Agenda - 02-06-2007-5e - Laserfiche WebLink

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2 Monitoring Initiative grant funds to four more counties - Orange, Alamance, Chatham, and Rockingham - to expand the program to those areas. For each county, grant funding will cover the cost of hiring one full-time equivalent Deputy (salary, benefits, training, supplies, and personal computer) in addition to contractual costs of monitoring the offenders. Each site plans to hire one law enforcement officer to actively monitor twenty individuals on pre-trial release. In addition to creating greater security for. the victim, sentencing the offender to electronic monitoring instead of active jail time will free up jail space. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The grant period covers two years and totals $152,085 for Orange County. Costs covered include salary and benefit costs of the newly authorized Deputy Sheriff position, day-to-day operations and contractual costs of offender monitoring, and computer equipment. It is important to note that the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety has appropriated funding for year one of the grant ($77,235) and plans to hold, in reserve, the second year's grant funds ($74,850) contingent upon the successful completion of the first year grant and timely submission of all required reports. It is important to note that, as a condition of the grant, beginning in fiscal year 2009-10, funding for the program is the sole responsibility of Orange County, and it is staff's understanding that the County must continually fund the position. The projected daily cost of housing one inmate in the Orange County Jail averages $38 or $13,870 per year. Based on twenty offenders being monitored electronically and not housed in the Jail, the annual estimated cost avoided totals $277,400. In addition, the Courts plan to assess a $10 per day fee to the offender (paid to the Sheriff's Department) to recoup some portion of the costs associated with this program. Annual revenues anticipated through this fee totals $73,000 assuming twenty offenders monitored 365 days per year. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board: 1. Accept the two-year Law Enforcement Electronic Monitoring Initiative Grant; 2. Authorize one full-time equivalent Deputy Sheriff position, beginning February 7, 2007, for one-year. Continuation of the position would be contingent upon continuation of grant funding in year two of the grant; 3. Agree to fund the authorized new position and program, beginning in fiscal year 2009-10, should the State find the first year of the program successful and appropriates the second year of the grant funds.