2007-1669-Minutes for Meeting October 01,2007 Recorded 12/4/2007COUNTY ry
NANCYUBLANKENSNIP,F000NTY CLERKS 44 2007.1669
COMMISSIONERS' JOURNAL
11111111 Mims oil 12/04/2007 09:24:30 AM
2007-1668
Do not remove this page from original document.
Deschutes County Clerk
Certificate Page
If this instrument is being re-recorded, please complete the following
statement, in accordance with ORS 205.244:
Re-recorded to correct [give reason]
previously recorded in Book
or as Fee Number
and Page
~0 Deschutes County Board of Commissioners
p { 1300 NW Wall St., Suite 200, Bend, OR 97701-1960
(541) 388-6570 - Fax (541) 385-3202 - www.deschutes.org
MINUTES OF MEETING
LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY COORDINATING COUNCIL
MONDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2007
Commissioners' Conference Room - Administration Building - 1300 NW Wall St., Bend
Present were Commissioners Tammy Baney and Michael M. Daly; Judge Michael
Sullivan; Dave Kanner, County Administrator; Ken Hales, Community Justice;
Jack Blum, citizen member; Hillary Saraceno, Commission on Children &
Families; Larry Blanton, Sheriff; Ernie Mazorol, Court Administrator; Ron
Roberts, Redmond Police; Mike Shiel, Commission on Children & Families'
Board; Scott Johnson, Mental Health Department; Becky McDonald, 9-1-1; and
Bob Warsaw, Oregon Youth Authority. Citizens Bob and Pam Marble of NAMI
(National Alliance on Mental Illness), and Rick Treleaven of BestCare Services
were also in attendance. No members of the media were present.
1. Call to Order & Introductions.
Judge Sullivan brought the meeting to order at 3:35 p.m.
2. Approval of Minutes of the Monday, September 10 Meeting.
Jack Blum moved approval and Tammy Baney seconded; there was unanimous
approval.
3. Citizen Input.
Bob Marble asked if anyone had a chance to read the book, "Crazy", that he
mentioned at the last LSPCC meeting. Ernie Mazorol said he started reading it
and found it interesting.
Minutes ofLPSCC Meeting Monday, October 1, 2007
Page 1 of 8 Pages
Mr. Marble indicated that his son had gone through Mental Health Court, and
was one of the first to do so. Mr. Marble then read a letter that explained how
his son's mental health problems have affected the family for the past thirteen
years.
He explained that one out of every five families has someone in the family
suffering from a mental illness. The Marbles answer calls for NAMI from the
public seeking help to find mental health services. There are successes and
failures. The greatest barrier is how the public and media look at those
individuals suffering from mental illness. Their son is an example of this. He
refuses to take medication or seek medical care because of the stigma attached
to the illness. Even when treatment is given, it is not constant or ongoing.
Recently their son left the area and eventually ended up being arrested for
stealing a car. The doctors who have seen him say he is suicidal. This type of
situation is not uncommon, and will eventually end up in a tragedy of some
kind.
Judge Sullivan said that many of the LPSCC members deal with this situation
on a daily basis through their work.
4. Adult Parole & Probation Update.
Ken Hales said his objective is to remove non-supervisory work from
supervisors so they can focus on what they need to do. (He referred to a memo
regarding Parole & Probation services; attached.)
Regarding the Department of Corrections grant, nothing has been happening
with it for well over a year. Mr. Hales said he met with Ginger Martin at the
Department of Corrections regarding how they operate, and how they decide
which entity gets how much funding. They will eventually send out
instructions with a letter stating how much the County can expect to get. The
project is close but the amount is not guaranteed.
Regarding the total number of offenders on supervision, there are over 1,700
now, categorized by felony or misdemeanor. Approximately 150 misdemeanor
only offenders are under supervision. It is difficult to clarify the numbers from
the database. There is a fairly elaborate workload analysis to identify the risk;
but this doesn't affect the funding.
Minutes of LPSCC Meeting Monday, October 1, 2007
Page 2 of 8 Pages
In general, efforts towards restitution collection and closing out files is going
well. One issue is how to maintain funding for an addition Parole Officer to
supervise domestic violence cases; this will be a budget request next year. At
this point the savings with Becky Wanless' retirement will be used to fund this
position.
Sheriff Blanton asked what a significant contact is - a home visit, office visits,
or what else. Mr. Hales replied that there are also collateral contacts, such as
discussions with parents, teachers, employers and others.
Sheriff Blanton asked about the 51 sanctions year to date. Mr. Hales stated that
the number should reflect different individuals placed in jail as a sanction, but
he will verify that these aren't the same individuals sanctioned more than once.
Commissioner Daly asked if there is a way to know how many jail bed days this
reflects. Judge Sullivan pointed out that there could be imposed days but they
might be matrixed out sooner, so it is difficult to track.
Ernie Mazorol said that of the 1,700 people on probation, 87% are employed;
but there is only a small amount collected for supervision fees. Maybe a
different approach than having the Parole Officers do this should be considered.
Mr. Hales stated that efforts are being made to prioritize this type of activity,
which is disputed in the field staff. Mr. Mazorol added that victims ask about
restitution when they believe the offender is employed. Perhaps there are other
ways to collect this money.
Scott Johnson asked if the information reflects a twelve-month period or a
particular time span. Mr. Hales replied that they are snapshots, although some
are a month's activity. Judge Sullivan said that they are opening more files than
closing them, probably an average of twenty more each month.
Judge Sullivan said he appreciates having the handouts, as this will help the
group focus on the tasks at hand. He suggested that perhaps they could focus
on one agency each month and talk about the challenges and work of each.
5. LPSCC Survey.
Mr. Hales stated that he still does not have all of the surveys back. The survey
asked six questions; the responses are listed. He will compile the information
and, with Judge Sullivan, figure out how to interpret and present it. (A copy of
the survey is attached.)
Minutes of LPSCC Meeting Monday, October 1, 2007
Page 3 of 8 Pages
There was a fairly broad consensus that this should be a venue for different
agencies to present their particular issues and to provide form public input. The
work needs to keep pace with community growth, and offenders should be held
accountable. Also, additional alternatives are needed.
At the next meeting, Mr. Hales will present the list and discussion can take
place on which are the most viable.
6. Adult Detention Facility Requests for Proposal.
Dave Kanner gave an overview of the progress of the jail expansion. With the
Board's blessing, a revised plan for the expansion has been developed. He
referred to an oversized display of the plans. The interview committee for the
architect is being assembled. The process of selecting the architect should be
completed by the end of the year. It was a big step, backing down from the
larger plan to the current one.
Judge Sullivan said he appreciates the progress being made, and it will
eventually have a tremendous positive impact on the community. All of the
associated entities will benefit.
Mr. Marble observed that if there is treatment available for mental illness, the
community would not need so many jail beds. Judge Sullivan replied that if
someone is a danger to the community, law enforcement doesn't have much
choice. Sheriff Blanton added that his Department spends about $10,000 every
month on mental health medications for inmates. The jail unfortunately is
probably the largest mental health facility in the area. The jail design will allow
for some treatment options.
Pam Marble stated that if someone has a broken arm, they go to the hospital, but
if they have a broken brain, they often end up in jail. These people belong in a
medical facility and not in jail. Judge Sullivan said he agrees in concept, but it is
not a reality at this time. If someone is a danger to the community, they have to
be in jail; unfortunately, judges deal with this situation on a regular basis.
7. City Representation on LPSCC.
Ken Hales said that Bill Friedman is no longer the designated person for the
city representative. Peter Gramlich of the City of Bend will be.
Minutes of LPSCC Meeting Monday, October 1, 2007
Page 4 of 8 Pages
Judge Sullivan noted that the issues LPSCC addresses really affect the City.
Commissioner Baney added that they need to have someone who will be
actively involved.
8. Oregon Healthy Team Survey Letter.
Hillary Saraceno stated her group approaches issues from the prevention end.
They have been going out to the communities to seek input on a variety of
issues. Several items come up regularly: mental health access, the Healthy
Teen survey, and school resource officers.
Mike Shiel, who was a school administrator in Redmond for many years and
who is now on the Commission on Children & Families' Board, said he is very
familiar with the survey. He asked for approval of a letter encouraging more
consistent participation in the Healthy Teen survey; schools have criticized
some portions and then weren't as involved as they should have been. The
information could be a lot more consistent and helpful if the survey was more
comprehensive.
Rick Treleavan agreed that if you don't measure, you don't know how to
address the problems. Ms. Saraceno stated that all of the signatures have been
obtained except for Judge Sullivan's. (A copy of the survey letter is attached.)
Bob Warsaw asked if there are problems with some of the questions. Mr. Shiel
replied that they typically don't want to include one question or another, usually
in regard to sex. Administrators sometimes don't want to deal with the issue, so
help and encouragement needs to be provided to get them involved.
JOHNSON: Move approval of signature of the letter.
BLANTON: Second.
The vote was unanimous in favor.
9. Discussion regarding School Resource Officers.
Hillary Saraceno said that Redmond has the model for School Resource Officer;
communities often request resource officers now. Mr. Shiel stated that there
was a time when there was no security in place, and when the program was
developed there was some opposition, but this went away after a few weeks.
Communities have strongly embraced this program as prevention.
Minutes of LPSCC Meeting Monday, October 1, 2007
Page 5 of 8 Pages
The communities are advocating extending it to beyond the two-year rotation,
since the resource officers indicated that it usually takes 12 to 18 months to
establish relationships with the students and teachers. They know that the
program works, and administrators and staff trust the officers. The officers are
looked upon by students as mentors, providing support and stability for the
students and their families to get past specific problems in their lives. Change
can be difficult and damages the work being done.
