Minutes 07/25/2017 - Laserfiche WebLink

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July 25, 2017 Recommended Action:  Adoption of the ordinance. Next Steps Following Council Action:  The Finance Department will make the necessary budgetary adjustments. Motion by Ms. Lucas-Burke, and seconded by Mr. Clark, to adopt the following ordinance, and was adopted by the following vote: “ORDINANCE.” Ayes: Cherry, Clark, Lucas-Burke, Moody, Psimas, Whitaker, Rowe Nays: None 17 - 316 - Adoption of an ordinance accepting a grant in the amount of $556,729 from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services and appropriating said funds in the FY 2018 Grants Fund to provide funding to operate local probation and pretrial services in the City of Portsmouth. 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 $556,729 in state general funds for FY2018 to provide these services locally. This includes $5,692 to fund the 2% raise effective August 1, 2017.  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, 2016 and June 30, 2017 the program served 295 probationers. We facilitated the collection of $15,815 in restitution to victims, and $7,939 in court costs. Probationers completed 3,477 hours of community service work. Over 65 probationers received conflict resolution and anger education services and 171 received substance abuse services.  Pretrial Services provides supervised release to defendants. Between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017 the program conducted 1,043 investigations, screened 1,557 defendants held in the city jail, conducted 206 criminal record checks, received 428 placements on supervision and monitored 934 defendants released by the magistrate. Financial Impact:  There is no local match and no obligation for continued funding from the City of Portsmouth. Recommended Action:  Adoption of ordinance. Next Steps Following Council Action:  The Finance Department will make the necessary budgetary adjustments. In addition, the Program Director will provide grant management and oversight. Motion by Ms. Psimas, and seconded by Mr. Moody, to adopt the following ordinance, and was adopted by the following vote: “ORDINANCE ACCEPTING WITH APPRECIATION A DONATION OF $6,000 FROM GREEN ACRES PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AND APPROPRIATING SAID FUNDS TO THE FY 2018 GRANTS FUND FOR USE BY THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES TO SUPPORT OPERATIONS OF THE SERVICES INTAKE UNIT.”