justice. Commanders Send people to correctional custody for Many reasons but basically because they Are nonconforming to the standards expected of them or they Lack self discipline Schlecht said. We have people in Here for larceny driving while intoxicated financial irresponsibility and even person Al Hygiene. Thev keep their dormitory rooms in poor condition they live like animals and attempts to Cor rect it have failed so they re sent  nearly every air Force base has a correctional Cus Tody program. Most keep the detainees Busy during the Day on cleanup details or lessons on airman and no responsibilities. But a typical Day at the Pitburg facility includes Normal work hours at the person s duty Section. How Ever while at work the individual is constantly accountable to the supervisor. No lunches at Home or trips to the Exchange to shop. If the program were not run this Way Schlecht said a lot of commanders prob ably would not use it. I personally would not want to lose an individual who works for me for a month or even a week he said. Other people in that person s duty Section would have to take on his or her workload because they re in correctional  when asked what Merit correctional custody has for someone who writes bad checks Schlecht says it All boils Down to this thing of self discipline. They would t be writing bad checks if they were More disc  capt. Doyle Cone Squadron Section commander for the 36th aircraft generation so is one commander at Pitburg who uses the facility to turn around unacceptable behaviour. Doyle sees correctional custody As a last ditch Effort to attempt to turn somebody around before we have to separate them from the air  As Long As they have a satisfactory report coming out of there then chances Are they Are going to be  the average stay in correctional custody is 30 Days a Good amount of time to evaluate a person s Progress Schlecht said. If the evaluation is Good the commander can release the person. Airmen in the lower six pay grades have been through Pitburg s program but Schlecht said it is rare to have a technical sergeant in the program. About six women a year come through the facility. Besides waking at their jobs people in the program also have daily physical training. Detainees must keep their rooms and the dormitory ready for inspection. And the hallways and Bays Are always in inspection order. The people too Are inspected daily for dress and appearance. Every Day their Wall lockers arc checked to ensure uniforms arc clean pressed and arranged according to operating instructions. Doing Well earns merits. Minor infractions of correctional custody rules discrepancies in dress and appearance insubordination and minor breaches of discipline earn demerits. Merits and demerits help determine whether the individual will receive privileges such As visits and consideration for Early release. Schlecht said he has been watching the program s Success rate go up since he took Over the facility in 1984. Before i came Here statistics were not kept so i Don t know what the averages were. In 1985, however the Success rate was 63 percent and through october 1986, that climbed to 82  Schlecht bases his Success rate on reports from com Manders six months after a person leaves the program. In the past he has had people show up in his office with discharge papers in hand. That practice was slopped. Correctional custody is not a holding tank for those with discharges Pend  Schlecht said. He credits commanders for part of the program s Success. They Are sending people to correctional custody now who they feel can be turned around who can come out of it with the right attitude and do a Good Job for the air Force he said. Although those who Don t make the Grade in correctional custody can be discharged. Schlecht said he has seen Only five such cases at Pitburg