HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 09-25-2008
PUBLIC SAFETY COORDINATING COUNCIL
Minutes of Meeting
September 25, 2008
Convened: 3:35 p.m. Adjourned: 4:20 p.m.
CALL TO ORDER
Commissioner Craft called the meeting to order at 3:35 p.m. in Conference Room # 3, 2300
Virginia Avenue, Fort Pierce, Florida.
ROLL CALL
Roll call was taken.
Members Present:
Commissioner Chris Craft
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Tom Genung for Chief Judge Roby, 19 Circuit
John Romano, New Horizons of the Treasure Coast
Bruce Colton, State Attorney
Ken Mascara, Sheriff of SLC
Major Pat Tighe, SLC Sheriff’s Office
Becky Bleyman for Suzanne Caudell, CORE Program
Janet Collins, SLC Bail Bond Association
Thomas Mark, Department of Corrections
th
Members Absent:
Judge Philip J. Yacucci, 19 Circuit
Diamond Litty, Public Defender
Others Present:
Commissioner Grande, SLC District 4
Mark Godwin, SLC Criminal Justice Coordinator
Broderick Underwood, SLC Analyst
Lisa Savage, SLC Pretrial Manager
Trevor Morganti, SLC Sheriff’s Office
Debra Wright, SLC Sheriff’s Office
Jack Miller, Magellan Health
Chris Harris, Magellan Health
Kevin Housel, DJJ – Detention
Dan Rodgers, DJJ – Circuit 19
Theresa Bailey, SAMH
Mitch Hilburn, Hilburn Bail Bonds
Ethel Rowland, Taxpayer
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
The minutes from the August 28, 2008 meeting were unanimously approved.
Public Safety Coordinating
Council
September 25, 2008
Page
2
UPDATE by CRIMINAL JUSTICE COORDINATOR-MARK GODWIN:
Mark read email from Mr. Teegardin reporting that for the third quarter there has been a savings
in the medical cost of $232,931.35 and a large portion of that is contributed to the Pretrial
Program.
Mark went over the graphs from Broderick. Broderick has also put together a calendaring process
that identifies all the court calendars for all the Judges. The capability of putting it out on the
website secured that judicial systems could go to and identify when a Judge comes off the bench.
Mark stated the Drug Screening Lab started on July 1, 2008 and have processed 1,840 specimens.
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487 tested positive. The drug of choice is marijuana and the 2 choice is oxycodone. The lab is
running at about a 21% indigence rate. County employees get tested at no charge along with the
Sheriff’s Department.
Mark said because the lab has become almost an enterprise fund and when Mr. Romano can’t
provide substance abuse counseling to his staff, one of the things we are looking at is possibly with
Board approval is presenting this before the Board and asking them to take a look at the fact
that we could bring in an individual that would be a substance abuse counselor that would
provide evaluations and group counseling right at the courthouse and the benefit of that is if
somebody is in the Pretrial Program and they test positive for marijuana and we let the Judge
and prosecutor know and if everybody is in agreement they can refer that individual
immediately right down to our substance abuse counselor in house to have an evaluation and
follow recommended group counseling located right at the courthouse. The position wouldn’t cost
the taxpayers because it would be generated from the revenue from the Drug Screening Lab
along with revenue from those individuals who pay for their evaluations. Evaluations will be
$25.00.
Mark said Mental Health Committee is planning on having a meeting on October 24, 2008. Will
be held at the courthouse and he will be sending out the agenda. He will talk about some of the
issues concerning the grant.
Mark said looking over the possibility of taking over the JAC. Mark will take to the Board for
approval.
Lisa Savage gave update on the Pretrial Program. A total of 83 cases, 35 on GPS, 48 on
Standard, and 5 sentenced cases, a lot of dispositions. Increase in the amount of violations since
drug testing.
Sheriff Mascara said waiting for VOP Fast Track approval from Chief Judge Roby. Average daily
in jail is 550.
Major Tighe went over reports – Average monthly inmate population for the month of
September is 1666. Female population is the fastest growing. Since January it is 42% higher and
calendar year September to September 57% higher. VOP’s misdemeanor 220 in custody, and
felony 330 in custody.
Public Safety Coordinating
Council
September 25, 2008
Page 3
JUDICIAL UPDATE:
Tom Genung said Judges will be discussing the VOP programs in October. We are building out a
courtroom at SLW. Construction starts next week.
NEW BUSINESS:
Mark said on October 15, 2008 at the PSL Civic Center from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. the Office of
State Court Administration along with Supreme Courts will be hosting a forum and he would like
to do a PowerPoint Presentation on the data from charts we have received.
Commissioner Craft would like Mark to write a letter to address all the concerns we have with the
Judiciary. He will send an email to everyone to review the letter and make any necessary
changes.
John Romano said in July of 2008 from the state the Department of Children and Family and the
Department of Corrections lost $709,310 for our Family Emergency Treatment Center. For the
out-patient walk-in program IRC lost $35,700, SLC lost $74,845, MC lost $36,820, DJJ lost $133,227
and Safe and Drug Free Schools lost $9,000.
ADJOURNMENT:
Commissioner Craft adjourned the meeting at 4:20 p.m.
Submitted by,
Carol Strobert
THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE HELD October 30, 2008