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11 <br /> Pretrial investigates the defendant's background, appropriate resources and <br /> assessments, and communicates with all facets of the criminal justice <br /> system including prosecutors,probation officers, law enforcement, <br /> substance abuse and mental health treatment, area hospitals, and many <br /> other related agencies as well as family and friends who can assist in <br /> stabilizing the defendant. <br /> In addition to the calculated savings detailed in Lisa Henty's report, costs <br /> are saved by the value added to management of the Orange County <br /> Detention Center in another way. The detention center houses those <br /> charged with federal crimes and this function of the detention center brings <br /> significant revenue to the county. Pretrial Services works to releases <br /> defendants with state and local charges, freeing up valuable space to hold <br /> federal inmates and thereby increasing county revenue. <br /> Although the agency is currently serving Chatham County as well, this <br /> service ends when the 43% funding received from Chatham for this fiscal <br /> year is spent. Chatham has mentioned the possibility in the future, of <br /> directly contracting with the agency, rather than granting funding as a <br /> human services agency since Pretrial needs more and this displaces the <br /> funding allotted to other human service agencies. We are still exploring <br /> the possibilities. <br /> Pretrial also prepares expert sentencing reports, a closely related activity, <br /> and while this effort brings $500 per case to the agency, the cases are <br /> investigated and reports written by current Pretrial staff, diverting <br /> resources away from other possible duties or requiring additional <br /> personnel. If the increase in funding is granted, the services for sentencing <br /> experts can be contracted out, relieving in part this demand for increased <br /> manpower. <br /> The costs of providing services have outpaced revenue for about four <br /> years. Since that time, the fund balance that kept the agency viable has <br /> steadily decreased and will be spent by the end of this fiscal year. The <br /> growing need for the service requires more revenue to provide services. <br /> Please find supportive letters from Judges, the District Attorney, Mr. <br /> Woodall, and the 15B Bar Association. Please consider this valuable cost <br /> saving service for continued service. <br /> .incerely, it,,(1, <br /> \ iy I uhn <br /> : x: Live Director <br />