Ms. Saraceno stated that it is not her department's call to make. It appears that
the basic request is to evaluate whether there could be a longer-term
assignment.
Sheriff Blanton said that he believes in the program. The State used to provide
help but hasn't for some time. There are three full-time school resource officers
now. He will revisit the issue, but pointed out that the emotional and trust
attachment can be huge and a two-year cycle can be problematic. The program
itself is an alternative to incarceration at a basic level. The officers are often
some of the best people on the force. It is always voluntary and is not an
assignment. However, the best people want to be more rounded and learn about
all aspects of police work; there are other things they need to do to enhance
their overall skills. He wants good people to be at the schools but it is hard to
tell the officers they have to stay longer than two years.
Chief Roberts pointed out that this is a huge value to the youth and he agrees it
is a strong prevention tool. He wouldn't want to see the officers locked into a
minimum time frame, but sees the value. Perhaps three years would be more
effective. All kinds of skills can be enhanced by this work, but he wants to be
sure the officers can develop their expertise in different areas.
Jack Blum added that he sees the value of moving the officers around, but
perhaps they could be asked if they would commit to a third year. Some
officers prefer driving a patrol car, but some are very good at dealing with
students and maybe should have a chance to do it for longer than two years.
Judge Sullivan said that he hears a lot about this issue. The officers are
typically exceptional, and are good problem solvers with excellent people skills.
They can use this training in other parts of law enforcement. These officers are
strong role models for the students, but management has to weigh this resource
against other needs.
Chief Roberts pointed out that a citizen survey is now on line for Redmond, and
some of the questions deal with this particular issue.
Minutes of LPSCC Meeting Monday, October 1, 2007
Page 6 of 8 Pages
10. Justice System Consulting Information.
Mr. Hales said that Commissioner Daly was exposed to justice system
consulting information at the NACo conference. He suggested this be
discussed at the November LPSCC meeting after everyone has had a chance to
review the information.
Mr. Kanner stated that there are dozens of firms that do this type of work. The
question is whether in general this is something to consider. (A copy of
information relating to this service is attached.)
11. Other Business and Items for the Next Meeting (Monday, October 1).
Sheriff Blanton said that as a fundraiser for the Bethlehem Inn, in order to raise
about $10,000, they are holding a "dinner and a movie" night at the work
center. People are to bring sleeping bags and leave them behind. The cost is
$90 per person to spend the night. More volunteers are needed to set this up. It
will probably take place in January.
Sheriff Blanton stated they are out of room at the Sheriff s Office. The FBI
officers may leave since they need more space than they now have, but this will
happen in about 18 months. Detectives are now occupying the old jury
assembly room near the courthouse, which is not the perfect scenario.
Sheriff Blanton noted that there has not been a matrix report lately as the
numbers have been down. This is cyclical, and they are now back up to 214
inmates.
Commissioner Daly said that Parole & Probation also gave up some beds; some
are cited and released when maybe they should instead be in jail. Judge
Sullivan stated that those who can go into a treatment program and not into jail
saves those jail beds.
After a brief discussion, the group supported the possibility of pursuing
developing a separate webpage for LPSCC on the County website.
Minutes of LPSCC Meeting Monday, October 1, 2007
Page 7 of 8 Pages
Judge Sullivan asked that law enforcement personnel make sure they use the
dedicated parking spaces in front of the courthouse; otherwise the City will
want them back for general parking.
Mr. Kanner advised that Ken Hales is now acting as the Director of Parole and
Probation until a plan is worked out. Mr. Hales will examine the structure to try
to figure out how it might be arranged in the future. For the time being, he will
have an office at both Juvenile Community Justice and Parole & Probation.
Jacques DeKalb said he would like to address indigent defense funding issues at
the November meeting.
Being no other issues brought before the group, the meeting adjourned at
4: 45 p. m.
Respectfully submitted,
G
&NI&L *
Recording Secretary
Attachments
Exhibit A: Sign-in sheets
Exhibit B: Agenda
Exhibit C: LPSCC Questionnaire
Exhibit D: Adult Parole & Probation Information
Exhibit E: Letter regarding the Oregon Healthy Teens Survey
Exhibit F: Information regarding Justice System Management Services
Minutes of LPSCC Meeting Monday, October 1, 2007
Page 8 of 8 Pages
z
z
V
w
Q
L11
J
N
O
N
=
r
L
O
~
V
O
V%
L
J
v
00
V i
v
~
~
co
J
vlb
v
Z
O
1
y
!i
v
0
m
cu
a
z
z
0
t^
LU
v ,
4
W
J
CL
V
/
O
I~
L
Q)
Q)
S ,
v
O
Q)
L
co
°C
T3
C
J
C
v
130
C
CN
L
t~
co
J
v
c
c
0
m
0
E
a,
L
N
cu
v
a
Deschutes County
Public Safety Coordinating Council
Meeting
October 1, 2007, 3:30 P.M. County Administration Building, 1300 N.W. Wall, 2°d Floor Board of County
Commissioners' Conference Room
Agenda
1.
Call to Order & Introductions
Judge Sullivan
II.
September Minutes
Attachment 1
Judge Sullivan
Action: Approve meeting minutes
III.
Public Comment
Judge Sullivan.
IV.
Adult Parole & Probation Update
Attachment 2
Ken Hales
V.
LPSCC Survey
Ken Hales
VI.
Adult Detention Design RFP
Dave Kanner
VII.
City Representation
Ken Hales
VIII.
Oregon Healthy Teen Survey Letter
Attachment 3
Hilary Saraceno and Mike Schiel
Action: Authorize Chairman to sign
IX.
School Resource Officer
Hilary Saracen and Mike Schiel
X.
Justice System Consulting
Attachment 4
Ken Hales
XI.
Other Business
Attachment 5
09/27/07 Attachment 2
To: Ken Hales
Community Justice Director
From: Terry Chubb
Supervisor
Subject: Adult P&P Information
The Community Corrections Plan is a biennial document that coincides with our Department of Corrections
budget cycle. The current budget range is 07/01/07 - 06/30/09 and a plan was recently developed. Once we
create the plan, it must be approved by the Local Public Safety Coordinating Council (LPSCC) and then
presented to the Board of County Commissioners per ORS 423.560(3)(a)(A). The Oregon Department of
Corrections will not approve a plan until it has been previously approved by the regional LPSCC as well as the
BOCC.
Here are some current and comparative facts for LPSCC:
Nov '04
Total offenders on supervision: 1702 1308
Felony offenders- 1209
Misdemeanor offenders- 493
(Sex & DV only)
Current number of PO's: 17
DOC's recommended number of PO's: 21
Significant Contacts:
Total contacts with offenders- 6,639 4,995
Office visits with offenders- 2,880 2,443
Total home visits attempted- 598 416
Home visits completed- 460
Sanctions imposed
Jail sanctions-
Non-jail sanctions-
Supervision fees collected:
Non-negative file closures:
Files opened:
Files closed:
Percent of offenders employed:
Percent employed greater than part time
94
88
51
43
$24,992.75 $16,562
Nov '05 July `06
1488 1590
5,459
4,642
2,727
1,950
247
233
107
84
$15,155
76% 57% 72%
104
79
87%
81%
Offenders in 12 week cognitive skills class: 12/class
Offenders in weekly cognitive skills class: 6/week
$12,804
84%
Electronic Monitoring daily population: 20
Offenders served each month- 35
Deschutes County
Local Public Safety Coordinating Council
September 10, 2007
Preferred Futures Questionnaire
Objectives:
• To identify how the members want the Council to carry out its duties.
• To identify what kind of impact the Council's members want the Deschutes
County LPSCC to have.
• To identify what the member's believe the Council should accomplish over
the next few years.
• To identify key barriers or challenges to the Council being what it wants to
be and accomplishing what it wants to accomplish.
Instructions:
• Fill in the statements in the space provided
• Be candid, say what you want heard
• Return the form to Ken Hales by the September 20t"
Thank you!
Deschutes County
Local Public Safety Coordinating Council
September 10, 2007
Preferred Futures Questionnaire
1. The biggest challenges facing this community's safety are
2. 1 think the LPSCC could be more effective if
3. The biggest challenges facing the local justice system are
4. The LPSCC is good at
5. 1 think the LPSCC should focus its efforts on
6. Other comments
Attachment 3
September 5, 2007
Ms. Vickie Fleming, Superintendent
Redmond School District
145 SE Salmon Ave.
Redmond, OR 97756
Dear Ms. Vickie Fleming,
On behalf of the Deschutes County Commission on Children & Families and the Addictions and Mental
Health Advisory Board, we would like to thank you and the school administration for your continued
support and efforts to voluntarily participate in the Oregon Healthy Teens Survey (OHTS). It has been
an asset to the community to be provided the data necessary to serve the youth of your community and
enhance programs and services. In addition to the contribution the data makes locally, it also provides
the larger county a more accurate picture of the risky behaviors youth are participating in on a regular
basis and increase the capacity of community support to help make a difference.
As a community partner we are interested in alcohol and other drug issues and we see the OHTS as an
essential tool to have for all Middle and High Schools throughout Deschutes County. The OHTS
provides the greater community the most accurate data available to make changes around community
norms and the perceptions of alcohol and other drug use among the young people in our county. Please
understand that this survey helps in so many ways, such as: data to the community to develop a strategic
plan for programs and services, local stakeholders with their advocacy for stronger legislation and
increased funding, and increased citizen participation at the local level to mobilize stronger prevention
efforts in your community and throughout Deschutes County.
