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1 McLean County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council July 7, 2011 Meeting Present: Sheriff Mike Emery, MCSO; Michelle Anderson, McLean County Auditor; Greg Allen, MCSO; Diane Hughes, MCSO; Melinda Fellner, MCSO; Cheryl Gaines, Town of Normal; Carol Reitan, League of Women Voters; Karen Schmidt, City of Bloomington; Susan Schafer, McLean County Board; Bette Rackauskas, McLean County Board; Ed McKibbin, McLean County Board; Chief Judge Elizabeth Robb, Eleventh Judicial Circuit; William Scanlon, Eleventh Judicial Circuit; Sharjeel Rizvi, Pre-Trial Services; Bill Wasson, County Administrator; Lori McCormick, Director of Court Services; Chris Bailey, Court Services; Michael Donovan, Court Services; Cathy Jo Waltz, Juvenile Detention Center; Karen Zangerle, PATH; Sharon Sweeney, ISU Police; Dr. Frank Beck, ISU Stevenson Center; and Cherie C. Deir, ISU Stevenson Center Judge Robb called the meeting to order, thanked everyone for attending and led the group in introductions. ISU Stevenson Center Report Dr. Frank Beck gave an overview of the statistics the Stevenson Center is maintaining: o Case processing intervals for felony cases (2007-2009) - Booking; 1st custody hearing; arraignment; status hearings; plea hearings; trial hearings and sentencing hearings o Median length of time to disposition for felony cases o Median length of time to disposition (race and ethnicity) o Median length of time of incarceration (pre-trial)(race and ethnicity) o Number of persons incarcerated (2007-2011) o Average length of stay (2007-2011) o Total Bed days utilized (2007-2011) Tables for all this data are attached to the end of these minutes and will be on the CJCC website. The conclusion made by Dr. Beck and Dr. Wells is that there is no difference in time to disposition or time of incarceration based on the race or other characteristic of the defendant. There was a discussion regarding the reduction in the number of bed days used between 2008 and 2009-2011. There are several possible reasons, including the reduction in the number of police units dedicated to traffic patrols and the establishment of the Pre-Trial Services unit in Court Services. The Stevenson Center is discussing with the Executive Committee what other data to examine and what questions remain to be answered. Committee Reports ---PAGE BREAK--- 2 The Executive Committee has been meeting regularly since the April 2011 meeting, and has been providing direction to the ISU Stevenson Center regarding data analysis. There will be a meeting in August to discuss new charges to the committees. Drug Court / Recovery Court Report Lori McCormick and Mike Donovan gave the reports. There are 44 participants in the Drug Court with a goal of 50 persons. About 8 persons will graduate this fall, with 26 total graduates from the program since 2008. The Drug Court remains heavily dependent on grant funding. The Recovery Court is now one-year old (established in May 2010). There are 15 persons in the program, with 8 referrals coming in June 2011, and 18 pending referrals. Housing remains a large issue for the participants. The Recovery Court is planning a fundraiser on September 19. The Adult Redeploy program has received a grant in excess of $138,000 for the next 18 months to reduce the number of commitments to the Illinois Department of Corrections. This will involve moving some defendants to a High Risk probation status and possible expansion of electronic monitoring. Court Services is hoping to serve 35-40 defendants. At the request of the AOIC, McLean County and the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) have partnered to submit a grant for a Mental Health Services grant. Both agencies are very optimistic about receiving favorable consideration for the grant, and the NCSC was very appreciative of the level of cooperation and coordination in McLean County. Both the Drug Court and Recovery Court are not-for-profit [501(C)(3)] organizations. Legislative Update A legislative report compiled by Kim Campbell was distributed. This report may also be found on the CJCC website. Persons who have legislation to bring to the attention of the CJCC should email them to Mrs. Campbell at [EMAIL REDACTED] Justice Policy Institute Report The JPI report on strategies employed by southern states regarding the significant costs associated with high incarceration rates to reduce prison and jail populations was distributed. Several of the efforts highlighted are in place in McLean County. CJCC Intern Judge Robb spoke about the process to hire an intern to act as coordinator for the CJCC. The Executive Committee has been working with the ISU Stevenson Center to obtain a qualified applicant for the position. The Executive Committee has screened a number of applicants and conducted three interviews. The candidate selected is Alyssa Curran, an Applied Economics graduate student who will start work on August 22, 2011. ---PAGE BREAK--- 3 Ms. Curran will begin attending meetings and meeting various departments and programs immediately after starting employment. Amendments to the CJCC bylaws Proposed amendments were distributed 10 days prior to this meeting for review. Judge Robb asked if there were any questions regarding the amendments. Hearing none, the question was called, and the proposal to amend the bylaws was approved as presented. A revised version of the bylaws will be posted on the website. Changes to the CJCC - Juvenile Justice Council Lori McCormick reported that the 501(c)(3) status of Youth Impact has been dissolved, and all three organizations are being folded into the Juvenile Justice Council as defined by 705 ILCS 405/6-12. Further, the Juvenile Justice Council shall be considered as a cooperating partner with the McLean County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC). Members of the CJCC who are also members of the Juvenile Justice Council shall strive to coordinate activities of the two partners, and shall periodically update the CJCC as circumstances may warrant on the mutual activities of the partners. Chief Judge Robb, Lori McCormick and Kim Campbell will be working with education and law enforcement agencies to encourage their participation in the Juvenile Justice Council. The goals for the Juvenile Justice Council will include preventative programs and continue intervention programming. Other Judge Robb announced that Judge Freitag will be absent for a few weeks after being diagnosed with a serious medical condition. When more information is known, it will be shared with the group. Chief Kent Crutcher will be retiring from the Normal Police Department. The CJCC will be sending him a congratulatory letter for all his work on mental health issues and collaborative efforts. Carol Reitan encouraged everyone to read an article on neuroscience in The Atlantic www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/07/the-brain-on-trial/8520/ Karen Schmidt spoke on the efforts of the West Bloomington Revitalization Project. The group is refocusing on economic development for the area. State Farm Bank is considering various projects for enterprise funding. Meeting Adjourned at 2:05 p.m. Next Meetings: Thursday, October 6, 2011 Thursday, January 5, 2012