Minutes 02/26/2013 - Laserfiche WebLink

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February 26, 2013 13 - 88 -Adoption of an ordinance accepting a grant in the amount of $2,400 from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services and appropriating said amount in the FY 2012-13 Grants Fund to provide additional training funding to the Portsmouth Community Corrections and Pretrial Services Program. Vision Principle: Neighborhoods and a Sense of Community. Background: • The Community Corrections & Pretrial Services Program has been continually funded by the state since 1995. It is a diversion from incarceration program. • This state funding was made available as a one time grant to support additional training for local probation and pretrial staff to be utilized prior to June 30, 2013. Discussion: • The Department of Criminal Justice Services has made available $2,400 in state general funds for FY 2013 to provide additional training locally. • Community Corrections provides a comprehensive array of intermediate sanctions to the local courts as alternatives to incarceration in the city jail. Services include: probation supervision, community service work, restitution, substance abuse assessment, testing and treatment, anger education, domestic violence intervention, and other services as requested by the courts. Between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012 the program served 360 Portsmouth citizens. They facilitated the collection of $9,703 in restitution to victims, and $11,913 in court costs. Offenders completed 3,837 hours of community service work. Over 57 offenders received conflict resolution and anger education services and 238 received substance abuse services. • Pretrial Services provides supervised release to defendants. Between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012 the program conducted over 1,412 investigations, screened 2,182 defendants, conducted 118 criminal record checks, received 378 placements on supervision and monitored 858 defendants released by the magistrate. A total of 37 defendants were screened for entry into the Drug Treatment Court with 10 supervised by pretrial staff. • Community Corrections and Pretrial Services has been involved in the implementation of evidenced based practices for several years and will utilize the majority of this training funding to build on the core training already received to foster staff development and expertise in these practices. Financial Impact: • There is no local match and no obligation for continued funding from the City of Portsmouth once the grant has ended. Recommended Action: • I recommend adoption of attached ordinance. Vision Principle: Neighborhoods and a Sense of Community. Next Steps Following Council Action: • Program will utilize funds to provide staff training prior to June 30, 2013. Motion by Mr. Edmonds, and seconded by Ms. Psimas, to adopt the following ordinance, and was adopted by the following vote: "ORDINANCE ACCEPTING A GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,400 FROM THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERVICES AND APPROPRIATING SAID AMOUNT IN THE FY 2012-13 GRANTS FUND TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL TRAINING FUNDING TO THE PORTSMOUTH COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS AND PRETRIAL SERVICES PROGRAM." Ayes: Cherry, Edmonds, Meeks, Moody, Psimas, Randall, Wright Nays: None 13 - 89 -Adoption of an ordinance accepting $17,154 in Juvenile Accountability Block Grant funds from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services and appropriating said sum in the FY 2012-13 Grants Fund for use by the Portsmouth Juvenile Court Services Unit to support the Violation Intervention Program. Vision Principle: Neighborhoods and a Sense of Community.