In approximately 60-90 days you will be receiving a letter from the state asking for your participation in
this survey. We strongly encourage your commitment to stay involved as it's critical in providing the
assets necessary to create healthy young people in your community and throughout Deschutes County.
Thank you for your continued investment in the young people of your community
Sincerely,
Gary Smith, Chair
Deschutes County Commission
on Children & Families
Leo Mottau, Chair
Deschutes County Addictions and
Mental Health Advisory Board
Deloris Ellis, Chair
Deschutes County Addictions
Committee
014TS Letter to Superintendents Page 1 of 2 9/27/2007
Ken Hales, Director
Deschutes County Juvenile Community
Justice
Tammy Baney
Board of County Commissioner
Mike Daly
Board of County Commissioner
Judge Michael Sullivan
District Court Judge
Dennis Luke
Board of County Commissioner
OHTS Letter to Superintendents Page 2 of 2 9/27/2007
Attachment 4
,x.
int
I~
Justice System Assessments
Information Systems Planning
Facility Planning
Organizational Development
Audits and Investigations
Health Policy Planning
INSTITUTE FOR LAW & POLICY PLANNING
2613 Hillegass Ave., Berkeley, CA 94704
phone: 510 486 8352 fax: 510 841 3710
www.ilpp.com a nonprofit planning agency
Institute for Law and Policy Planning
Founded in 1973, ILPP has grown from a small, community-based legal association into a nationally recognized, public,
nonprofit planning agency. Alan Kalmanoff, Ph.D., has been ILPP's executive director since its inception. He has taught
at U.C. Berkeley's Schools of Law, Public Policy, Criminology and Social Work. Alan Kalmanoff was appointed by the
federal courts as a Special Master and is considered to be a national expert on public policy, having been featured on 60
Minutes and often quoted in the New York Times. ILPP has a reputation for undertaking demanding assignments in law
and policy planning and is dedicated to providing thorough and objective policy recommendations.
How WE CAN ASSIST YOU
ILPP's team of public policy experts, attorneys, planners
and architects conducts public policy research and consults
to public agencies in the following areas:
Criminal justice System Assessments
• Jail Overcrowding Studies
• Court Planning
• Law Enforcement Reviews
• Jail Needs Assessments
• Juvenile justice Assessments
The following are typical of the scenarios ILPP faces. (These
are composite examples.)
County A is facing a severe budget crisis.
Seventy-three percent of the county's general
fund is consumed by justice costs, which have
been steadily rising. Several studies have been
conducted by consultants in the past and are
now sitting on the shelf, unimplemented.
Information Systems Planning
• Automation Planning
• Database Integration Planning
Facilities Planning
• County-wide Master Plans
• Space Use Policy Studies
• ADA Compliance
Health Policy Planning
• Jail Medical Reviews
Organizational Development
• Reorganization Studies
• Management Training
• Team Building/ Development
Audits and Investigations
• Procedural Reviews
• Program Compliance Audits
• Incident Investigations
Nevertheless, the CAO believes that what is
needed is an independently produced immediate
action plan aimed at improving efficiency among
all justice agencies and cutting costs by 20-30
percent. An important component of this plan
will be addressing inter-agency rivalries and
developing support for implementing change.
County B contracts out all county health services
to a larger, neighboring county. Halfway through
a five-year contract, it is discovered that there are
serious deficiencies in the quality of care being
delivered to County.B's patients. ILPP is called
in to investigate the overall adequacy of current
health care provision and County B's obligations
and options in this situation.
INSTITUTE FOR LAW AND POLICY PLANNING 1
Public Safety:
The Fiscal Policy Issue
THE PUBLIC DEMAND FOR ACCOUNTABILITY
The public is demanding safer streets and tougher sanctions
against violent criminals. At the same time, taxpayers are
balking at the high costs of maintaining law and order. Taken
together, these two trends require local jurisdictions be able
to demonstrate the cost effectiveness of justice programs.
MAKING THETAXPAYERS' DOLLAR COUNT
just as taxpayers expect visible evidence that their roads are being
fixed, they also want tangible public safety services.
The two highest priorities:
• Police officer visibility on the streets and quick
response timc to emergency calls
• Locking up of violent offenders
What percentage of the justice budget goes directly to
providing these services? And what costs are absorbing the
rest? Most systems are not set up to provide information at
this level. Implementing a program to track cost per unit of
work enables managers to gain much control over budgets
and to see which programs are most cost effective.
Average Overall County justice Budget
~ rv
l
12% Direct Cost of 079% Everything Else
Police on Street Ie: 9% Direct Cost of
Incarcerating Violent Offenders
THE HIGH PRICE OF INCARCERATION
The costs of arrest and detention are much higher than is
commonly realized, and small decisions taken by one agency
often produce enormous costs for another. For example, the
policy of a law enforcement agency to book an individual at
the county jail, rather than citing and releasing the person
on-site, can cost an additional several hundred dollars.
Estimated Average Costs
Resulting from Law Enforcement Policies
Action
Range of Costs
to Taxpayer
Overall Impact
on Public Safety
Cite in field and
$15-30
Person removed from public circulation
release
for half an hour, then freed
Transport to jail,
$100-300
Person removed from public circulation
book and release
for three hours, then freed
Transport to jail,
$130-260
Person removed from public circulation
book and detain
for one day, then freed
Detention for
$60-150
Person removed from public circulation
each additional
until pretrial release, acquittal, or if
24 hours
convicted and sentenced to jail,
completion of sentence
Controlling
Your Justice Costs
The criminal justice proportion of most county general
funds has been steadily increasing over the last decade, and
many managers fear that justice-related costs are spiraling
out of control. The good news is that there are ways of
managing both the system and the costs.
EXAMINING THE JUSTICE
SYSTEM AS A SINGLE UNIT
Any justice system is comprised of numerous agencies:
the three main ones being law enforcement, detention,
and courts. These functions are funded by different
jurisdictions, report to different supervising agencies, and
often have little horizontal integration. This situation can
result in huge inefficiencies. To make effective decisions, you
need to understand not only how each individual agency is
operating but how the system works as a whole.
2 PUBLIC SAFETY
GETTING COOPERATION FROM AGENCY HEADS
Most common problems in county justice systems are
caused by, and affect, the whole system. Jail overcrowding
is a prime example, as inmates come in through law
enforcement agencies and go out through the courts. The
jail population is greatly affected by the decisions of non-
detention agencies.
It is therefore essential-and often difficult-to get agencies
to understand that they're all on the same team. Mutual
recrimination must be replaced by mutual cooperation. If
old rivalries make this transition difficult, CACIs can hire
management consultants or other professionals to work with
county staff on team building. (ILPP's staff is particularly
effective at helping with this issue.)
GETTING CONTROL OF DEPARTMENT BUDGETS
The County Administrator must review the budgets for all
of the criminal justice agencies in the county-the Sheriff,
the jail, the prosecutor and public defender, the courts,
probation-without being able to exercise much control
over the elected officials heading most of chose agencies.
In some jurisdictions they are not even county employees
but are state officials.
In most counties each agency prepares its budget with no
consideration of the other departments' budgets, yet all
share a common workload. If the agencies can work together
to process this workload more efficiently, the county will
save overall.
EXPEDITING CASE
RESOLUTION TO REDUCE COURT COSTS
The longer it takes for each case to make its way through
the courts system, the more expensive it is. If the defendant
is held in custody, detention costs are added to court costs.
Clear, early communication between court, prosecution and
defense can result in speedier case resolutions.
REDUCING DETENTION COSTS
WHILE MAINTAINING PUBLIC SAFETY
There are a number of issues that drive up detention costs,
including inefficient building configurations that require
higher staffing levels and high proportions of pretrial
inmates. These individuals are often detained unnecessarily
because jurisdictions have no standard protocol for releasing
them, and therefore automatically detain all arrestees.
A public-safety-based release protocol requires exchange
of information and cooperation between all the agencies
concerned: law enforcement, detention, defendant's
attorney, prosecution and the court.
It is essential that jails detain all truly dangerous
individuals. Unfortunately, indiscriminate detention can
actually reduce public safety by eliminating the ability
to screen and detain these individuals. Jails that operate
under court-imposed caps are often forced to release
inmates according to length of time in detention rather
than severity of offense or other public safety criteria.
Estimated Average justice Share of County Budget
100
90
c 80
LL
d
70
0
v 60
a
50
40
CONTROLLING COSTS: A STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS
1. Look at your justice system as a whole. An
overall management approach that views the system as
a whole will note the bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and
duplications of effort that cost counties millions of dollars
annually. To make effective long-term decisions, you need
basic information about your criminal justice system and
not simply about the individual agencies that constitute
it. Ask yourself the following questions:
What real return on investment do you get for
funds spent running your criminal justice system?
Which parts of the system are operating efficiently
and which are not?
• How long does it take to process an individual
through the entire system?
CRIMINALJUSTICE
p, M V N. r, M P O
P pV. O~ P 0` P 0 0 0 0 IT 0 TG 0 0 0
N M V N ~O r• d0 pp. O N M V Y, n •D P
P OP P P P P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
FiscalYear
Uncontrolled Managed
• Where are the bottlenecks?
• What actions can eliminate those bottlenecks?
• Do the key individuals in each part understand clearly
how their actions affect the system as a whole?
2. Decide how you want it to work. You need
to have specific goals for the system as a whole. The
configuration of the system, and objectives for each of
its constituent parts, need to be designed to support your
big-picture goals.
