Agenda - 09-01-2015 - 7a - Laserfiche WebLink

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6 Perspectives of Partners in the Criminal Justice System Stakeholder outreach represented an important part of the organizational placement analysis. This section relies on information gathered from interviews with partners in the criminal justice system and current program staff. Interview participants were generally asked about the strengths and weakness of the current contracted model compared to an internalized model and the advantages and disadvantages of placing an internalized program in the Sheriff's Office. A list of the individuals interviewed is attached as Appendix A. All of the individuals interviewed expressed support for the goals of the programs and a desire to make positive change through continuous improvement. This dedication and support is critical to short term change management and to long term program success and enhancement. Contracted Service Delivery Model—Pretrial Services Proponents of the contracted model for pretrial services suggest that it operates well as an independent agency and is trusted by many of the judges. Given its structure as a nonprofit, proponents believe it avoids any perceived conflict of interest that may exist if the program were organizationally aligned with one of the parties involved in the bond review process. Supporters also argue that the current model is well balanced since the Board of Directors is comprised of representatives from all of the agencies involved in the pretrial process. Some members of the Board of Directors also note that the program complies with national best practices. The Program Director and others indicate that the program is operated efficiently and saves money in the long term compared to the costs associated with an internalized County function. Supporters of the contracted model also cite history. Those in support of the contracted model believe the Pretrial Services staff have developed long standing relationships with treatment providers, and these relationships have improved efficiency and outcomes for participants. Supporters also argue that the staff have developed an institutional knowledge of many of the program participants which allows them to quickly tailor a monitoring and treatment solution which keeps nonviolent offenders out of the jail. Internalized Model Internalization is generally viewed by stakeholders as providing permanency and stability to the programs.The internalized model would not rely so significantly on the annual budget and contract renewal process. Supporters of the internalized model suggest that accountability and oversight would also be improved. As a contracted agency, program oversight has been less rigorous and focused primarily on outcomes rather than day to day service delivery. Supporters of an internalized model also believe collaboration with other County agencies would be improved, allowing for greater efficiency and more ready access to services like mental health treatment and employment. Nearly all of the stakeholders interviewed agreed that internalized programs would benefit from gaining access to County infrastructure and resources. Neither program, for example, has a fully functioning and supported case management system. The Pretrial program uses a spreadsheet to track clients while Drug Court relies on a State system that is plagued by performance and reliability problems. Improving information technology resources through the County could improve client tracking and would allow the programs to track performance metrics more efficiently. Stakeholders also recognize that internalizing the functions could improve the physical environment and functionality of office space. Drug Court,for example, currently conducts drug screening in public restrooms. County facilities could be reallocated to include a space for specimen collection. The Pretrial program is currently renting space outside of the Courthouse. Proponents of an internalized model Page 1 3