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Tarrant County Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee A System Wide Approach to Jail Population Management

2. Criminal Justice Coordination Example of Cause and Effect. Concerned about crime, a county board of commissioners approves a large budget increase for county law enforcement. Increasing the capacities of law enforcement, only one part of the criminal justice system, results in more arrests, thus

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Tarrant County Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee A System Wide Approach to Jail Population Management

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    1. 1 Tarrant County Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee A System Wide Approach to Jail Population Management testtest

    2. 2 Criminal Justice Coordination Example of Cause and Effect Concerned about crime, a county board of commissioners approves a large budget increase for county law enforcement. Increasing the capacities of law enforcement, only one part of the criminal justice system, results in more arrests, thus increasing jail population of which contributes to jail overcrowding and court delays

    3. 3 The Criminal Justice System By design, the criminal justice system is fragmented, no central authority manages it and no one branch of government or level of government is responsible for the entire process Each system component is not required to engage in any coordinated planning effort. Therefore, leadership is essential in order to establish collaboration, consensus, and support

    4. 4 The Criminal Justice Flow Chart (1967)

    5. 5 Effective Planning Local and state criminal justice systems are constantly under pressure to plan more efficiently and effectively without diminishing the quality of their services. Problems associated with backlogged dockets, crowded jails, and recidivism is becoming commonplace. For example, changes in a county’s jail population, especially in counties experiencing growth, can affect the demand for jail space.

    6. 6 Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee (CJCC) The Tarrant County Commissioners Court established the Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee The Committee meets monthly and is considered the key “coordinating point” of the Tarrant County Criminal Justice System

    7. 7 Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee Membership County Judge County Administrator Sheriff District Attorney District Clerk County Clerk Pretrial Services Judiciary

    8. 8 Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee Membership Community Supervision and Corrections Justice of the Peace Constable Medical Examiner Juvenile Services And other state, county, local and community representatives as directed

    9. 9 Jail Overcrowding Issues Due to recent issues stemming from jail overcrowding, it was suggested to address these issues through the CJCC process It was recommended to convene the established Jail Expediter Committee, expand its membership if necessary and review existing policy and programs related to jail population

    10. 10 Jail Expediter Committee The Jail Expediter Committee was established in 1995 to address jail overcrowding and remains an established county committee. Representatives from the County Administrator Office, District Clerk, District Attorney and the Community Supervision and Corrections Department were the original members of the committee A key feature of this program is the utilization of existing computer technology by the courts in order to expedite the defendant “Paper Ready” process

    11. 11 The Current Jail Expediter Committee County Administrator’s Office Pretrial Services Sheriff’s Department District Attorney Judiciary Court Administration Office District Clerk Community Supervision & Corrections Parole Information Technology

    12. 12 County Administration Role County Administration coordinates all meetings and disseminates all information associated with the Jail Expediter Committee County Administration provides a monthly jail report addressing crime, jail population, paper ready count, criminal cases filed, incarceration rates, offense classifications and state prison population

    13. 13 Pretrial Release Role Pretrial Services assists individuals who live in Tarrant County or the surrounding counties by providing an additional option for jail release which is considered more cost-efficient. Of these approximately 1,500 persons currently on a Pretrial bond approximately 20% or 300 may have remained in the Tarrant County Jail.

    14. 14 Sheriffs Department’s Role A Jail Management Report is provided by the Sheriff’s Department that totals the number of inmates that are booked in and out of jail on a daily basis. The Sheriff’s Department’s corrections staff assures that State Parole hearings are conducted in a timely manner.