• In order for the system to work most efficiently,
who needs to exchange information with whom?
• How will you evaluate the effectiveness of the
system in meeting its goals?
3. Examine your pretrial detention and release
system. Pretrial detention is one of the most expensive
aspects of the entire criminal justice system. It is an
important safeguard when charged individuals might pose
a threat to public safety, and needs to be appropriately used
in such cases. Many other persons who cannot be released
in the first instance can exit after their charges have been
reduced. To begin to understand the flow of pretrial
inmates, investigate the following issues:
• Do all the jurisdictions in your county have
standardized protocols for citation and release?
• What percentage of your inmates are pretrial?
• Aftcr inmates are booked into the county jail, how
deterrent nor reduces the chance of an individual repeating
his or her offense. In these cases, it does not increase
public safety (except for the short time the inmate is
incarcerated) and punishes the taxpayers heavily. Home
electronic monitoring, work release, and community
service are examples of sanctions that are less expensive
and can be more effective. In examining sanctions, answer
the following questions:
• What are your measures of success for
sanctions?
• Do you have sanctions aimed at reducing
recidivism among specific populations of
offenders?
• What percentage of your sentenced inmates are
non-violent offenders?
A Criminal Justice
System Assessment
WHAT IT DOES AND How IT CAN HELP
A criminal justice system assessment looks at a jurisdiction's
system as a single entity, each component of which affects
the others. Thus, it not only examines how a department
operates in itself, but how its policies and procedures
contribute to the efficiency of the entire system. The system
may include county, city, state, and private agencies.
do they exit? The bottom-line questions:
• How long until their release?
If you know the average length of stay by charge and
release mode, you have the key data to start managing
your system.
• What are your goals for this system?
• Which of these goals are and are not being met?
• What needs to change in order to allow the system
to meet its goals?
4. Accelerate case processing. It should be a priority
to move pretrial inmates through the judicial system to
disposition as quickly as possible, thereby reducing the
number of pretrial custody days for which you pay.
• How long does it typically take from arrest to
disposition?
The criminal justice system assessment produces a cohesive
picture of the agencies involved, their relationships to each
other and the impact of those relationships on the system
as a whole. A good assessment must include an analysis of
the cost-effectiveness of current structure and practices. Such
a view offers decision makers the opportunity to see where
resources might be used more effectively.
• Do you have a system of quick review for all in-
custody cases? The assessment must also present the jurisdiction with
information on those incarcerated, and long-term, cost-
5. Expand your range of sanctions. The truth of effective solutions to jail overcrowding, evaluating the
the matter is that for many crimes, jail neither acts as a impact on detention of all justice agencies.
4 CRIMINAL JUSTICE
CONQUER THE SYSTEM BEFORE IT CONQUERSYOU SPACE USE EVALUATION
The most important result of an assessment is the
understanding that any criminal justice system can be
managed. A system may seem out of control and entirely
self-propelling, but it is possible to establish structures and
practices that bring it back under the control of its managers.
Ultimately, there must be specific management goals and
individuals responsible for reaching those goals. It is only
through such accountability that a criminal justice system
can meet the needs of those it is designed to serve.
Signs that Your Justice System Needs Assistance:
• On-site Review of Facilities
• Staff Interviews
• Operations and Fiscal Evaluation
• Development of Facilities Options
The Courts
HOW THE COURTS CAN HELP
REDUCE OVERALL JUSTICE COSTS
• Overcrowded Jail
• Poor Information Management
• Lawsuits
• Escalating Costs
• Changes in Population
• Court Delays
• Reductions in Funding
A Criminal Justice System Assessment includes a Population
Evaluation and Forecast, System Assessment and Evaluation,
and Space Use Evaluation.
POPULATION EVALUATION AND FORECAST
• Profile, Classification and Tracking
• Population Forecasting
SYSTEM ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION
• Law Enforcement/Sheriff
• Probation /Pretrial Services
• Prosecution
• Defense
• Courts and Related Agencies
• Jail Administration and Operations
• Management Information Systems
• Substance Abuse Agencies
• Alternatives to Incarceration
• System Coordination
Over 60% of all county justice costs are incurred before
case disposition, and most of these costs are controlled by
the courts. Efficient disposition of cases reduces both court
expenses and the high costs of pretrial detention. Specific
strategies for improving court efficiency include:
Calendaring for quicker case disposition.
Calendaring can be used as a proactive tool for
pushing cases along, for example, by automatically
scheduling an early pretrial motion conference.
Courts scheduling early pretrial conferences
require necessary motions, such as suppression
of evidence or discovery, be set for certain date
and heard on that date. Adherence to these court
requirements has led to early identification of cases
that must be tried and those that will plead, thereby
considerably reducing the court's case load.
Efficient sharing of case information. The judicial
system can only work efficiently if the primary
parties-the court, the prosecution /plaintiffs, and
the defense-have full and immediate access to all
relevant case information. This requires developing
a shared on-line infrastructure.
Early review of all in-custody cases. Since pretrial
detention is one of the courts' single largest costs,
moving in-custody cases through to disposition as
quickly as possible should be a very high priority.
Establishing fast tracking for certain types of
cases. Certain straightforward and high-volume
case types (e.g. worthless checks) should be dealt
with under a "fast-track" system that hastens final
adjudication. In this system, the prosecutor has
set criteria by which cases are designated as fast-
'I'H@ COURTS 5
track on filing the charges. The Clerk will then
schedule them for arraignment and the judge will
set the cases for disposition within 50 days after
arraignment.
Specialized case handling. Courts for specific
types of charges, such as traffic and drug courts,
can help a jurisdiction operate efficiently by
centralizing the resources needed to deal with
specific case types.
Improve collection of fines. When fines go
uncollected, individuals end up sentenced to jail
time at the taxpayers' expense. Increasing the
capacity to collect fines reduces detention costs and
results in a net increase in revenue. (One California
county's collection agency brings in $15 for every
$1 it costs to run!)
Delegating to court staff Courtroom time is often
taken up with administrative matters that can be
disposed of by court order or simply delegated to
the Clerk or other court staff.
Information
Systems Planning
Information systems planning focuses on enhancing
the capacity for collecting, analyzing and disseminating
information for both the justice system and its component
agencies: a business analysis of inter- and intra- departmental
workflow and procedures; inventory and evaluation of the
overall automated environment; development of options
based on the emerging technology and findings; and
identification of alternatives and costs for each.
Features of an Information Systems Study:
• Evaluation of current information flow and
business processes as well as current systems'
long-term viability
• Formulation of strategies for more efficient business
processes.
• Identification of replacement technologies where
needed.
• Creation of options for integration, future
growth, multi-year systems acquisition and
implementation plan.
More information on this work is available upon request.
Sanctions
PUBLIC EXPECTATIONS AND COSTS
Sanctions must be evaluated in terms of a jurisdiction's goals
in imposing them. The three most common goals are:
Punishment/revenge: Make the offender suffer
a substantial penalty, such as loss of freedom
(incarceration), loss of money (through fines), or
loss of free time (through forced activities).
Improve public safety: Remove the offender
from public access (through incarceration or
electronic home monitoring) or "rehabilitate" the
offender (through programs aimed at academic
education, vocational training, drug rehab, violence
management, etc.).
Restitution: Compensation of the victim or of
society as a whole, often by financial payment or
by providing community service.
jurisdictions often do not articulate to the public their
specific goals in imposing sanctions. Given their high cost,
it is essential to know what benefit you hope to get for the
money you spend.
Estimated Average Cost of Various Sanctions
Sanction Average Cost Overall Impact
to Taxpayer on Public Safety
jail time- $50-115 per day Individual poses no threat to public
few/no programs during incarceration. Individual is likely
to commit new crimes on release.
jail time-active $60-190 per day Likelihood of new crimes is reduced,
rehabilitation programs but not eliminated.
Home Monitoring $10-15 per day Individual can remain productive. Cost
savings to county over incarceration;
some risk of new crimes.
Parole with $15-25 per day Individual can remain productive and
rehabilitation programs risk of new crimes is reduced.
6 SANCTIONS
Violent Juveniles:
Your System's Response
The rise in violent crime by juveniles is attracting public
attention and increasing demand for services. Much of the
planning being done in fact exacerbates existing problems.
Below is a list of some major considerations that an effective
system evaluation needs to address.
OVERALL SYSTEM
• What are the goals of the system?
• Is the system meeting its goals? How is this
measured?
• How do the interactions between the different
elements of the system affect its overall function?
• How much does the system cost to operate?
• Where are there inefficiencies in the system that
can be eliminated?
DETENTION
• Who really needs to be locked up?
• What are the goals and criteria for detention?
• How can those goals be met most cost effectively?
• How wide is the range of alternatives to detention?
• What kinds of programs and facilities do you need
to meet these goals?
PROGRAMS
• What specific populations could benefit from
programs?
• Are there populations whose needs are not being
met by current programs?
• Are there programs for kids at each stage in the
juvenile justice system - from diversion programs
for 10-year-old shoplifters to in-custody programs
for older felons?
• Are programs interrelated in a way that provides
effective services for the multi-problem kid and
his/her family?
• What level of community support does the
program provide to kids?
• Are programs culturally appropriate?
• What is the goal of each program?
• What does it cost to implement?
• What are its current and potential funding sources?
• How do you measure its success?
ILPP's APPROACH TO EVALUATION
As ILPP evaluates counties' juvenile justice systems, these
are the steps we take:
The first step is to collect comprehensive data on the
juvenile population to identify who is in the juvenile justice
system, how long they stay, and how they exit.
