Orange County NC Website
3 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> C BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: 'i1 ° 17%j/j <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 7-a <br /> SUBJECT: Criminal Justice Advisory Council <br /> DEPARTMENT: Board of County <br /> Commissioners <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Caitlin Fenhagen, 919-245-2303 <br /> 1) Proposed Structure Commissioner Barry Jacobs, 919-245- <br /> 2) Proposed Charge 2130 <br /> Commissioner Bernadette Pelissier, 919- <br /> 245-2130 <br /> PURPOSE: To consider the creation, charge and member structure for the proposed Criminal <br /> Justice Advisory Council (CJAC) and, if approved, appoint two Board members to the Council <br /> and direct the Clerk to the Board to solicit applicants for potential appointment to the other <br /> respective Council positions. <br /> BACKGROUND: At its September 5, 2013 regular meeting, the Orange County Board of <br /> Commissioners created an Assessment of Jail Alternatives Work Group (JAWG). The <br /> Board stated that before the planning of a new jail began, a comprehensive assessment of jail <br /> alternative programs needed to be completed to assess the impact of each on the jail <br /> population. <br /> The charge of the JAWG was to investigate and make recommendations to the BOCC <br /> concerning alternatives to incarceration programs operating in Orange County, including but not <br /> limited to the following programs: Pretrial Release, Pretrial Diversion, Drug Court, Family Court <br /> and Adult Probation. The Work Group was directed to submit a Report back to the BOCC by <br /> March 31, 2014. At the recommendation of the BOCC, the composition of the JAWG included <br /> county and criminal justice leaders and stakeholders. Commissioners Barry Jacobs and <br /> Bernadette Pelissier also served as JAWG members. The last meeting of the JAWG was on <br /> March 1, 2016. <br /> At that last meeting, the JAWG discussed the future of this short-term Work Group. Staff and <br /> group members have learned from conversations with stakeholders that there is an interest and <br /> commitment to having a permanent Criminal Justice Advisory Council operating in Orange <br /> County. A permanent advisory council would coordinate, inform and enhance the work <br /> underway and being considered in the criminal justice system and in the newly-created Criminal <br /> Justice Resource Office and would be aligned with the best practices for the administration of an <br /> effective, innovative and equitable criminal justice system. <br />