Minutes 07/26/2016 - Laserfiche WebLink

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July 26, 2016 16 - 234 - Adoption of an ordinance accepting a grant in the amount of $551,037 from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services and appropriating said funds in the FY 2017 Grants Fund to provide funding to operate local probation and pretrial services in the City of Portsmouth. Vision Principle: Enhanced Quality of Life. 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 $551,037 in state general funds for FY 2017 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, 2015 and June 30, 2016 the program served 286 probationers. We facilitated the collection of $12,649 in restitution to victims, and $7,343 in court costs. Probationers completed 3,190 hours of community service work. Over 68 probationers received conflict resolution and anger education services and 158 received substance abuse services.  Pretrial Services provides supervised release to defendants. Between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016 the program conducted 1,202 investigations, screened 1,784 defendants held in the city jail, conducted 128 criminal record checks, received 419 placements on supervision and monitored 973 defendants released by the magistrate. A total of 61 defendants were screened for entry into the Drug Treatment Court with 36 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: Enhanced Quality of Life. Next Steps Following Council Action:  Program Director to provide grant management and oversight. Motion by Mr. Moody, and seconded by Dr. Edmonds, to adopt the following ordinance, and was adopted by the following vote: “ORDINANCE ACCEPTING A GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $551,037 FROM THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERVICES AND APPROPRIATING SAID FUNDS IN THE FY 2017 GRANTS FUND TO PROVIDE FUNDING TO OPERATE LOCAL PROBATION AND PRETRIAL SERVICES IN THE CITY OF PORTSMOUTH.” Ayes: Cherry, Edmonds, Meeks, Moody, Psimas, Whitaker, Wright Nays: None 16 - 235 - Adoption of an ordinance accepting a Local Government Challenge Grant in the amount of $5,000 from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and appropriating said funds in the FY 2017 Grants Fund for use by the Department of Museums to support youth development programming. Vision Principle: Lifelong Learning Community.