The second step is for ILPP's team to complete an
assessment of all programs and services to seek out potential
obstacles to overall effectiveness.
The third step is the development of long-term facilities
options-in light of projected future demand-for the
juvenile probation department. This step relies on the
conclusions of the first two: Based on the size and needs of
the juvenile population and an understanding of how the in
the system could maximize efficiency, what will be needed
to physically accommodate this system?
The final product is a report which describes the
findings and recommendations from each project phase
and concludes with an overall program plan, system
management plan, and facilities plan.
Facility Planning
Many jurisdictions have difficulties in creating cost
efficient long-term plans for space use and capital
improvements financing. Ideally, an effective plan will
address the following issues:
• Maximum space utilization by all departments.
• Cost-effective financing solutions.
• Maintenance schedule.
• ADA compliance.
• A detailed strategy to meet long-term needs.
ILPP's facility planning team can help you develop such a plan,
based on your unique growth patterns and space requirements.
We will consider the issues relevant to your jurisdiction: policy
issues, past growth trends and potential changes, current
facilities, and special problems with current facilities.
JUVENILE JUSTICE & FACILITY PLANNING 7
Our study will answer the questions essential to making
expensive building decisions:
• How will the demand for services grow, and what
are the fastest growing areas?
• What is the most effective way to meet increased
demands for space?
• How can the existing sites and spaces be used
most effectively?
• What financing alternatives are available to meet
these needs?
• What is required to comply with the Americans
with Disabilities Act?
• What are the best uses for existing buildings
and property?
• Which departments should relocate or consolidate?
• How do adjacency and client needs affect current
and future locations?
Answers to these questions are generated after extensive data
collection and analysis. We consider the experts in your
jurisdiction, including the people who use the buildings,
an important resource. Questionnaires, building surveys,
analysis of existing reports and data and interviews all
provide essential information to creating a plan chat leads
you forward to meeting future building needs.
The Health of Your
Jail's Medical Services
TYPICAL PROBLEMS
Most counties' jail health systems are costly and are not
working as efficiently as their managers would like. ILPP's
audits have remedied these problems. The most pressing
issues generally are:
• Continuing lawsuits
• Rising levels of infections and diseases such as TB
• Rising costs of private providers
APPROACHING A SOLUTION
ILPP has developed a system for managing such situations
effectively. First, ILPP conducts a policy and procedure
performance review of a jurisdiction's correctional medical
services guided by the following questions:
Is service delivery appropriate? For example,
if there is a high incidence of mental illness in
the jail system, are there appropriate programs?
Areas of review include intake screening, sick call,
pharmacy services, infirmary services and hospital
and emergency room use.
• How can you contain costs and provide better
care? These two goals often seem mutually
exclusive but, in fact, they go hand-in-hand.
The bottom line: get the patients as directly as
possible to the right provider to receive the correct
treatment. This requires effective triaging from the
moment of presentation.
• How is the system managed? Look at the internal
review mechanism and how it is used. Ensure that
your county is getting the best rates for hospital
and provider service.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Then ILPP provides the client with a set of concrete
recommendations tailored to the particular system. Previous
projects have saved correctional systems millions of dollars
while improving the quality of service.
Examples of ILPP's recommendations and approaches
• Maximize use of nonmedical personnel (i.e.,
health trained correctional officcrs) and nurse
practitioners to perform routine services.
• Simplify the process of inmate sick call by
instituting a screening process that minimizes use
of expensive high level staff.
• Emphasize inexpensive screening tests at intake to
create a preventive health care system at a lower
cost.
• Provide test results and contact information to
community health agencies for follow-up care
once inmates are released.
ILPP was the recipient of a one-year grant from the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation to study the integration of
health care services provided by American counties,
focusing on tuberculosis. ILPP has analyzed medical
services provided by two parallel systems-county jails and
county health departments-to one population: individuals
who are or have been in jail. This study has already had
a national impact on how counties organize their health
care resources.
MEDICAL SERVICES
rw~ ~AW`
V J
• It~l
O O
•1ool
PENM
•k
bi) by~ • POO
~I
•M
-V
O ~
V
I~
~ O
Lit
V~
Aft
W
a M
P4
1.4
d
O
'
R
R
R
R
O
O
O
O
7
4
~
~ O
p
(45 7
C
O
'
C
O
R
7
7
O
a
O
O
O
C
R
y
K ~
~
ye C
C
fl
~
~
C
b O
~ ~
G
c
V
C
C
C
O
~
^
~ ~
c
C
~
[
R
O
°
`
y
°
°
R
O
\
O
ro
O
R
O
~
O
O
a
\
O
O
v
i
_
C °
O
p
O
~r
r
~~rr
d
G
C
00
~
~o
N
66
M
O
O
G
C Gq
G En
Gn
~
66
~
66
bR
66
69
yy
~n
~
G6
N
end
,,y
0
oo
00
r-
O
O
o
O
O
O
O
O
to
O
o
O
0
O
O
0
O
0
O
0
O
0
O
0
O
0
et
a
N O
0
O
to
tn
t -
O
O
0
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
t"
O
r
' V
M y.
I
I
N
to
o\
en
M
00
D\
M
00
O,
r-
to
N
o
N
r
O
M
6A
' R
6R y
N
Qj
vq
~--i
66
r,
FH
N
69
d4
sR
N
V9
.--i
Gn
Ff3
N
Gn
~
64
•
H9
U
to
a
CN
N
O
to
t-
oo
~O
O
O
~O
O~
O~
O~
N
to
N
to
r
to
to
O
M
O
~z
o
~o
O
00
to
O
to
to
to
~O
00
~O
O
~0
00
r"
rl'
00
00
1
O
O~
ty
~D
It
N
O
~O
M
to
r
N
to
~D
l
7
M
m
N
O
to
to
00
to
00
"
t--
O
C~
C
.ter
a
.
O
R
C
R
.b
C
O
>
rn
R
L
Ok
C
C
L
O
R
E
E
~
O
L
O
O
O
L
C
C
i4
'b
.L
R
c
(s
G4
~
"
~
~
~
~
~
R
~
'
+
~
O
r
W
C~
Grr
L
r
i
~
~
O
C
~ ~
R
~
C
^
'y
o
~
a
a,
.
~
R
y
s
,
~ O
~
O
R
p
~
~
;
o
U
~
~
d
~
°
a°
u
o c
o a
°
w
°
c
a
c
.5
°
Z
V
o
°
U
R
U
R
U
O
U
O
U
O
O
C
to R
U ,
.
S:
s
is
.
~
L
~
U
V1
CaD
p
.a
O
E
y
Orl
V
O
R
w
'
~
V1
h
W
x
L
pr
O
~
A
to
0
et
0
0
en
0
M
0
0
O
o
G\
a~
00
o)
t--
v,
t-
o\
to
rt
(7)
'T
ON
M
ON
O
o~
o
0
0
0
0
0
0
0,
a
o,
a
0\
O,
vN
0~
~.1
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
~
.••i
~--i
ti
~--i
.ti
.•-i
"'t
ti
O
~ U
U N
U to
N
N cn
to
Cd O
"C
O
O O
O
Eel
O ~
U ~
~ O N
U
C O
v7 U
cl)
N
V~
rct
J v
V)
~ O O
CC
~ U
U U Cd
too
;3 0
U
to r,
r '
~ U
a~
cd'
o
U
0 b
Cd
N N O
~cq
U ~
bA to
O
zEn V)
I0
r
July 13, 2007
To Whom It May Concern:
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
County of Dane
ROOM 118, CITY-COUNTY BUILDING
210 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. BOULEVARD
MADISON, WISCONSIN 53703-3342
6081266-5758 • FAX 266-4361 • TDD 266-4121
The Institute for Law and Policy Planning began work for the Dane County Board of Supervisors in
March, 2007, conducting a comprehensive criminal justice system assessment. They were engaged
following a national request for proposal process, and selected from among three finalists by our
interview panel. Their qualifications, prior work engagements, and the quality of previous reports all
contributed to their selection.
At the heart of the issues we sought to address in Dane County is a jail operating at or over capacity. We
were looking for a review of our entire criminal justice system to assist in identifying opportunities to
reduce jail population by making improvements throughout the system.
We will be receiving a draft report next week, with a presentation to our County Board. We have been
very impressed by the team that was assembled by Dr. Alan Kalmanoff and ILPP to conduct this study.
They have significant and relevant experience, conducted themselves professionally, and were very
responsive to our staff and elected officials. ILPP has been very conscientious about maintaining contact
with our staff to keep us apprised of their progress and to seek out our input and guidance as questions
arose.
Based on our discussions with Dr. Kalmanoff, we anticipate that the recommendations of the report will
provide us with significant opportunities for improvements and cost efficiencies in our criminal justice
system. The ILPP team offered a wide range of experience and knowledge of best practices in all areas of
the justice system. We look forward to implementing the recommendations of their report.
Sincerely,
f~ n
Supervisor Scott McDonell, Chair
Dane County Board of Supervisors
Count7 o'
G R E E n E
GREENE COUNTY COMMISSION
940 Boonville Avenue
SPRINGFIELD MO, 65802
(417) 868-4112
DAVID L. COONROD
Presiding Commissioner
DARRELL DECKER
Commissioner 1 st District
JIM PAYNE
Cnmmissinner 2nd District
Mr. Al Kalmanoff
institute for Law and Policy Planning
2613 Hillegass Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704
Dear Mr. Kalmanoff::
June 5, 2003
The members of the Greene County Commission are extremely pleased with the efforts of
Institute for Law and Policy Planning (ILPP) in working with our community on an
assessment of our criminal justice system. We have recently received the final document
entitled Criminal Justice System Assessment Final Report and we are now beginning to
implement a variety of programs directly resulting from this important study. We believe
that our community will directly benefit from the recommendations Contained within this
important report.
