HomeMy WebLinkAbout20142485.tiff RECEIVED
AUG 0 5 2014
Minutes
WELD COUNTY COUNCIL WELD COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS
June 16, 2014
The Weld County Council met in regular session in full conformity with the Weld County
Home Rule Charter, Monday, June 16, 2014, at the Weld County Administration
Building, Greeley, CO.
ROLL CALL: The meeting was called to order by Councilman Brett Abernathy and
on roll call the following members were present, constituting a quorum of members
thereof:
Councilwoman Marge Klein- Excused
Councilman Brett Abernathy
Councilman Don Mueller
Councilman Bernard C. Kinnick
Councilman Jeffrey Hare- Excused (called in on phone to listen)
Also present: Director of Justice Services, Doug Erler, and Sarah Mundt, Council
Secretary.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Councilman Mueller made a motion to approve the June
16, 2014 Agenda. The motion was seconded by Councilman Kinnick and the motion
carried.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Councilman Mueller made a motion to approve the May
19, 2014 Minutes. The motion was seconded by Councilman Kinnick
and the motion carried.
REVIEW PROGRAM: Doug Erler, Director of Justice Services.
The Division was created in late 2008, is currently staffed by 8.5 FTE and is
administratively lodged under General Services. The division is located at the
Centennial Center in the downtown Greeley courts complex. The division currently
manages and delivers criminal justice system functions including Pretrial Services,
administration of various Community Corrections programs and assistance to the
Criminal Justice Advisory Committee. Justice Services envisions and promotes a fair
and equitable criminal justice system that identifies the public safety needs of our
community while providing creative, innovative, and cost effective opportunities with
positive outcomes for those who enter it.
Organizational Chart
Citizens of Weld County
Board of Commissioners, Weld County
Trevor Jiricek, General Services Director(Finance and Administration Department)
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Weld County Council
June 16,2014
Minutes
Weld County Justice Services Division
Pretrial Services
In 2009, Weld County sought to re-organize its original Pretrial Services program
operated by the Sheriffs Office and transfer it within its newly created Justice Services
Division. At the time, the program started with 4 FTE. Initial reformation included the
formation of a statutorily governing Pretrial Services, Advisory Board, with membership
representing all facets of our local criminal justice system. Today, Pretrial Services is
staffed by 7.5 FTE. Pretrial Services seeks to allow for the safe release from jail of
defendants whenever possible between the period of arrest and court disposition, and
to control the risk of their failure to appear and/or commission of new crime. The
program comprises two distinct and important functions: pretrial risk assessment and
community supervision.
The bail decision, to release or detain persons pending trial and the setting of the terms
and conditions of bail, is a monumental task which carries enormous consequences not
only for pretrial defendants but also for the safety of our community, the integrity of our
judicial process and the utilization of our criminal justice resources- most notably at our
county jail. Pretrial Services provides defendant risk assessment and release functions.
Seven days a week Pretrial Services report to the jail and are responsible to gather
information about new arrestees booked in so that conditions of their possible release
may be set by the Court. This information is obtained by interviewing defendants,
conducting a criminal history check and review of the defendant's current criminal
justice status. This information is submitted to the Court and Judicial Officers to assist
in release/bond decisions.
Once the Court makes a release decision, conditions of a defendant's bond may include
Pretrial Supervision. The Pretrial Specialists are charged with the responsibility to
monitor bond conditions of all defendants ordered to pretrial supervision. This included
different levels of supervision to include face to face/office contacts, phone and mail
reporting requirements, monitored sobriety, and/or electronic monitoring.
As with most jurisdictions that utilize a pretrial services program, the focus is to
intelligently reduce jail populations and extend the life of its jail facility. This too is one
of the goals of our Pretrial Services program. Its purpose is to maximize rates of
release without minimizing rates of court appearance and public safety so that only
arrestees who are detained are those whom will likely fail to appear in court and/or will
be threats to public safety.
Supervision-January "Snapshots"
Pretrial Services has grown into an integral part of our local justice system. The
program helps to decrease the length of stay of lower risk defendants in our jail
producing cost savings to taxpayers. For 2012, the average length of stay was 15 days,
decreasing to 12 days in 2013.
Weld County Council
June16,2014
Minutes
Public Safety and Court Appearance "Snapshots"
Pretrial Services focuses in ensuring that defendants released from jail do not commit a
new crime and that they appear for Court. Over 90% of the defendants are remaining
law abiding and just fewer than 90% of defendants are making their court dates.
Fee Collection:
Defendants pay a one-time $20 service fee. The program maintains a strong collection
rate.
Community Corrections
Community Corrections is defined by Colorado law (CRS 17-27-102(1)) ti provide safe,
constructive, and less expensive alternatives to state prisons and county jails. The
program offers sentencing and placement options for the Courts and Department of
Corrections of adult felony offenders.
