MINUTES OF THE JOINT MEETING BETWEEN THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE COORDINATING COMMITTEE:
DECEMBER 5, 2007
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Report from Alternatives and Treatment Opportunities Subcommittee........................................ 1
Report from Public Awareness and Information Sub-Committee................................................ 2
Report From facilities Planning Sub-Committee........................................................................ 4
Comments From the Public..................................................................................................... 4
Vice-Chairperson Rod Sullivan called the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to order in the Johnson County Administration Building at 4:00 p.m. Members present were: Larry Meyers, Terrence Neuzil, Sally Stutsman, and Rod Sullivan; absent was Pat Harney.
Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee members present were: John Stratton, Sixth Judicial District Judge Douglas Russell, County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek, Sheriff’s Captain David Wagner, Sheriff’s Sergeant Kevin Bell, Assistant County Attorney Anne Lahey, Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities Director Kris Artley, MECCA representative Jessica Peckover, District Court Administrator Carroll Edmondson, and Dorothy Whiston.
John Stratton said that the report from the Alternatives and Treatment Opportunities Subcommittee is in progress. The staff person working on it was hospitalized so that it is not finished. Stratton commented that it is in its third draft. Neuzil asked how the alternatives are going. Stratton responded that he believes they are making very strong progress. Stratton stated that a traffic court has been put in place and a mental health and drug court are very close to being there. Stratton commented that the County Attorney has done a great deal to help streamline these processes. Stratton stated that things seem to be progressing quite well. Neuzil asked if all this information would be part of the subcommittee’s report. Stratton responded that it would. Neuzil said that this is the kind of information that needs to be included in the subcommittee reports. Stratton stated that the report would include what has been accomplished with jail alternative programs and what is in progress.
R. Sullivan asked County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek where the County was in hiring a Jail Alternatives/Mobile Crisis Coordinator. Pulkrabek responded that Human Resources is in the process of doing background checks on applicants. Pulkrabek said there are a couple of issues regarding licensing, which they are trying to work with. Pulkrabek stated that these issues have been communicated with himself, Mental Health/Developmental Disabilties Director Kris Artly, County Attorney Janet Lyness, and Human Resources staff. Pulkrabek said someone will be hired for this position very soon.
R. Sullivan stated that the Public Awareness and Information Subcommittee has not met yet. R. Sullivan reported that the subcommittee is waiting on the reports from the other subcommittees so that they can take this information to the community. Pulkrabek said the Cedar Rapids Gazette is printing weekly jail statistics. He and others at the Sheriff's Department have been collecting these statistics and sending them to media outlets for quite some time, although they have just recently been printed. Pulkrabek stated that he has asked media outlets to print these statistics on a number of occasions. Pulkrabek commented that a representative from the Solon Economist and North Liberty Leader have promised to put the statistics in as soon as they can be formatted. Pulkrabek stated that the Press Citizen has refused to print these statistics several times. Representatives from the Press Citizen have told him that they do not want to print the statistics because it would look like the Press Citizen is advocating for a new jail. Pulkrabek said that he argues that these statistics are weekly facts of the population in the Johnson County Jail. Pulkrabek said he is pleased the Gazette is printing the statistics.
Stutsman asked Pulkrabek if he had sent these statistics to the Kalona News. Pulkrabek responded that he sends these statistics to the Kalona News and Lone Tree Reporter, but they do not print them. Pulkrabek stated that he usually sends an email to the media outlets who are not printing the statistics that he sends them every three months. Pulkrabek stated that Kalona News and Lone Tree News never respond to these emails. Stutsman stated that she thought the Kalona News printed statistics like these for Washington County when they were going through their jail issue. Pulkrabek stated that he thought they did also.
R. Sullivan said the jail population has been running high. Pulkrabek stated that the jail statistics have actually come back down into the 20s for the month of December, which is traditionally a slower month because of the holidays; however, in December of 2006, they were running in the high 40s. Pulkrabek stated that three weeks ago the jail population was in the 50s. Pulkrabek said that the County is on track to spend $690,000 for housing prisoners out-of-county in this fiscal year but only $530,000 was budgeted for this.
Stratton commented that he was in Cincinnati, Ohio, a week ago. He stated that Hamilton County is having jail problems with overcrowding and have spent over three million dollars renting beds. They have reached the point where the judiciary is reducing jail sentences to try to cope with the problem. Stutsman commented that Iowa County loves Johnson County's problem. Pulkrabek added that Cedar County does too. Neuzil asked how long these other county's beds would be available for Johnson County's use. Neuzil stated that this projection will have important consequences for addressing the community with this jail issue. Pulkrabek said that he thinks it would be virtually impossible to get any type of projection for that because it is extremely difficult to calculate Johnson County's costs. Pulkrabek stated that Washington County has just opened a new facility with additional beds and Scottt County will be opening a new facility also.