We are confident that by implementing the reconuncudatiuus suggested, we are fostering
better working relationships between our courts, law enforcement personnel, and related
administrative activities here in Greene County. Furthermore, these coordinated efforts
should assist in making our justice system more efficient and productive. Lastly, we are
hopeful that the overcrowding of our jail and our juvenile justice program will be minimized
as a direct result of the assessment provided by ILPP.
We would like to complement you and your staff for assisting our jurisdiction and providing
Greene County with recommendations to improve our judicial system. We recognize that
the implementation of the recommendations stemming fi-om your study is a work in
progress. We appreciate the hard work and professionalism exhibited by you and your
organization in assisting Greene County.
Sincerely,
1 ~ 1
David L. Coon''ad Darrell Decker Jim Payne
Presiding Commissioner Commissioner District 1 Commissioner District 2
COURT OF COMMON PLEAS
ALLEGHENY COUNTY
PITTSBURGH. PENNSYLVANIA
15219
ROBEH I A. KLLLY
P--E- JUDGE
December 17, 2003
Alan Kalmanoff, Executive Director
Institute for Law and Policy Planning
P.O. Box 5137
Berkeley, CA 94705
Dear Mr. Kalmanoff:
JUDGES CHAMBERS
14 12) 350-5404
As my term as President Judge of Allegheny County is coming to a close, I
wanted to take this opportunity to convey my sincere appreciation and commend you on
your work here in Pittsburgh.
It would be an understatement for me to confess that I was less than convinced
that a Criminal Justice Policy Board was a sound concept in our politically charged
environment. Not only were the principal players from different sides of the political
spectrum, open hostilities among the group were commonplace. You entered this
minefield with confidence, a sound knowledge base of the issues, and a style that allowed
all at the table, for at least the 90 minutes of our meetings, to lay down their swords and
talk free!y without fear of political reprisal.
I am also greatly impressed with the methods you have employed to address the
problem areas identified by the Board. Your analyses and reports of jail overcrowding
and initial arrest processes were concise and provided timely.
I will certainly pass along to my successor my thoughts on your work. I wish
you success in all of your future endeavors.
Sincerely,
ROBERT A. KELLY
RAK/mem
f.:
Y,
+F~~
Y
SNOHOI'iiJIISH COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
March 5, 2004
rvlr. Alan Kalmanoff
Executive Director
Institute for Law & f olicy Planning
P.O.Box 5137
Berkey, CA 94705
Dear Mr. Kalmanoff;
}aide iFf "r i; tt'F' s,; .")m i'!„11 lf;1l;flil1;
R. R."Rick" Bart
Shc?!i10 For several years many challenges have prompted Snohomish County government to
iook for efficiencies in our tats wid justice systerrt. Such things as lari overcrowding.
rapidly growing system-wrde budgets, system delays, a lack of alternative incarceration,
and better work scheduling issues demanded. the system examine ;tseli for solutions to
these ever growing problems. In 2002 an efficiency study of SnohcmishCounty's
criminal justice system was launched after a request for proposal was outlined and made
public. The Institute for Law & Policy Planning was awarded a contract and completed
their study in January 2003. 1 supported the intent and the necessity for the study as the
Snohomish County Sheriffs Office is a vital piece to the law and justice puzzle,
What followed was an intense informafion-gathering process by the tnstitute:Wherein the
appropriate data and discussions were assimilated. The Institute had to nectotiate
dangerous political waters in the Executive's Office, County Council Offices and all of the
law and justice departments and elected Office's (including mine). This veas
accomplished with the utmost professionalism and integrity in a timely manner_
The results of the study were made public on January 21, 2003. The Institute did exacfly
what the request for proposal outlined and went even further in an attempt to solve some.
of our nagging system-wide problems. As of this date we are expectedly still struggling
with many of he issues outlined in the rfp, however several of the recommendations of
the Institute have been successfully Implemented. Without the Institutes assistance, in
the form of this study, I do not believe Snohomish County law and justice would be as far
down the road to recovery as we now are,.
I believe vie are more :efficient and on a path to recovery in pert becauwof the work
product the institute produced.
Si ~ ey~y.
~ick Bart
Snohomish County Sheriff
PL,TeRNATIVES 7.0 STR~~T
•
JUSTICE COMMUNITY
Pretrial Services • Alternative Sentencing • Community Corrections
April 9, 2003
Alan Kalmanoff
Institute for Law & Policy Planning
P.O. Box 5137
Berkley, CA 94705
Dear Kal,
Please find attached articles from the Birmingham News, which speak to the
success of your efforts here in Jefferson County. As you will note, the bottom
line is we avoided building the new jail and $100,000,000 by improving the
efficiency of the criminal justice system. It was achieved through a lot of "little
ways" and the fact that we all worked together through the criminal justice
management committee. In spite of a crisis in our prison system and the back up
of several hundred state inmates in the jail, we have managed to keep the lid on
and renovate the facility. Also attached are several graphs which illustrate why.
Thanks for your help and ability to set us on the right path here in Jefferson
Foster Cook, Director
Jefferson County Community Corrections Program
401 Beacon Parkway West
Birmingham, Alabama 35209-3105
(205) 917-3780 • Fax (205) 917-3721
Sponsored by: UAB • Jefferson County • City of Birmingham • Edna McConnell Clark Foundation
Alabama Department of Corrections • Center for Substance Abuse Treatment • National Institute of Justice
Jeff Sax
5th Council District
4~~
Snohomish County
County Council
May 19, 2003 Dave Gossett
John Koster
Gary Nelson
Jeff Sax
RE: Letter of Reference for Institute for Law and Policy Planning (ILPP) Kirke Sievers
M/S #609
3000 Rockefeller Avenue
Everett, WA 98201-4046
To Whom It May Concern: (425) 386-3494
FAX (425) 388-3496
fiY/rDD (425) 388-3700
The Snohomish County Council contracted with ILPP in June 2002 for a
system wide efficiency study of our Law & Justice system. We are the 3rd largest
county in Washington State and Law & Justice costs are about 67% of our
budget and increasing rapidly. At our request, the ILPP draft report was
completed by October 2002. The analysis was broad in scope to catch the large
issues with in our system.
Those departments that received criticism in the report complained
vociferously about it. There were the expected 'killing the messenger' reactions.
However, we got what we wanted, which was a report that has acted as a
catalyst for much needed change in our county.
Based on ILPP recommendations we have created a Law and Justice
cabinet of elected officials and key Law & Justice department heads. The new
cabinet has 10 efficiency projects underway this year. We are also in the
process of installing a jail cap; we are implementing the Sheriff shift change
recommendation, and are now well underway with an integrated Law & Justice
computer system which will reduce double entry by Sheriff, Corrections, and
other departments.
We were looking for a change agent and that is what ILPP delivered. I am
very happy with their work and would hire them again, with out question. Please
feel free to call me to discuss further any questions you may have regarding the
very professional and expert detail we found with the product and staff of the
Institute for Law and Policy Planning.
Best wishes,
Jeff Sax, Chair
Law & Justice/Human Services Council Committee
JS/sb
county.council@co.snohomish.wo. us
www.co.snohornish.wo.us
SPARTANBURG MAGISTRATE COURT
JUDICIAL CENTER
180 Magnolia Street.
Spartanburg, South Carolina 29346
Telephone: 864-X64564 Fox: 864-596-3622
March 12, 2001
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN.
1 have had thc. opportunity to work with the Institute for Law and Policy Planning
for about eight months. This came about when the group was chosen by local government
to study the needs of our criminal justice system. I serve on a committee made up of
representatives of the various departments of local government that manage the criminal
justice system for Spartanburg County.
Tin the early period of the study, I was very skeptical that positive benefits would
be produced. This was due to numerous previous studies that had been conducted over
my tenure with Spartanburg County. Most of these studies were conducted by groups that
did not understand the operations of a court. The results of such studies were generally
shelved or ignored.
However, my experience with ILPP has been extremely positive. All of the
representatives of the group have demonstrated a positive knowledge of the operations of
courts. Opinions have been sought from the most knowledgeable local participants. We
have been intimately involved throughout the process. Many of our suggestions have
been incorporated into the recommendations.
It is easy to praise a group that listens. However, the result of the study has been a
definite improvement in communications between the criminal justice agencies. This is in
great part due to the direction of the discussions led by Alan Kalrnanoff, ILPP's
Executive Director. Accordingly, if nothing else c:omus from the reconunendations of
Kalrnanoff s consultants, we are much better off than before the study began.
The next decade can be exciting for all of us. If we seize the moment and take the
risk of trying the new technologies recommended by ILPP, we will be miles ahead in data
exchange and utilization. Everyone involved deserves credit, but ILPP deserves
recognition for prodtccing the roadmap.
Very sincerely
arnes B. Paslay, Judge
~~GIAI
m
+ E i
eft,
OFFICE OF COUNTY MAYOR
Office of Information Technology
Dr. Alan Kalmanoff, Executive Director
Institute of Law and Policy Planning
2613 Hillegass Avenue
Berkeley, California 94704
Dear Dr. Kalmanoff
400 Main Street, Suite L-114, Knoxville, TN 37902
July 11, 2007
Having reviewed your Initial Jail Crowding Assessment prepared for key criminal justice
officials in Knox County, Tennessee, I just wanted to compliment you and your staff on
your thorough and fair report. Although the jury is still out as to how we proceed with
this invaluable information I believe your report is right on the money. I also appreciated
the sensitivity you and your staff displayed when dealing with many of our key officials.
