Criminal Justice Coordinating Council Committee

10.17.19 Minutes (368 KB)

CRIMINAL JUSTICE COORDINATING COUNCIL

West Square Building, Room 213

505 Broadway Street,

Baraboo, WI  53913                                                                                      Thursday, October 17, 2019

Members Present: Peter Vedro, Patricia Rego, Tim Lawther, Dan Brattset, Annette Kuhlmann, Alene Bolin, Judge Jones, Officer Andrew Stelter, Leonie Dolch, Sheriff Richard Meister, John Miller, Ryan Ramnarace, Tom Kriegl, Judge Screnock, Mike Albrecht, Elizabeth La Broscian, Brian Basham

Members Absent: Jay Englund

Others Present: Captain Lewis Lange, Regina Baldwin, Kristen Ederer, Theresa Owens, Cherie Green, Chief Jerry Strunz, Chuck Spencer, Glen Johnson, Emily Eklund, Lory Seffrood, Adrian Olson, Rebecca Burgess, Judge Barrett, Rick Spoentgen, Carrie Wastlick

Call Meeting to Order:

The meeting was called to order and certification of Open Meeting compliance was given at 3:32 p.m.

Adopt Agenda:

Motion by Kriegl second Rego to adopt agenda. Motion carried.

Minutes:

Motion to approve minutes by Vedro second by Ramnarace to adopt minutes. Motion carried.

Public Comment:

• Cherie Green – Works for the Adult Protective Services (APS) unit. Stated that APS works closely with Law Enforcement and the Sheriff’s Department and their help is priceless. Cuts to the services that they provide to the vulnerable within our community would be a tragedy. They need the resources in order to better fight elder abuse, which is a growing crime in the U.S.

• Adrienne Olson – Head of the Child Support Agency. Uses the Huber Center as an enforcement tool for Child Support payments. Provided a handout of the breakdown of the money collected in Child Support through the Huber Center in 2018 and 2019. The money they collect is direct due to the parent not wanting to be there, and the money goes directly back to the families in Sauk County. Closing the Huber Center would impact the economy of Sauk County if these families lost that income. Closing the Huber Center would also impact the public benefits, and these families will need to apply for additional services. This would directly impact Human Services and Child Support, and could potentially cause a loss in state funding. Closing the Huber Center would increase the amount of cases being given to the DA’s office.

• Emily Eklund – Closing the Huber Center would impact the homeless population, because they don’t have a place to go every night and would not have a place to charge the electronic bracelets. If they cannot be charged, that would increase their violations. Closing the Huber Center would also increase court resources due to increase in violations, hearings, litigation, and paperwork.

Communications:

• Theresa Owens – Discussion of limitations of data from the court systems.

• WI Comm. Corrections Article – Basham spoke of reform coming for the prison population, per information from Secretary Carr and Governor Evers. Discussion of Crimeless Revocations, and the check and balances that must be used to see if revocation is the best option. The push is to move more towards community based methods, and move away from institution based methods to find a better alternative to revocation.

• Letter to Governor Evers – Clarification as to who the letter was sent on behalf of – CJCC the council, or CJCC the division. Judge Screnock advised that nothing should have been sent on behalf of the Council without taking a vote, and stated that he will contact Molly McKnab from the Governor’s office to let her know that he was not involved. Discussion about changing the name of the CJCC division because it is easily confused with the Council. Vedro spoke to representatives with the Governor’s office before the letter was sent, in the hopes that our CJCC can emulate the goals of the Governor’s CJCC.

  October CJCC Report – Baldwin

• Tom Weber Contract Update – The contract was signed, and Judge Screnock advised that it should have been brought to an emergency meeting and had a vote on it. MIS, Captain Lange, and Gina will meet with Tom Weber on Monday (10/21/19) in order to determine the data pieces that are most time-sensitive, due to the customization process with the new database being implemented at the Sheriff’s Department and jail.

• ATC & SUDS Updates. Monday, October 21, 2019 ATC graduation ceremony. Continue with community outreach through brochures and potentially a lunch & learn. Chippewa County visit in order to find ways to incorporate their strategies in our SUDS program.

Discussion and possible action on Finance Committee’s Suggestion to Transition to Electronic Monitoring of all Huber Inmates and Move Towards Closing Huber by June 2020

• Basham spoke from Probation and Parole. Closing Huber will impact the use of jail sanctions (30-90 days). Huber holds inmates accountable, while helping them reintegrate into the community. If electronic monitoring replaces Huber, it will increase the jail population. There is a duty to victims and Child Support to collect restitution. Huber allows inmates to continue making payments, and is more efficient than electronic monitoring. In order for the Sheriff’s Department and Probation and Parole to collaborate, they must address the problems that would arise from replacing Huber with electronic monitoring.

