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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 04-29-2010 PUBLIC SAFETY COORDINATING COUNCIL Minutes of Meeting April 29, 2010 Convened: Adjourned: 3:35 p.m.4:10 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 Kathy Degroat for Thomas Mark, Department of Corrections John Romano, New Horizons th Tom Genung for Chief Judge Steve Levin, 19 Circuit Major Pat Tighe, Jail & for Sheriff Mascara, SLC SO Dennis Schmidt, Bail Association th Judge Philip J. Yacucci, 19 Circuit Members Absent: Ken Mascara, Sheriff of SLC Pat Tighe, Major Bruce Colton, State Attorney Suzanne Caudell, CORE Program Diamond Litty, Public Defender th Chief Judge Steve Levin, 19 Circuit Others Present: Mark Godwin, SLC Criminal Justice Coordinator Theresa Bailey, SAMH//DCF Ethel Rowland, Taxpayer Broderick Underwood, SLC Analyst Trevor Morganti, SLC SO APPROVAL OF MINUTES: The minutes from March 25, 2010 were unanimously approved. Public Safety Coordinating Council April 29, 2010 Page 2 UPDATE by SLC Sherriff’s Office- Major Tighe on behalf of Sheriff Mascara: Major Tighe reported a revision to Florida Statue 775.082 sub section 10 regarding sentencing. He stated that this change will adversely affect the population of the SLC Jail. Judge Yacucci rd explained that it allows a certain percentage of those 3 degree convicted felons who get sentenced to 1 year and 1 day to stay in the County Jail. In the past one year and a day would be past the jurisdiction for the County Jail. Normally those cases would go to the Department of Corrections (DOC). We will now be responsible for a percentage that we otherwise never would have been in the past. This will affect a Circuit Judge rather than a County Judge. The Judges use a Point System based on the defendant’s criminal history. Major Tighe explained if an individual scores 22 points or less they will stay in County Jail. This is an unfunded mandate. Tom Genung stated that this change will not take effect until the first of July or October. Commissioner Craft asked if the group could take a look at the numbers from the individuals last year that would have been affected by this and get a “snap shot” of what the increase could potentially be in the future. Mark Godwin informed Commissioner Craft that staff was thinking of ideas in an effort to provide Judges with tools other than the SLC Jail/Detention center. Some of the programs in the past that were utilized were, Work Release Program and Weekend Work Program. Currently technology via GPS is available for certain individuals that the State Attorney and Judges see fit for the Program. UPDATE by Criminal Justice Coordinator- Mark Godwin: All programs are working well. The Drug Lab now has a Board approved photo ID and case management system. No tax dollars were used for this purchase; it was defendant fees that contributed to the full cost of the system. The Lab will be able to generate an official ID, thereby streamlining the drug screening process by verifying identity and printing labels with barcodes to match the bar coded ID. The software will allow the Lab to automate the distribution of screening results, and mass storage of information through a secure web portal. Mr. Godwin reported that there was a reduction in population with our Juvenile Detention Center. The County does pay for the utilization days and we will see the results in a year and a half based on the formula DJJ uses. The County budgets $2.6 million a year for the program. Mark mentioned that the Pretrial bill did not pass thanks to the Boards resolution to oppose it. The group was informed that our contract with Human Services Association (who operates the Juvenile Assessment Center) was terminated. The termination was due to funding issues. Mr. Godwin stated for the record that the Department of Juvenile Justice stepped up to the plate to help out offering a cost reduction of $10,000 a month. The new plan will be brought before the Public Safety Coordinating Council April 29, 2010 Page 3 Board in the next few weeks and will report the outcome at a later date. Commissioner Craft asked Mark to invite our delegation to our Public Safety meeting next month. He would like for our group to give a presentation to them of all the Bills that were either proposed or passed and how it has affected the jail population and County budget. Commissioner Craft would like to do our best to educate them because it is important. JUDICIAL UPDATE – Tom Genung on behalf of Chief Judge Levin Mr. Genung reported that the Legislate identified $9 million from the State Clerks Trust Fund to help with the back log of housing foreclosure and economic cases throughout the State. In the Legislates final discussion that amount was reduced to $6 million. Saint Lucie County was originally slated for $350,000 and we will get 60% of that. Mr. Genung stated that this would be enough money to get through these cases. Commissioner Craft asked how the funds will be used. Tom explained that the funds will provide 200 to 300 days of Senior Judge Time along with case managers and support staff. This money was specifically brought in from the business community throughout the State to address the back log of foreclosures. This is why funds will not be shifted to handle any other type of case. Courtroom space and security issues have been identified and will be addressed. OLD BUSINESS Mark reported feedback in regards to the County Wide Joint Meeting idea on the regional level that Commissioner Craft requested at the last Public Safety meeting. The feedback was positive from Law Enforcement and now Mr. Godwin will reach out to the Commissioners. NEW BUSINESS Mr. Romano happily announced the doors of the new Children Crisis Stabilization Unit opening on or about the first week in September. Previously New Horizons would screen them and send them wherever a child bed was available. There are 300 plus kids a year that are screened and now can stay local instead of sent away to West Palm Beach, Orlando, or even Melbourne. This could possibly reduce the Detention Center population by cases alternatively receiving treatment through the Crisis Center. Mr. Romano encouraged the group to inform our Legislative Delegation as well as others in Public Safety Coordinating Council April 29, 2010 Page 4 leadership positions in the House and Senate of Bills that could have been beneficial to Mental Health and all the agencies around the table, but did not pass. He briefly discussed two examples, the 80/20 Bill and a Cigarette Surcharge Tax. Commissioner Craft agreed that we need to be very pro-active, get our voices heard and become a strong Lobby ourselves. A citizen spoke about statistics and passed around a handout related to the illicit drug use among our population and how it affects our County. See attached. ADJOURNMENT: Commissioner Craft adjourned the meeting at 4:10 p.m. Submitted by, Carlene Filippini THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE HELD June 24, 2010