the public is getting a rare Peak into the state's prison system which is typically closed off from the outside world the newly created Office of the corrections on buds person just released its second annual report the Watchdog tasked with protecting incarcerated people and recommending reforms says it received thousands of complaints in the last year his senior correspondent Joanna gagas reports the problems are largely unchanged from complaints received previously why are there so many grievances right why why are there 10,000 a year and those are the ones that people decide to reach out to the um buds person for the um budsman for the corrections office in New Jersey Fields concerns and complaints from people in the state's prisons as well as from their loved ones it just released its annual report detailing what most of those calls are about property healthare housing and classification communication with loved ones and personal safety the value of it is to give taxpayers a sense of how their money is being spent to open up the closed world and to highlight things that seem to be a problem just a few years ago Advocates would say most everything about New Jersey's correctional system was a problem some recent leadership changes including a new commissioner of the Department of Corrections Victoria [ ó_ó_ ] as well as a new Ombudsman Terry Schuster who has more Authority in his role than those who came before him have even the sharpest critics acknowledging some major changes they're responding they're inside of the prisons and I think that leads to the second big takeaway which is that they're they're repairing trust in the public and in the the people in the facilities they say detailed reports like this help everyone understand where improvements still need to be made personal property being stolen lost or mishandled was the first second was Healthcare we get hundreds of contacts about people who are in prison who would like to see the doctor and they're not getting a response when they put in a Sit call slip or they'd like to get a specialist visit the lack of mammograms uh or in completely inappropriate treatment for multiple sclerosis uh people needing dialysis uh we get calls on everything from the medical care to the transportation people don't have adequate health care when when really I mean if you look at the state budget the amount of money that we that we put into healthc care and contracts with Ruckers uh Correctional Healthcare that shouldn't happen either personal safety is fifth on the list but a major concern to be addressed more broadly says Amos Kaye just because somebody is incarcerated does not mean that they forgo their human rights to personal safety right nobody should feel threatened Schuster and those in his office see reports like this as a critical piece to working alongside the Department of Corrections as it works to make systemic changes what we can do is look at Trends and see is this something that's really coming from one facility is it something that is systemwide if so can we kind of elevate it as a systemwide priority it gives the Department of Corrections uh an opportunity to say you know what this has to be changed it it gives the people an opportunity to say you know what you're doing this on my behalf and I prefer you do it this way it it it provides it provides openness in in a system you know and I think that's a critical role there's consensus that the goal of Corrections should be to help someone choose a different path which only serves the public good if Corrections creates opportunities they will breed hope and hope will be the spark that ignites the flame of transformation just like data can be the light into areas that still need Improvement I'm Joanna gagis NJ spotlight news