I realize it is not always easy to conduct interviews and extract information from people
when you question the way certain things are done. I can honestly say that in our case all
were impressed by your approach and your knowledge of the issues being discussed.
Although I'm sure we will have much discussion and debate over your recommendations
I am confident that many changes in the way we do business will take place. From our
experience with ILPP, I would not hesitate to recommend your services to others.
Sincerely,
Richard T. Moran
Sr. Director of Information Technology
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
Florida
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Phyllis Busansky
Joe Chillura
Lydia Miller
Jim Norman
Jan Platt
Ed Turanchik
Sandra Wilson
November 1, 1994
Dr. Alan Kalmanoff
Executive Director
Institute for Law
P.O. Box 5137
Berkeley, CA 94705
Office of the County Administrator
Frederick B. Karl
and Policy Planning
Dear Dr. Kalmanoff:
Senior Assistant County Administrator
Patricia Bean
Assistant County Administrators
Edwin Hunzeker
Cretta Johnson
Jimmie Keel
Robert Taylor
Hillsborough county and its citizens are most appreciative of the
excellent work recently performed by ILPP in your study of medical
services being provided in Hillsborough County jails. When we
entered the $25,000 contract with your firm, we could not have
anticipated that the results of the study could produce such
significant savings for the taxpayers of Hillsborough County.
The Sheriff's Office, utilizing information included in your study,
in two separate actions has achieved an overall savings in the
contract amount of $1,500,000. We are most pleased to have
achieved that kind of reduction for an investment of $25,000.
Thank you again for the professionalism and excellence demonstrated
by ILPP in pursuant of this project.
Sincerely,
Patricia Bean
Senior Assistant County Administrator
PB/zc
Post Office Box 1110 • Tampa, Florida 33601
An Affimaive Aaion/Equal Opponunuy Employer
Sheriff Kevin Beary
ORANGE COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE
May 16, 1994
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
ILPP, represented by Executive Director Alan Kalmanoff, came to Orange County on
a contract from the Board of Commissioners to assess the entire criminal justice
system. I admit to a certain amount of apprehension relative to our law enforcement
agency being fairly treated and in some way hindered from maintaining and enhancing
our service level now as well as in the future.
Eight months later upon the project's completion, I would now say that ILPP's team
completed a surprisingly comprehensive and data based inquiry into our local system,
overcame some resistance from certain managers, and in the end won our trust and
respect because of changes that are now taking place in Orange County.
I hasten to add that as head of the largest law enforcement agency in the County, I do
not agree wholeheartedly with all of ILPP's findings or recommendations. I do,
however, believe that ILPP's work for Orange County is solid, well documented, and
overall a worthwhile investment by the county. Even on those issues where I disagree
with ILPP, it is accompanied by respect and the realization that only history will
determine the quality of the recommendations.
ILPP's team briefed my office on their findings before publishing a final report, giving
us an ample and private opportunity to respond, disagree and provide input.
The final report recommendations should save the county millions of dollars in future
operating costs, and my office is currently involved in a multi-agency effort to implement
many of the report's recommendations. I would go further in indicating that an
automated fingerprint identification system will probably take the final steps in becoming
a reality, as I write this assessment, as a direct result of an ILPP Study
recommendation.
Post Office Box 1440 • Orlando, Florida 32802-1440
Telephone (407) 836-3700
ILPP
May 16, 1994
Page 2
From my agency's perspective, ILPP is a professional organization very well able to
work with law enforcement and other criminal justice agencies. I would be happy to
recommend them and further discuss my impressions or those of Mr. Bob Fuller, my
Manager of Special Projects and Project Coordinator on the ILPP Project.
RANDY JOHNSON PHONE: 612-349-7883
CHAIR ~E~ t N CpG FAX: 612-348.5291
a , TmD:348-7709
W -Z <
BOARD OF HENNEPIN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
A-2400 GOVERNMENT CENTER
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA 55487-0240
To Whom It May Concern:
As chair of the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners since 1997, an elected
Commissioner since 1978, and President of the National Association of Counties (NACo)
in 1997-98, I recommend the services of Dr. Alan Kalmanoff and the Institute for Law
and Policy Planning team based on my professional and political experience.
Under two separate contracts in 1998 and 1999, Hennepin County engaged the Institute
for Law and Policy Planning to conduct a countywide criminal justice system study and
recommend changes and strategic planning for a more effective and efficient system.
Dr. Kalmanoff brought together a team of experienced consultants (both academic and
practitioners) and conducted a thorough system study by examining the data of various
agencies within the system and the system as a whole. We had accumulated lots of
"data" over time, but no one had organized it and advised us what to do with it
We retained Dr. Kalmanoff to facilitate the implementation of the findings and to activate
a higher level of ownership and strategic planning by the system's (heretofore, somewhat
incompatible) key players. In both projects, the multitude of jurisdictions and
stakeholders in a politically charged atmosphere with turf issues created a complex and
difficult environment in which to implement change.
A major assignment for "Kal," as he is called, was to insure a strong and objective study
of court case-management, a new level of judicial and Board cooperation, and acceptance
and implementation of ambitious case management procedures by the courts. With his
leadership, our 58 judges have taken responsibility for managing their own docket, and
we are beginning to see major cost savings.
Despite the difficulty in working in such an environment, Dr. Kalmanoff succeeded in
working with the various agencies to build consensus and for the participants to see a
bigger picture in the system. He brought together leaders in the county criminal justice
system and provided a forum for open exchange and feedback, and that led to a new level
of planning. The project involved a number of controversial issues, and he dealt with
them in a professional and forthright manner, with candor, strength, real energy and
support.
E-MAII, ADDRESS:
randy-i01 on@ao.hennepin.mn.w
WEB PAGE:
hup://www.co.hamepin.=.udwdWJVMI
PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
Dr. Kalmanoff was clear and accurate in his assessment, direct and objective in his
position, uninfluenced by political agendas, candid in his criticism, and both strong and
insightful in his recommendations. Dr. Kalmanoff and his team remained true to our
objective of producing quality results to improve our criminal justice system. It was a
pleasure to work with him and his team, and I expect the resulting savings will dwarf his
fees.
I would recommend Dr. Kalmanoff and the Institute for Law and Policy Planning for any
county that needs a thorough evaluation of their criminal justice system, or any serious
strategic planning. As experts in the field, their ability to work and interact with various
individuals and agencies is an invaluable and unique resource.
My only reservation about working with Kal is that you have to be serious about reducing
costs and improving the justice system when you contract with him about reviewing your
situation and recommending changes. Kal will do the job very professionally and with
great insight - but You have to be willing to listen to what he says.
Very truly yours,
Randy Jo on, Chair
Hennepin County Board of Commissioners
REJ/ms
a4R~ ~o~
Office of the
County Administrator
COUNTY OF SAN JOAQUIN
Courthouse, Room 707
222 East Weber Avenue
Stockton, California 95202-2778
(209)468-3211
April 1, 1997
Dr. Alan Kalmanoff
Executive Director
Institute for Law & Policy Planning
P. O. Box 5137
Berkeley, CA 94705
Dear Kal:
Spring 1997 Criminal Justice System Evaluation
It has now been about two years since your Criminal Justice System Evaluation in San Joaquin
County. As you will recall, you and your staff made some 90 recommendations. The County
formulated an implementation structure, process, and action plan to address those 90 recommen-
dations. During the month of March, the Board of Supervisors approved another 11 items as
complete. There are now a total of 53 items that have been addressed and deemed complete by our
Board of Supervisors. We define complete as 1) recommendation implemented; 2) recommenda-
tion implemented with some modification; and 3) recommendation not implemented after detailed
analysis. In addition to the 53 items that have been addressed, there are approximately 30 items
that are under active work.
Overall, San Joaquin County has a qualitatively better, more cost-effective, and coordinated crim-
inal justice system than prior to your work. In perspective, there have been several specific
changes. They go beyond cost containment and cost savings. Specifically, these qualitative differ-
ences are as follows:
1. Intense Focus-County government and the law and justice departments continue to have
an intense focus on the law and justice system as the largest consumer of general fund
monies.
2. System Perspective-Departments approach issues from more of a systems point of view
as opposed to a departmental point of view.
3. Ownership of Some Problems-While the criminal justice system responds, or fails to
respond, to factors outside of its direct control, as system participants we've come to
realize that we own some of the problems. Some of the problems are of our own making
through failure to view ourselves as a system and act accordingly.
4. Empowerment to Influence Some Outcomes-With recognition of problem ownership, we
are also better able and motivated to influence those outcomes which we can control.
Dr. Alan Kalmanoff
Spring 1997 Criminal Justice System Evaluation
June 27, 1997
Page 2
5. Greater Team Orientation-Because of the frequency of our meetings and the give and
take of working through and resolving issues, there is far greater team orientation than
prior to your evaluation.
6. Better Communication-A material result of our intense focus, system perspective, and
team work, is better communication throughout the criminal justice system. If you look at
County government as a "learning organization", we have also used our processing system
to develop other initiatives using some of what we've learned.
7. Cost-Effectiveness-This synergy of the above have led to more cost-effective
approaches as we add resources and expand our capabilities. We simply spend money
more wisely.
