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President’s Report on Alternative Birmingham City Court Practices & Municipal Jail Reform

President’s Report on Alternative Birmingham City Court Practices & Municipal Jail Reform. Submitted by Birmingham City Council President, Carole Smitherman To the Mayor of Birmingham, Larry P. Langford. Philosophy.

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President’s Report on Alternative Birmingham City Court Practices & Municipal Jail Reform

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  1. President’s Report on Alternative Birmingham City Court Practices & Municipal Jail Reform Submitted by Birmingham City Council President, Carole Smitherman To the Mayor of Birmingham, Larry P. Langford

  2. Philosophy • The municipal court sentencing is not intended to be punitive, rather, rehabilitative in nature…….. • The municipal court process must be looked at holistically…..

  3. Money Matters The City of Birmingham Corrections Fund projects…… “by implementing new, court-related fees and fines, and by enforcing (currently un-enforced) existing state law, this will allow a municipality to recover a misdemeanant’s cost of incarceration.”

  4. Summary of Recommendations Alternative (cost effective) sentencing • Audit of municipal jail inmate population to determine sentence lengths and balance of outstanding fines • Pretrial Intervention Program • Implement a home detention/monitoring program for qualifying offenders • Charge probation fees • 23/23 Work Release/Community Service Program • Inmates pay cost of incarceration per State and City Codes

  5. Summary of Recommendations SCHEDULE/PERSONNEL • Establish a Community Court with a fulltime Judge, Prosecutor, Clerk and Bailiff • Drugs & Alcohol • Community Incidents • Environmental Court • Defensive Driving • Homeless Court • Mental Health Court • Teen Court • Victim/Offender Mediation Program • Dedicated Bi-lingual services

  6. Appoint full-time Domestic Violence prosecutor Warrant Surrender Program (Street Sweep) Assign additional police officers to be dedicated to the court system Move Probation Department to Youth Services/create additional courtroom All Magistrates become full-time personnel Add four additional fulltime magistrates Renew contract with Legal Aid Society of Birmingham Locate court referral service providers onsite Implement Friday Court sessions Conduct Evening and Saturday Court at the Southside facility Initiate a Lunch Court for individuals electing to request Mayor to appoint 5-member Parole Board in compliance with lawsuit The Parole Department to be under jurisdiction of the Mayor The Office of Probation to be under the jurisdiction of the Court System Schedule Domestic Violence cases on Tuesdays and Wednesdays Summary of Recommendations SCHEDULE/PERSONNEL, continued

  7. Expansion of municipal court Facilities in Downtown Expansion of Southside municipal court facilities Ensley municipal court facility must be brought into ADA compliance Move probation department to youth services building Birmingham-Jefferson Regional Jail Summary of Recommendations STRUCTURAL EDUCATION-BASED CRIME PREVENTION INITIATIVES • Inmate voter rights • Inside out program • Bewhoyouwannabe Program Prepared By: DeJuana L. Thompson

  8. President’s Report on Alternative Birmingham City Court Practices & Municipal Jail Reform Submitted by Birmingham City Council President, Carole Smitherman To the Mayor of Birmingham, Larry P. Langford

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