• < > spoke from the Public Defender’s Office. They incarcerate a lot of marginalized individuals, and these clients see benefits through Huber. Electronic monitoring isn’t as effective and expensive. If people have certain charges (from the public safety concern policy from the Sheriff) they are not eligible for electronic monitoring. Incarcerated individuals save money while in Huber that they can put towards gas to go to a job and rent. Many find work for the first time through Huber, and that feeling of accomplishment is an effective motivator. If these individuals go to the regular jail, they cannot care for their children or relatives. They cannot get treatment through the community. Through Huber, inmates can work at the jail and in the community and they can work off part of their sentence. The normal jail can be triggering for inmates with Mental Health problems, due to increased stress. Clients served by the Public Defenders can be desperately poor, and they would lose all the benefits provided by Huber and expose themselves to more violence and crime. < > discussed that Huber allows for incarcerated individuals to save money and have access to programs that they otherwise wouldn’t. Discussion of the MAT program and temporary placement to address substance use issues. The cost of electronic monitoring is high (in addition to the cost of living and gas), and won’t allow incarcerated individuals to save money or get ahead.

  Judge Screnock discussed that due to Chairperson Vedro’s previous statements of CJCC being a key component of the criminal justice system, he hopes that Mr. Vedro will oppose this decision until additional research can identify all of the data and divisions that would be impacted. It is important to look at a post-Huber criminal justice system and how electronic monitoring would work. Who would monitor the bracelets? CJCC or the Sheriff’s Department? At this point, nobody knows whether closing Huber is a good or bad idea, and until research can be done to identify the ripple effects, nothing should be decided upon. Read proposed Resolution.

  • Motion to adopt Resolution by Screnock, second by Albrecht. Motion carried.

• < > spoke about the authority of the County Board and an Opinion that was opened up through the Corporation Counsel. The budget process has been open to suggestions, and the state is slow to tell use of available state aid, and increase or decreases to tax levies. The proposed budget in September involved a large requested increase in funding by the Sheriff’s department. Spoke of costs to operate the jail ($10 million total, $125 per day/per inmate). The CJCC shouldn’t have to rely almost solely on grants when one department is requesting such a large amount of money. Believes the jail is inefficient, and talked historically about the cuts to the Sheriff’s Department and the jail. Discussed inmate per staff number ratios. < > agreed with the Resolution drafted by Judge Screnock. He said that he is glad that the Huber center has sparked such a discussion. He hopes that this process will educate the County Board and CJCC to better understand the forces that impact the budget and the community. The bigger picture is to best sustain the finances of the community and serve the community. Would like to schedule a special County Board meeting to focus on this issue and possibly consult with national consultants and those divisions that would be impacted by closing the Huber center in order to identify alternative options. Wants to look at other counties to see what they are doing, and see the trickle down and how this would affect various departments and divisions. The Sheriff and the Jail are doing what they can with the situation they were given, and they can’t continue on the same way they have been and expect different results.

  Judge Barrett was concerned with the initial language and how it involves court judgment. Agrees with the Resolution because it is the formal language involved, not specifically about the proposal to eliminate the Huber center. Stated that electronic monitoring and Huber are privileges, and some sentences restrict these as options.

• Captain Lange has spoken with counties that do not have a Huber Center (LaCrosse, Monroe, and Pierce). The impacts that this has on them in terms of jail population, less sentencing options, and some individuals not being appropriate for electronic monitoring. Individuals can work off parts of their sentences by working in the jail (25,000 hours worked, 1,042 days worked off of sentences). The Jail is currently at 85% capacity, and it is not supposed to go over that. A cut to Huber will increase the jail population, which will result in a loss of rental beds and revenue. Discussion of the Law Enforcement Committee sitting down after the 2020 Budget to look at the trickle down effects of eliminating Huber, conduct research to identify other alternatives, and have a plan to potentially cut costs elsewhere.

Committees: Report on Action Plans and Committee Goals

Adult Justice Systems:

Did not meet in October.

-Next meeting:  November 6, 2019 at 3:30 p.m.

Juvenile Justice Systems:

Met in October. Discussion of first offender youth diversion through Boys & Girls Club beginning within the next month.

The Department of Children and Families – Youth Justice to implement YASI in December.

-Next meeting: November 20, 2019 at 3:30 p.m.

Victims Focus Committee:

Working groups and committee all met in September. Want to increase quorum due to high interest and attendance.

Administrative surveys for victims using Survey monkey, looking to get paper copies too for those who don’t have access to internet.

DART appraisal tool – Risk tool for domestic abuse. Justice Service’s trends and no contact (victim impacts). Possible grant opportunities may allow for more counties to participate and get interested in the tools.

-Next meeting: October 23, 2019 at 2:30 p.m.

Discussion on Budget Concerns/Changes

Additional $10,000 allocated for CJCC budget. Primary intent for the additional money is to continue consulting with Tom Weber. He can hopefully assist with the Huber and electronic monitoring discussion.

Discussion and election on CJCC Chairperson (replacing DA Calkins)

Nomination of Judge Screnock – unanimous consent.

Motion by Albrecht second by Vedro to appoint Judge Screnock as Chair. Motion carried.

Next Meeting Date and agenda items:

      Date and Time:   Scheduled for November 21, 2019 at 3:30 p.m.

• Vote on Vice Chair appointment for CJCC

• Discussion on changing the name of CJCC division

• Discussion on safety and security of CJCC office

   

Adjournment:

Motion to adjourn by Rego second by Kuhlmann. Motion carried.

Meeting adjourned at 5:30 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted:

Kristen Ederer