These benefits are many times more valuable than the mere cost savings and cost containment
features that have occurred with the overall project.
San Joaquin County thanks you again for the outstanding work!
Very truly yours,
David L. Baker
County Administrator
DLB:st
DB04-02
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
CAROL McBRIDE PIRSCH, CHAIR
MARY ANN BORGESON MICHAEL BOYLE CLARE DUDA CAROLE WOODS HARRIS KYLE HUTCHINGS KATHLEEN MCCALLISTER
Kathleen A. Kelley, Chief Administrative Officer
July 8, 1999
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
When Douglas County contracted with the Institute for Law and Policy
Planning in January, 1998, it proved to be the catalyst for stabilizing an ever
increasing jail population within the Douglas County Correctional Center.
After the first visit of the ILPP team, recommendations were forthcoming
and upon implementation favorably impacted the jail population immediately.
One year ago today, Douglas County was facing a crisis. Today, the
population has stabilized through ILPP's presentation of how to bring efficiencies
within the criminal justice system that affect jail population.
Without a doubt the ILPP study, in my opinion, was the most cost effective
initiative Douglas County has pursued in its efforts to address jail overcrowding.
Alan Kalmanoff and the team he assembled were very effective in their
ability through interviews and discussion to obtain "buy ins" from all segments of
the criminal justice system. Common purposes and goals have unified our
system for the first time in Douglas County history.
Meetings of all parties have been held monthly since ILPP entered the
County in February 1998. We are presently implementing ILPP's
recommendations with abundant success to date.
All primary players attend the monthly meetings regularly - The Omaha
Police Chief, Mayor's representative, City Council President, Douglas County
Attorney, Public Defender, Presiding County, District, Juvenile Court Judges,
Court Administrators, County Chief Administrative Officer, Sheriff, and
Corrections Director first time ever.
h:tkk. ilppref
(402) 444-7025 Suite LC 2 Civic Center 1819 Farnam Street Omaha, Nebraska 68183-0100 (402) 444-6559 (FAX)
http:/lwww.co.dougl as.ne.us
The purpose of the meetings is to discuss issues of mutual concern and
primarily to implement each ILPP recommendation.
Turf issues and barriers have dissolved with defined goals presented in
the master plan and regular monthly communication.
As Chief Administrative Officer of Douglas County, I unequivocally
recommend ILPP to all jurisdictions facing overcrowding and am available to
answer inquiries of the Douglas County experience at 402/444-6237.
Sincerel
Kathleen Kelley
Chief Administrative Officer
KK: ckm
h:/kk.ilppref
R. JAMES STROKER
CHIEFJUDGE
To Whom It May Concern:
June 13, 1994
ANNA PATTERSON
JUDICIAL ASSISTANT
I am writing to provide my assessment of the Institute for
Law & Policy Planning's (ILPP) recent work for orange County. Led
by Dr. Alan Kalmanoff, Executive Director, ILPP performed a
comprehensive evaluation of the Orange County criminal justice
system. This study provided a clear picture of how our system is
working and the impact it is having on our allocation of resources
and our effectiveness in addressing serious crime.
The leaders of all the offices in our local system joined
together to review ILPP's recommendations and develop tangible
plans for implementing those which will improve our use of limited
funds and our ability to target serious criminal offenders. The
cooperation of these offices resulted in a clear action plan which
should significantly better "how we do business." ILPP's
commitment to building consensus and facilitating implementation
was a key contributor to the work we have now accomplished.
My valuation of the ILPP study has undergone a major
transformation from my initial opinion of the project. I was
skeptical and wary that a consultant from Berkeley, California
would be able to provide insight into a system that I felt was
already fairly efficient and just.
However, the ILPP report quantitatively and qualitatively
assessed all of our programs and offices, describing a system
which was very different than my ideal. While the study found
that individual agencies within the system were working hard and
seeking to make constant improvements, these efforts were not
coordinated or organized in accordance with a system-wide goal.
~TtIE STq~
Atab of Yl riba
Xutt4 Ubicial (qtr=At of Xlartba
COUNTIES OF ORANGE AND OSCEOLA
ORANGE COUNTY CIVIL COURTS BUILDING
37 NORTH ORANGE AVENUE. SUITE 1110
ORLANDO, FLORIDA 32801
(407) 836-2026
The consequence was duplication of effort, lost revenue
opportunities and a tendency in our detention system to house
unsentenced, non-serious offenders in maximum security space were
alternatives would be more cost-effective and more likely to have
an impact on changing the offender's ways.
Simply in identifying who is in our system and the policies
and practices that have led to this, the ILPP team provided orange
County's criminal justice decision makers with vital information.
However the ILPP final report also presented options for remedying
this situation to improve our strategy in protecting our community
and our criminal justice spending. I am pleased with the work
ILPP has completed for the county and I recommend them to other
jurisdictions interested in regaining control over local criminal
justice.
Very truly yours, 6 j
R. Ja Stroker,
Chie udge
RJS/ap
1//~LCG_/SJC1e~Q~4~✓7/~41~itG/'=' /P~~/ ~tard[YY~y ✓ ~.4~L
February 5, 2004
Dr. Alan halmanoff, Executive Director
Ilistitutc. of Law and Policy F.Fai n'ing
2613 Hillegass Avenue
Berkeley. Carlifornia, 94704
Dear Dr. Iaalma.noff;
just a note to follow up on 111C Cilia.] repol•t O'L the jail FOpulation and Criminal
justice System. Study. We have all had ample, time to digest tllc voltinle of work and
attention that your staff has generated ill c0111pleting this agenda, and I and gratified
that we finally have a plan of action for our community's criminal justice agencies. As
we have noted in our many meetings, the future ofSedgwick County's eriininal isseles
will not be solved by merely architecting anothe.rwing on the exisiing jail. VNIc lrlust be
snore, worldly wise in. coiltemplatittg the fiiture of tile- entire system by chmtnatnlg the
existing "tit°arehousing" attitude that speaks little of using the tools that. we have in
place or that we may create by our coordinated efforts. It would he'an easy „gay out to
handle this by 'brick and mortar philosophy. It is mole difficult, yetnlore challenging,
to build u.poil a positive strategy you Isave employed to put us on the road to success.
Personally, I do take convincing. I was skelitical about bringing in
"consultants" to tell us how to run our business. Iaw enforcc.nlent to cotton ~~>cl'1
to acadernics in ivotV towers... Your staff has been:eut:from a different cloth and it
was apparent in your dealings with our community, 1 was: impressed at how much
information you were able to gather in a short period of tulle, and how that
information blossomed imo.a credible report that expanded into a. working blueprint
For a successful criminal justice process. I. don't know that we will follow each and
every suggestion'to the nth degree, bur the fact is that there are so many opportunities
for improvement and a superlative a plan to encourage our community's work in
concert.
..~c!.»c ~S/h~J8.T-1Pd/ .%ac~limulr /.Y/S~3:P;P-7P66
i ~GO~/13P-6~P7d
Dr. Alan Kalmanoff, Executive Director
Institute of L.aa),v and Policy Planning
Correspondence of February 5, 2004
Page 2 of 2
't'hank you a.ga n for your time and efforts. They were well spi-,nu. In today's
di} and age of high tccitnolOgy VACI-e we cozy 111) With otu- computet:s anal punc.li away
for quick answers, it was refreshing to deal with real people who had their thinking
caps on. There's nothing like the real thing tlt
Sincerely,
ada! a'
Distric.u At ornery Nola Tc:dcN-0 Oulston
180' J'ud'icial District of Kansas
COUNTY
DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING &
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
201 WEST KALAMAZOO AVENUE • KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN 49007
PHONE (616) 384-8112 FAX (616) 383-8862
Dr. Alan Kalmanoff, Director
Institute for Law & Policy Planning
P.O. Box 5137
Berkeley, CA 94705
Dear Dr. Kalmanoff:
The following is in reference to the work conducted by you and representatives of
the Institute for Law & Policy Planning (ILPP) regarding the preparation and
presentation of a Justice System Assessment and Facilities Analysis Plan for
Kalamazoo County. On behalf of the County of Kalamazoo, it is my pleasure to
provide you with this communication.
As manager for our project with the Institute, it was my responsibility to monitor
our contract and function as the County's point person. As such, my primary
concerns in contracting for professional services included: completion of the
project within budget; completion within the prescribed time period; are the
deliverables consistent with the scope of work/services outline; and, did the
consultant/contractor perform the project in a professional manner.
I can honestly report that our project with ILPP met or exceeded all of the
preceding expectations. The final report, which contained in excess of seventy
(70) recommendations for. change, was an exhaustive assessment of the justice
system and its facilities in Kalamazoo County and was prepared in an objective
manner.
We were most impressed from the outset of the project that the Institute's
approach at evaluation was systemic, rather than simply looking at our facilities
and projecting needs for future capital investment in building new and/or
expanding existing facilities. In addition, we were equally pleased with the
expertise and talent of the team that the Institute assembled for our project, both
internally, as well as the availability and use of external personnel, depending upon
the scope of the project.
May 22, 2000
I believe I speak for the members of our Justice Assessment & Facilities Analysis
Committee in that should the County require additional justice system assistance,
that it would definitely consider utilization of the Institutes' services again in the
future.
Our project with ILPP provided us with an excellent road map to improve our
overall justice system. We now face the most important task in implementation of
the recommendations contained in the Plan.
On behalf of the County, we thank -you for the opportunity to work with the
Institute for Law & Policy Planning on this historical project.
Sincerely,
Dean J. Holub
Assistant Administrator for Economic & Community Development