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PSCC Minutes 06/16/2008 Task Force June 16, 2008 MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE COLLIER COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY COORDINATING COUNCIL REGIONAL TASK FORCE Naples, Florida, June 16,2008 LET IT BE REMEMBERED, that the Collier County Public Safety Coordinating Council Regional Task Force, in and for the County of Collier, having conducted business herein, met on this date at 10:00 AM in TASK FORCE SESSION., at the North Collier Regional Park Exhibit Hall, 15000 Livingston Road, in Naples, Florida, with the following members present: CHAIRMAN: Commissioner Fred Coyle (Excused) Chief Judge Keith Cary Judge Hugh Starnes Stephen Russell, State Attorney Mindy Collier, NAMI Pamela Donelson, State Probation Circuit Administration Cap!. Daniel Kacynsky, Charlotte County Sheriffs Office Jon Embury, Charlotte County Court Administration Len Price, BCC Representative Mark Lennon, Senior Supervisor, State Probation ALSO PRESENT: Mike Sheffield, Assistant to County Manager June 16, 2008 1. Call to Order/Welcome Acting Chairman Judge Starnes called the meeting to order at 10:08 AM. 2. Acceptance of Meeting Minutes - February 28, 2008 Judge Starnes deemed the Minutes to be approved. 3. Motion Approved by the Collier County Board of County Commissioners re: Collaborative Grants Judge Starnes read the following announcement into the record: "Item 9-H: Requestfor the Board of County Commissioners to consider joint participation of the Collier County Public Safety Coordinating Council with other Public Safety Coordinating Councils in Lee, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades Counties for the purpose of joint grant application to address public safety concerns such asjail overcrowding. " Judge Starnes stated the motion was approved by the BCC. 4. Review and Discussion of Data from Lee, Collier and Charlotte Counties Mike Sheffield stated at the last Task Force Meeting he was asked by Commissioner Coyle to assist with the collection of reports from existing agencies and to identify the common elements of the various programs. He stated he focused his data collection efforts on three topics: jails, alternative courts and county probation, and his report was distributcd to the Task Force members. He stated each County used different methods to tabulate its data. For example, Charlotte County counts each time an inmate attends a class. If a Mental Health Program offered nine classes and an inmate attended all nine classes, he was counted as "9". Charlotte County offers nine different programs for jail inmates, but its main focus is on Mental Health and its female inmate population which is quite large (17%) in comparison to other Counties. Charlotte County is currently compiling data on which programs are most successful in lowering recidivism. Collier County does not currently offer Mental Health counseling to inmates in jail. However, medication is provided to inmates as necessary. Jail capacity was discussed. Lee County has a maximum of 2,400 inmates. Collier County can handle a maximum of 1,550 and Charlotte County's capacity tops out at 608 which includes 80 beds set aside for the work-release program. It was noted the capacity for Collier County also includes 356 beds assigned to Immokalee. Information regarding the number of illegal inmates is tracked only in Collier County. It is not a problem in either Lee or Charlotte Counties. There was a discussion of Truancy Court and how each County operated its Court. It was utilized as an intermediate step, similar to diversion. The parents of the truant student were brought to Court and their role was discussed. They were made aware that criminal charges could be brought against them. In Hendry County, the Superintendent of Schools may file a pctition because Truancy Court is not modeled after Criminal Courts. 2 June 16, 2008 There are three programs in Charlotte County that focus on re-acclimating inmates who are 55 and older into society after completion of his /her jail sentence has been served and Federal money is available for these programs. Stephen Russell stated a representative from Lee County would be going to Oregon to assess a new and iunovate jail concept that had been instituted. Judge Starnes asked Mike Sheffield to contact Lee County to ask if a representative could come to the next Task Force meeting and make a presentation concerning Oregon's new jail program. There was a discussion of the available probation data. Again, the data was compiled differently with each County. Charlotte County has a generalized case load for each probation officer while Lee County has two officers specifically assigned to Drug Court. There was a discussion concerning the "Technical Violation of Probation" and whether that tool was utilized in each County. For example, if an individual currently on probation for a grand theft is stopped for driving without a valid license (which is not related to the underlying offcnse), a TVOP letter is sent to the Judge informing the Court of the violation but recommending continuation of probation rather than issuance of a warrant. The goal is to continue working with the individual rather than re-incarceration. Collier County has not implemented the "TVOP" because it is not supported by the Criminal Court judges who have questioned the legality of the TVOP. Budget cuts were also discussed. Six probation officer positions and five clerical positions have been eliminated in the State's Department of Probation. The general consensus was that more funding is needed for the various diversion programs. Alternatives to probation were discussed including combining probation with drug treatment programs as is done in West Palm Beach. The State Probation Office must adhere to State Statutes which require certification for probation officers. Grant opportunities were discussed. Consensus was that there will be grant money available in the late fall, possibly October. Mindy Collier stated she receives grant information on a daily basis which she forwards to her counterparts. Judge Starnes asked for ideas regarding how to use a grant if one were awarded. Mindy Collier stated the State Justice Institute currently has planning funds available that could be used for organizing the group. She also suggested if a project-oriented idea, something with a different focus, such as a halfway house for Charlotte County's 55+ inmate population, a grant application could be created. A suggestion was made regarding Circuit-wide expansion of Drug Court and Mental Health Court. Each County has its own limitations, i.e., Charlotte needs treatment dollars, Lee is limited on the State-side with its Probation. A grant application could be made for expansion of those programs since they already have a successful track record. 3 June 16, 2008 Judge Starnes mentioned Juvenile Mental Health Courts have been instituted in San Jose and in Cincinnati which claim to be very successful. He stated it was interesting to note that both of these Courts, in different parts of the County, devised similar profiles - 50 to 70 percent of the juveniles referred to delinquency diversion programs have been diagnosed with some type of mental health problem such as ADD. He further stated the success rates of the Juvenile Mental Health Courts are in the 60 to 70 percent range. It was noted each County offers a different type of centralized mental health program. In Charlotte County, there have been as many as 135 inmates who have actual Mental Health evaluations which is a large portion of the 500+ jail population. Charlotte County offers behavioral treatment programs while Lee County has more in-patient beds. Sarasota County has more medical beds. Individuals requiring mental health treatment fall into either the "Axis I" or "Axis II" category. Judge Starnes suggested the three mental health coordinators, together with a representative from their respective County's jail, could meet to develop the framework to apply for grant funds. He asked Mike Sheffield to assist in coordinating this effort. Mike Sheffield asked for assistance from Mindy Collier, who agreed to coordinate with him. Mark Lennon stated the placement of sex offenders within various Counties has been difficult due to statutory limitations and County Ordinances. If a property could be purchased, either through State or Federal funds, half-way houses could be constructed which would enable Probation to track and monitor the population, and offer shelter to homeless sex offenders, in a central location where they could be supervised and offered treatment. 5. Public Comment - None 7. Meeting Schedule - Mike Sheffield will coordinate scheduling a Fall meeting date and will notify all participants by em ail. 4 June 16, 2008 ***** There being no further business for the good of the County, the meeting was adjourned by order of the Acting Chair at 11 :30 AM. COLLIER COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY COORDINATING COUNCIL REGIONAL T ASK FORCE Judge Hugh Starnes, Acting Chairman These Minutes were approved by the Board/Committee on as presented or as amended 5