Amended 3/29/07
LAW ENFORCEMENT
March 15, 2007
Minutes
Members Present: Dale Copedge, Tim Soule, Victor Celentino, Debbie DeLeon and
Dianne Holman,
Members Absent: Randy Schafer
Others Present: John Neilsen, Matthew Myers, Gene Wriggelsworth, Mary
Sabaj, Stuart Dunnings, Greg Harless, Don Reisig, Comm. Dougan, Judge Collette, Alan Spyke, Judge Deluca, Beryl Frenger, Judge Aquilina, Judge Jordon, Anethia Brewer, John Rehagen and others
The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Copedge at 5:39 p.m. in the Personnel Conference Room of the Human Services Building, 5303 S. Cedar, Lansing.
Approval of the March 1, 2007 Minutes
MOVED BY COMM. SOULE, SUPPORTED BY COMM. CELENTINO, TO APPROVE THE MARCH 1 MINUTES AS SUBMITTED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Absent: Comm. Schafer
Chairperson Copedge informed the Committee that Comm. Schafer is not present because he is holding parent-teacher conferences this evening.
Limited Public Comment: None
Additions to the Agenda: None
1. Controller’s Office/Community Corrections Advisory Board
a. Update: Request for Proposals for Project Sentry
Mr. Neilsen stated three vendors responded to the Request for Proposals. The vendors were: Dr. Eric Novak, Sparrow Health System and Alcohol Drug Administrative Monitoring (A.D.A.M.). An evaluation team was formed and an evaluation scoring system was developed for use in evaluating the proposals. Once the scoring system has been performed, the evaluation team will formulate a recommendation. The members of the evaluation team are contained in Mr. Neilsen’s March 7 memorandum to this Committee.
Comm. Celentino commended the members of the evaluation team for their collaboration in this matter. He also commended Mr. Neilsen for his assistance during this process.
MOVED BY COMM. CELENTINO, SUPPORTED BY COMM. HOLMAN, TO APPROVE A CONSENT AGENDA FOR THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:
1. Controller’s Office/Community Corrections Advisory Board
b. Resolution to Authorize Continuation of Project Sentry through June of 2007
c. Resolution Authorizing an Amendment to the Contract with the Michigan Department of Corrections for Ingham County/City of Lansing Community Corrections for Fiscal Year 2006-2007
2. Law Enforcement Committee – Resolution Honoring Detective Sergeant Larry Harrison
MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Absent: Comm. Schafer
MOVED BY COMM. CELENTINO, SUPPORTED BY COMM. HOLMAN, TO APPROVE THE ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Absent: Comm. Schafer
3. Jail Overcrowding Portion of the Meeting
Welcome from Chairperson Dale Copedge
Chairperson Copedge welcomed representatives from the following entities for their presence this evening to discuss jail overcrowding.
Chairperson Copedge stated this Committee is looking to the Court for their assistance with the jail overcrowding concerns.
Judge Collette stated some of the juvenile justice programs this County is working on will have a positive impact on the number of jail inmates. He then stated if the County built a medium security level facility, the costs of housing the inmates would be reduced.
The Committee held a general discussion regarding use of a tethering system. Judge
DeLuca stated his court does not use tethering often due to the oversight costs. Ms. Sabaj stated the new GPS tethering system costs approximately $6.99 per person per day. Ms. Sabaj then stated she would conduct a presentation, with Mr. Harless, regarding this system for the court and other interested people.
Comm. Soule asked for a cost comparison between the GPS system and housing an inmate in the Jail. This discussion continued. Mr. Harless spoke regarding the GPS tethering system. He explained that if a person violates the tether and is returned to jail, the cost of using that tether would be terminated. The County would be responsible for any damage to the tether.
Judge DeLuca explained that when people are released prior to their preliminary exams, they often fail to appear for the exam; therefore, they are rearrested and the process starts over again. This is a costly process. These people should remain in jail until the exam to guarantee their appearance.
Judge Aquilina stated tethering works for her and she would like to use it more often. The issues associated with the use of tethers are not insurmountable. She further stated sentencing people to weekend jail time has been very effective with many people. This type of sentencing tends to be very inconvenient for the people and they are not likely to re-offend.
The Committee held a brief discussion about the inmate count process. Sheriff Wriggelsworth stated if a person is not in a bed on Monday morning, the bed is considered vacant. Mr. Spyke stated the count is conducted between 1:00 am and 4:00 am. Judge DeLuca explained it’s very difficult to track defendants in the jail because they are not always attributed to the correct Judge.
Mr. Dunnings informed the Committee the State is considering revising the Sentencing Guidelines once again. Judge Collette stated this is driven by finances.
(Comm. Celentino left the meeting at 6:52 p.m.)
Judge Collette stated Project Sentry is one of the most effective tools the court has to address substance abuse cases. This type of program must continue. Comm. Holman asked if there is a parallel way to handle substance abuse offenders without placing them in jail. Judge DeLuca stated that is where a mid-security level facility is needed.
Comm. DeLeon addressed the CATS program. Judge Collette stated a person needs to be incarcerated long enough to participate in this program. Judge Aquilina stated she often refers people to CATS; however, the program often has a waiting list. This is a program for long-term inmates.
Chairperson Copedge asked for concluding comments from the Judges and staff. Judge DeLuca stated it is very hard to get a handle on overcrowding. He invited the Commissioners to attend arraignment proceedings. The court does its best to try to steer people on to the right path. A medium level facility is needed in this County.
Judge Aquilina stated her court tries to work with the defendants to get them on the right path. As the number of cases increases, additional personnel are needed. She also invited the Commissioners to follow a person from arraignment to circuit court to see what steps are taken to keep people out of jail. The costs for manpower, staff, paperwork, etc is astounding.
Sheriff Wriggelsworth stated court personnel work hard and only want the best for Ingham County residents.
Chairperson Copedge stated the BOC is also frustrated with the overcrowding issue. It is important for us to visit court. He further stated his hope that these discussions will reach a conclusion. Comm. DeLeon stated she now understands the number of ordinance violators in the jail is small, contrary to previous belief.
Comm. Soule thanked the Judges and staff for their assistance in addressing the overcrowding concerns. He then suggested the use of tethers be reviewed further to determine if they would be cost feasible. He asked the Court to provide the Committee with that information
Judge Collette stated there has been a jail utilization committee for some time. The Committee may want to refer some options to that committee for further review and investigation and they would report back to this committee.
Chairperson Copedge thanked the Court and its staff for their participation in tonight’s discussions.
Announcements: None
Public Comment: None
The meeting adjourned at 7:27 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Debra Neff