    15. 15 Sheriffs Department’s Role The Sheriff’s Department TDC Desk is responsible for expeditiously processing the monthly Paper Ready Inmate Roster (PRIR) and the “Pen Packet.” The PRIR along with the “Pen Packet” that includes the Judgment, Statement of Facts, Sentencing and Indictment information is due to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards the 5th day of each month

    16. 16 Sheriff’s Department’s Role The Sheriff’s Department and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency established a system that screens the inmate population for illegal immigration which assists in reducing jail population

    17. 17 District Attorney’s Office Role The Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office processes the “Statement of Facts” associated with each criminal case which is required to be forwarded to the Sheriff’s Department TDC Desk and is a component of the “Pen Packet”

    18. 18 The Judiciary Role A study of the criminal justice system was conducted from the time a case has been filed with the court until disposition A “judicial dash board,” was created which provides an overview of criminal cases activity per each felony district court This process, led by the criminal district judges, expedited the processing and disposition of felony cases and a significant reduction in jail population

    19. 19 The Judiciary Role A “Daily Misdemeanor Jail Run” was established by the County Criminal Courts Judges and structured to expedite the release of inmates arrested for misdemeanor offenses who are housed in the County Jail.

    20. 20 Court Administrator’s Role A study was conducted addressing the criminal justice system from the time a person is arrested until the criminal case is filed This study led to the creation of a magistrate position that specializes in the indigent defense process, along with case managers that review the backgrounds of indigent defendants. These steps addressed the unnecessary time consuming process associated with pretrial incarceration

    21. 21 District Clerk’s Role The District Clerk’s Office supports the efforts of the Jail Expediter Committee by expeditiously processing the documents for which it is responsible relating to felony cases in which the defendant is sentenced to prison. The process is continuously reviewed and evaluated for efficiency and timeliness for an inmate to be “paper ready” and transferred from the County jail to TDCJ.

    22. 22 District Clerk’s Role The District Clerk’s Office produces the judgment after sentencing, calculates credit time, and verifies the judgment to ensure accuracy before releasing. The goal is to have the judgment completed, signed by the Judge and transmitted to the Sheriff’s Office TDC Desk within three days or less from disposition so that persons sentenced to prison are transferred to TDCJ timely

    23. 23 Information Technology’s Role Tarrant County Information Technology attends all meetings of the Jail Expediter Committee and supports the efforts of the committee by providing the necessary data related to analyzing the County jail population.

    24. 24 Diversion Programs Pretrial Services: A Tarrant County funded program, the Pretrial Services Program is designed to help individuals who live in Tarrant County or the surrounding counties to obtain jail release. Tarrant County Jail Mental Health Services: This program serves as a liaison with the courts to dismiss charges when the offense is directly related to a mental illness.

    25. 25 Diversion Programs Mental Health Court: provides judicial intervention by means of criminal case dismissals and referrals to services (versus incarceration) for eligible adults that have been diagnosed with a mental illness. Drug Court: Since 2002, the Tarrant County drug court program has successfully diverted from prosecution and disposed of approximately 400 cases (approximately 60 cases annually) that may have otherwise been incarcerated.

    26. 26 Diversion Programs Mental Health Law Liaison: Provides training for police officers on how to respond to persons with mental health problems and refer them to treatment. Forty percent or 300 of the approximately 800 crisis calls annually, result in diversion from incarceration

    27. 27 Diversion Programs Community Justice: This program relies on intermediate sanction programs considered as alternatives to incarceration which are considered equally as effective as jail or prison. Tarrant County Ex-Offender Reentry Program: This program is structured to provide reentry services such as housing, employment and transportation to ex-offenders with the goal to reduce recidivism and divert individuals from jail or prison.

    28. 28 Impact on Jail Population? In 2003 the average jail population was 3,405 In 2008 the average jail population was 3,201 From 2003 to 2008 the population in Tarrant County increased 14.7% From 2003 to 2008 the average jail population decreased 6%.

    29. 29 Impact on Jail Population 2003-2008

    30. 30 Bibliography Guidelines for Developing a Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee, U.S. Department of Justice 2002 Coordinating the Criminal Justice System, L. J. Smith, 2007

    31. 31 Contact Information Les Smith Criminal Justice Manager Tarrant County Administrator’s Office Fort Worth, Texas 817-994-8851 lsmith@tarrantcounty.com

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