Justice Services oversees all administrative functions for community corrections in Weld
County and in Coordination with the State Division of Criminal Justice, the Department
of Corrections, Parole, for the 9-member Community Corrections Board (appointed by
the BOCC) and with the County's contract private vendor, Intervention Community
Corrections Services (ICCS). Justice Services monitors the operations of ICCS and
audits them on a regular basis for the conformity to established state standards as well
as receives and manages all community corrections funding from the State. Additional
administrative duties include preparation and presentation of information on offenders
referred for placement before the Community Corrections Board. A rigorous review
process is established for placing offenders in Weld County that is designed to provide
local control and protect the public from the placement of offenders not desired by our
community. All actions are recorded and communicated to the Courts, the Department
of Corrections, and/or the Board of County Commissioners, as needed.
Being Weld County's contracted community corrections provider since July 1, 2008,
ICCS leases the county-owned community corrections residential facility located at
1101 H Street, Greeley. ICCS is a Colorado based, private, non-profit community
corrections agency that provides a wide variety of services to the criminal justice
system. Local services include residential and non residential offender supervision, job
placement assistance and vocational counseling, educational assistance, alcohol and
other drug counseling, family and domestic violence treatment or referral, anger
management, mental health treatment or referral, financial management, basic life skills
training, and learning about and using community resources. ICCS utilizes a wide
variety of qualified community treatment agencies to assist offenders with their
individual needs. Each offender is assigned a case manager who develops an individual
supervision plan, designed to provide offenders with maximum benefit of appropriate
community resources. The program provides high levels of surveillance and treatment
services, with specific attention to monitoring the movement and behavior of offenders
while in the facility and/or in the community. Offenders accepted for placement and
ordered by the Court or DOC to the community corrections program must successfully
Weld County Council
June 16,2014
Minutes
complete the residential component of their placement before transfer to any form of
non-residential correctional supervision.
The Community Corrections Board meets on a monthly basis for overall program review
with select members meeting weekly to screen for the placement of adult offenders at
the facility and/or other programs through the Department of Corrections. Offenders
must be referred by a Colorado Probation Department, District Court or the Department
of Corrections in order to be considered for placement.
Criminal Justice Advisory Committee
Justice Services provides administrative assistance and guidance to the CJAC. The
CJAC is authorized by the Board of County Commissioners, meets quarterly and is
comprised of various county elected officials, and other principal criminal justice, public
safety and community-based decision makers. The mission of the CJAC is to develop
consensus, set priorities, discuss, and promote an accountable, efficient and
coordinated criminal justice system in Weld County. CJAC members analyze the
performance of our justice system and discuss ways to improve overall service delivery.
Through coordination and collaboration, the CJAC creates efficiencies and
effectiveness that often translates to savings to taxpayers.
The Future
The Justice Services Division continues to position itself as a resource for our local
criminal justice system. The division has the subject matter expertise and is poised to
deliver other forms of correctional programs when needed. Until that time, Justice
Services strives toward operating its Pretrial Services and Community Corrections
administration as model operations.
The Board, ICCS and Justice Services reviewed 1,423 offenders for placement
consideration in 2013. Additionally, $180,482.79 was collected from community
corrections offenders in 2013 toward their restitution obligations.
PUBLIC COMMENT: Maria Seacrest— asked if there were any concerns from the
Council for the Congressman? Public Comments is open for the new EPA standards.
OLD BUSINESS: None at this time.
NEW BUSINESS:
Coordinator Reports — None at this time
Upcoming Meetings/Invitations— Board of County Commissioners 2nd bi-monthly
• Brown Bag Lunch - June 23rd (noon-1pm in the Events Center, Administration
Building)
Discussion on adopting rules and procedures allowing for Council attendance by phone
or other electronic means
Weld County Council
June 16,2014 - - -Minutes
• Councilman Mueller moved to table the matter until the July meeting, Councilman
Kinnick seconded and the motion wascarried.-
Council Secretary will send current salaries for the elected officials to the Council.
Pay Bills: Councilman Mueller motioned that the bills be paid. Councilman Kinnick
seconded, and the motion carried.
• Mileage
o Councilman Mueller $5.94
o Councilman Abernathy $9.72
o Councilman Kinnick $5.94
John Lefebvre, County Treasurer, is our next meeting speaker and Councilwoman Klein
will be the coordinator for the July21, 2014 meeting at the Southeast County Service
Center in Ft. Lupton.
ADJOURNMENT: By acclamation, the me as adjourn at 7:1 .m.
June 16, 2014 ou i resident Abernat
Council Secret ry Sarah Mundt
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