Administration of Justice update 3/21/2014
Registration now open: Voices from the Field: Lessons Learned from Law Enforcement Mental Health Partnerships: March 27, 2014
The Council of State Governments Justice Center with funding support from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance will be hosting a webinar focusing on the importance of collaboration between law enforcement and mental health providers in promoting safe and healthy college campuses.
In this webinar, presenters will discuss the unique challenges that law enforcement and mental health service providers face on college campuses, strategies for engaging campus stakeholders (e.g., students, faculty, administration and community residents), and information sharing. The webinar will also highlight two particularly successful learning sites: The University of Florida Police Department (Gainesville) and the Madison Police Department (Ohio).
Presenters include Major William “Brad” Barber, of the University of Florida Police Department, Doctor Sara Nash, Director of the University of Florida’s Counseling and Wellness Center, and a representative from the Madison Police Department
Date: March 27, 2014
Time: 2:00–3:30 p.m. ET
To register for this webinar, click here
Joint Training Partnership: April Seminar Registration Open April 16, 2014
On behalf of the Joint Training Partnership – a collaboration of CSAC, the California State Sheriffs’ Association, and the Chief Probation Officers of California – we are pleased to announce that the full agenda for our April training event is now available for viewing. Please click below on the registration link for full details.
The “Facility Construction and Liability in a Post Realignment World” training opportunity will provide criminal justice system stakeholders with specific strategies to minimize liability and guide the construction of criminal justice facilities within their jurisdictions. As you know, with the pressures on local jails that accompany the continued implementation of AB 109, an understanding of the risks and opportunities for expanding capacity needs in our communities is now more critical than ever before. That’s why we are so excited to host a dynamic mix of speakers and panels which are sure to assist with examining these risks and needs.
County stakeholders are encouraged to attend as teams, particularly those considering construction or renovating jails, day reporting centers, or community corrections centers. This one-day session will offer diverse county perspectives that focus on four main areas:
- The impact of realignment on facility construction;
- Determining county needs;
- Getting shovels in the ground: A 360º perspective; and
- Tips for managing the construction process from key authorities.
When: Wednesday, April 16, 2014 (8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.)
Where: Hyatt Regency, Sacramento
Cost: $100/ individual, includes course materials and lunch.
To Register, Please click here!
To take advantage of the special room rate, please book your accommodation by clicking here!
Legislation
AB 2085 (Fox) – Misdemeanor Violations / Amnesty Program
As amended March 19, 2014 – CONCERNS
After reviewing the language of AB 2085 authored by Assemblyman Fox, which authorizes an amnesty program for delinquent court fines for a year-long period from July 1 to December 31, 2016, CSAC would like to alert our membership to several concerns we have expressed to the author’s office.
First, an amnesty program that concluded 18 months ago was evaluated as specified in statute and the Judicial Council’s report on that effort revealed that approximately $15 million in delinquent debt was cleared through this effort, with qualified individuals paying 50 cents on every dollar owed. That collection level reflects less than 1 percent of what had been estimated to be potentially collectible.
Further, there are additional operational aspects of the bill that are of concern. While CSAC acknowledges and appreciates recent amendments to clarify that the execution of the amnesty program would be permitted only when both the local court and county agree, from a statewide perspective, however, we question the efficacy of jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction decisions and wonder if a more appropriate model would be one undertaken statewide.
Finally, a more significant structural concern is one of timing. While CSAC does not have a recommended standard for the interval between amnesty programs, our general sense is that it may be too soon to offer a discount on delinquent court-ordered debt. When the jointly sponsored court-county effort to authorize the 2012 amnesty program was enacted in 2010, the previous amnesty program had run in 1996 – some 16 years earlier. To enact a measure now authorizing a program beginning in 2016 effectively signals to the public the notion that it “pays” to ignore court-ordered obligations, because an opportunity to settle the debt at 50 cents on the dollar is just two years away. CSAC believes this timing aspect will further diminish already declining collection receipts.
For these reasons, CSAC feels compelled to raise concerns regarding AB 2085. We would appreciate any comments or concerns from our members as this bill will be heard in Assembly Public Safety Committee on March 25, 2014.
AB 1623 (Atkins)
Family Justice Centers
Request for comment
This bill, authored by Speaker-Elect Atkins, would authorize any city, county, or community-based nonprofit organization to establish a multiagency, multidisciplinary family justice center to assist victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, elder abuse, and human trafficking, as specified beginning January 1st of 2015. The bill would also specify additional confidentiality provisions relating to information disclosed by a victim in a family justice center and would require each family justice center to provide mandatory training for all staff members, volunteers, and agency professionals.
Under existing law, only the cities of Anaheim and San Diego, as well as the counties of Alameda and Sonoma have been authorized to establish a family justice center as part of a 2-year pilot program which ended as of January 1, 2014.
CSAC is currently reviewing this measure and is generally supportive of the expansion of programs that assist victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking. We would appreciate any comments or concerns as this bill will be heard in Assembly Public Safety Committee on March 25, 2014. It has also been referred to the Assembly Judiciary Committee for a subsequent hearing.
AB 579 (Melendez) – Mandatory Supervision
As amended January, 15, 2014 SUPPORT
AB 579 by Assembly Member Melissa Melendez is an urgency measure which seeks to clarify in state law that the period of mandatory supervision period begins immediately upon release from custody for individuals who have been given a split sentence under Penal Code Section 1170 (h) as a result of Realignment.
This is not a new policy, but rather clean-up language necessary to correct a chaptering out issue created by 2013 legislation which amended the same code section and inadvertently removed the mandatory supervision language.
CSAC supports this measure as it will ensure that county probation departments are – once again – able to initiate their mandatory supervision duties as originally intended by statute.
AB 579 is co-sponsored by the California State Sheriffs’ Association and the Chief Probation Officers of California. The bill passed out of the Assembly on a unanimous vote and will be heard in the Senate Public Safety Committee on March 25, 2014.