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Prince George's County officials and the NAACP president welcomed news that a nonprofit group has been brought on to increase "oversight and accountability" at the county's correction center, which has been the site of controversial security lapses and inmate deaths over the past two years.

In a deal announced Oct. 29, County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D) said the jail has partnered with the Vera Institute of Justice based in New York City to study conditions at the Upper Marlboro jail and to implement new procedures and policies that will "significantly improve management practices" at the site.

"This is absolutely essential," said June Dillard, president of the Prince George's County NAACP. "There are too many irregularities at this facility that need to be examined."

The institute studies criminal justice issues. The county plans to work with the group's Washington, D.C., office.

In June, Dillard requested that the U.S. Department of Justice investigate conditions at the jail and file charges against the county government or jail officials because of concerns at the facility.

Operations at the county jail have been under increasing scrutiny over the past year after several incidents, including the June 2008 death of Ronnie White, an inmate who died in police custody after he was charged with the murder of a county police officer. Medical examiners ruled White's death a homicide, and the center came under further scrutiny after a guard told investigators that he failed to report the body at first and key evidence went missing in the case.

Guards have maintained that White hanged himself in his cell, and county State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey has decided not to prosecute the correctional officers.

Bobby Henry, an attorney representing White's family in a lawsuit against the county, said contacting the institute was "a positive thing."

"The county has finally recognized that they need outside help to tackle the problems at the jail," he said. "I just wish they had done it 18 months earlier. Ronnie White could very well possibly be alive today if they did."

White's death came months after the county fired former Corrections Director Alfred J. McMurray Sr. for repeated security lapses, including two cases where inmates were found with handcuff keys; a corrections officer was charged with smuggling cell phones inside to gang members and a 19-year-old officer who was convicted in connection with an armed robbery in Charles County.

"I look forward to working with the team from the Vera Institute," acting director Mary McDonough, who took over after McMurray was fired.

Bringing in the nonprofit group could help the county avoid a second federally mandated overhaul of law enforcement by the U.S. Department of Justice. DOJ officials required the county in 2004 to implement new oversight and training in the county police department after finding a systemic pattern of mistreatment of mentally ill suspects and concerns about violence used by the department's police dog unit.

DOJ officials lifted their oversight of the police department in February after the county spent more than $8 million to comply with 72 new requirements, including adding new civilian investigators for misconduct complaints, installed cameras on police cars to record traffic stops and revamped its officer training.

Alex Busansky, director of the Vera Institute's Washington office, said the nonprofit plans to study conditions at the jail and recommend ways to track and prevent abuse.

"In this case, we're trying to create a civilian, external review of what's going on at the jail," Busansky said Monday. "But what it will look like? I can't tell you at this point. We only started officially two days ago."

The institute's Corrections Support and Accountability Program, advertised its free consulting help to governments around the country two months ago. Prince George's County contacted them soon after, Busansky said.

The institute is also doing similar work for state prison systems in Nevada and Colorado, and for county systems in Austin, Texas, and Miami. None of those partnerships have produced changes in the system yet.

The first step in Prince George's will be to meet with jail officials, inmates, and community groups to assess the issues at the jail, said Busansky, who said the group would like to have an early report on possible actions by May.

Dillard said the NAACP still supports having Department of Justice intervention if needed.

"If they decide to do something, this won't stop them," she said of DOJ oversight.

Busansky congratulated the county government for working proactively to improve the corrections center.

"Too often [reforms] are forced upon governments as a result of a crisis," he said. "I have to give them a lot of credit."

Busansky said institute officials may also look at alternative programs for the jail to help rehabilitate and improve the health of inmates.

"We can use jails as a place of possibility, as a place of opportunity," he said.

E-mail Daniel Valentine at dvalentine@gazette.net.