Dorothy Zinnert said she has a complex job and one that is never boring.
She is the chief of scheduling for the federal Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System.
Zinnert was the guest speaker Friday at a luncheon meeting of the community relations board of the Corrections Corporation of America’s Leavenworth Detention Center.
“We utilize CCA Leavenworth here a lot,” Zinnert said.
CCA is contracted by the U.S. Marshals Service to house inmates awaiting federal trial at the Leavenworth Detention Center.
Zinnert said JPATS, which has its administrative offices in Kansas City, Mo., operates under the umbrella of the Marshals Service but also serves the federal Bureau of Prisons and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
She said JPATS flies federal prisoners to various locations in the United States as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Zinnert said the agency also flies illegal immigrants to various foreign countries such as the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Colombia and Honduras.
She said JPATS flies people to Cuba when that country’s government says it’s OK. She said JPATS only transports people mentioned in an earlier agreement signed with the Cuban government.
Zinnert said the Cuban government places restrictions on the flights.
“You have to be in their airspace between a certain time,” she said.
When flying immigrants to other Caribbean countries, JPATS pilots have to avoid Cuban airspace, she said.
She said JPATS doesn’t fly people to Mexico.
“Mexico will not let us fly into the interior of Mexico,” she said.
She said the U.S. government has to drive immigrants across the Mexican border.
Zinnert said JPATS also will transport prisoners from one state to another for state and local law enforcement agencies.
She said fees charged to these agencies vary.
“We do a lot of humanitarian things as well,” she said.
She said JPATS was involved in evacuation efforts for Hurricane Katrina.
