Minutes 08/27/2013 - Laserfiche WebLink

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August 27, 2013 13 - 353 -Adoption of an ordinance accepting a grant in the amount of $535,149 from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services and appropriating said sum in the FY 2013-14 Grants Fund to provide funding to operate local Probation and Pretrial Services in the City of Portsmouth. 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 allows us to provide quality supervision to non-violent offenders and defendants in the community and directly impact the jail population. Discussion: • The Department of Criminal Justice Services has made available $535,149 in state general funds for FY 2014 to provide these services 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, 2012 and June 30, 2013 the program served 385 Portsmouth citizens. They facilitated the collection of $11,019 in restitution to victims, and $9,049 in court costs. Offenders completed 3,284 hours of community service work. Over 59 offenders received conflict resolution and anger education services and 215 received substance abuse services. We are actively involved in the implementation of evidenced based practices in our agency. • Pretrial Services provides supervised release to defendants. Between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013 the program conducted over 1,454 investigations, screened 2,222 defendants, conducted 87 criminal record checks, received 412 placements on supervision and monitored 899 defendants released by the magistrate. A total of 25 defendants were screened for entry into the Drug Treatment Court with 16 supervised by pretrial staff. Financial Impact: • There is no local match and no obligation for continued funding from the City of Portsmouth. Recommended Action: • Adoption of ordinance. Vision Principle: Neighborhoods and a Sense of Community. Next Steps Following Council Action: • Program Director to provide grant management and oversight. Motion by Ms. Randall, and seconded by Mr. Meeks, to adopt the following ordinance, and was adopted by the following vote: "ORDINANCE ACCEPTING A GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $535,149 FROM THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERVICES AND APPROPRIATING SAID SUM IN THE FY 2013-14 GRANTS FUND FOR PROBATION AND PRETRIAL SERVICES IN THE CITY OF PORTSMOUTH." Ayes: Cherry, Edmonds, Meeks, Moody, Psimas, Randall, Wright Nays: None 13 - 354 -Adoption of an ordinance to appropriate $200,000 in the FY 2013-14 General Fund from the FY 2013-14 General Fund Unassigned Fund Balance for a Disparity Study regarding minority and women-owned business enterprises. Vision Principle: Efficient, Responsive Government.