Neuzil stated that he agrees it would be difficult to measure that, but he thinks it is a question that is out there. Neuzil stated that if the County is in a situation where they will soon not be allowed to house inmates in other counties, this would make a more convincing argument for the community. Pulkrabek stated that this has already happened. Pulkrabek commented that he has sent inmates to Fairfield a number of times because there is no room any closer. He stated that they have also considered sending inmates to Dubuque and Marshall County. Neuzil stated that this is the kind of information that this committee needs to present to the community. Pulkrabek stated that during the last joint meeting between the Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee and the Board, Johnson County Public Defender Dick Klausner mentioned that when Pulkrabek started a program that Johnson County wouldn't send someone out-of-county, without holding them for a minimum of ten days. Pulkrabek stated that this plan is out the window and absolutely cannot be done with female inmates anymore. He stated that this program gave inmates more access to their attorneys early and the courts early on. Pulkrabek stated that this alternative program was initially working very well, but is now virtually non-existent.
R. Sullivan commented that he was talking with the jail staff recently about scheduling conflicts regarding the court dates of those inmates who are being housed out of the County. Sheriff’s Captain David Wagner commented that this problem is an everyday issue. He stated that there is a transport officer who travels every evening to pick up inmates housed in other counties, who have court hearings the next day. Wagner commented that these people are put in the overnight cell block and they sit and wait until their court appearance. These people then have to be returned to the other counties after their court appearance and more inmates have to be picked up again. Wagner introduced Sheriff’s Sergeant Kevin Bell who is largely responsible for scheduling these pickups. Bell stated that the whole picture is involved with this. Bell said that sometimes counties who are housing Johnson County inmates ask that they be removed for causing problems. These inmates then have to be transported elsewhere. Bell stated that they took three female inmates to Fairfield one Friday recently and after dropping them off had to return to pick up one of the inmates because she could not get a ring off of her finger and Fairfield has a no jewelry policy. Pulkrabek stated that it is a logistic nightmare. Pulkrabek stated that many would be surprised to learn how much time staff spends on these issues. Pulkrabek said that Bell's entire workday is spent on these issues.
Stutsman asked why these inmates' court cases cannot be done through video conferencing. Sixth Judicial District Judge Douglas Russell responded that there are a few simple hearings that could be done by video, but the Defendant has the right to appear in person to any hearing that requires live witnesses and exhibits. Stutsman stated that these are hearings and not just pretrial matters. Bell stated that they bring defendants back for pretrial cases. Judge Russell stated that the Defendant has the right to be present at any trial pertaining to their case. Judge Russell stated another problem that would arise with holding hearings by video conference would be where to put the defense attorney-in prison with the Defendant or in the courtroom to be able to view exhibits and cross examine the State's witnesses. Judge Russell stated that the trail court expects the Defendant and their Attorney to be present in person.
M. Sullivan stated that Harney chairs the Facilities Planning Subcommittee. M. Sullivan stated that Durant Representative Mike Lewis will be presenting to the Board of Supervisors Wednesday, December 12, 2007 at the Board's key issues meeting. Lewis has already presented to the Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee and will now be presenting to the Board. M. Sullivan stated that Lewis's report will be finished in January. R. Sullivan asked if the first Wednesday in February was the next joint meeting between the Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee and the Board. M. Sullivan responded that it would be. R. Sullivan asked if Lewis would make a presentation then. M. Sullivan stated that he was not sure. Stutsman asked why Lewis is not presenting at a regular Board meeting. M. Sullivan said that Lewis was to present at last week's informal meeting, but had a conflict so that next week's key issues meeting is the next best available time.
R. Sullivan stated that he met with Lewis at the ISAC Meeting in Des Moines a couple week ago. R. Sullivan commented that at the last meeting the Vernon Research Group presented information on performing analysis from phone and email surveys. Lewis stated that he would be willing and able to work with the Vernon Research Group on a project like this. Neuzil asked if Lewis had interviewed most of the groups that he needed to. Pulkrabek stated that he has met with Lewis. M. Sullivan stated that he thought Lewis took care of court services about a month ago. Judge Russell stated that Lewis had a good tour of the Courthouse.
Richard Towhee stated that they had talked early about enlarging the idea of placement for prisoners that there would be sufficient bed space to make room for integrated treatment. Towhee stated that he wonders if the Facilities subcommittee is taking a priority on that. Pulkrabek stated that these types of things have been included in the Alternative Treatment Subcommittee report. He stated that he has had some meetings with previous County Attorney J. Patrick White and MECCA Director Art Shut trying to figure out a way for the County to pay for some in-house treatment. Pulkrabek stated that there is just not space right now. In the old Alternatives and Treatment Report the subcommittee stated several things the County could do with more space. R. Sullivan commented that Lewis was given things that the County would like to add in a new jail facility. Towhee stated that the County could save a lot of money through alternative programs. Towhee asked if Lewis was including this in his report. R. Sullivan responded that Lewis has been using a formula for square footage that takes into account bed numbers and areas for physical activities and such.
Adjourned at 4:26 p.m.
Attest: Tom Slockett, Auditor
By John Deeth, Recording Secretary