LA CROSSE COUNTY BOARD PROCEEDINGS

COUNTY BOARD SPECIAL MEETING

MONDAY, JULY 9, 2007

The La Crosse County Board of Supervisors Special County Board Meeting was held on July 9, 2007 in the Administrative Center, Room B410.  Chair Doyle called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.  The County Clerk, Marion I. Naegle, took attendance.  All supervisors were present except as noted:

County Board Chair Steve Doyle

He called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.

• There will not be a Proclamation tonight.
• Supervisor Berns emailed all supervisors with Carey Group Inc. reports.  If a supervisor wants a hard copy of any report, they should sign up and the County Clerk will get them a copy.
• The Architects have translated the Carey Group Report into a more expensive project than staff had anticipated.  This Carey Group Report identifies things we did not put into perspective.  However, this is not the dollar figure supervisors will be asked to vote on.  We do not want to over spend, but at the same time, do not want to make the same mistake as last time by making the addition too small.  Over the next few weeks, there will be extensive meetings with staff, LEC Addition Committee and the architects to reduce the cost and figure out our next steps.  In August, at the Planning Meeting, supervisors will be asked to seriously consider proposals made from these meetings.

Sheriff Steve Helgeson

Briefly explained what the structural deficiencies are in the jail including over crowding, the inmates sleeping on the floor, staff shortage (mandatory 12 hour shifts on the weekends), high tension in the jail and the fact that the problems continue to get worse.  The over crowding also affects the mentally handicapped and the ability to enforce jail programs.

Jane Klekamp, Justice Sanctions

Power point - Staff Report on Carey Group Recommendations and Next Steps

• Categories

  Comprehensive Assessments Case Flow Female Inmates Justice Sanctions Community Based Organizations Jail Structure and Operations Criminal Justice Management Council  Mental Health Services in the Jail Fidelity and Quality Assurance Information Systems TOTAL

  13 10 10  7  8  5  7 11  4  4  3 89

  •                                                 
• Category 1 – Comprehensive
  • Adopt a Unifying Vision
    • The Carey Report recommended Limited Risk Management utilizing “Community Corrections Approaching the 21^st Century” by Vincent O’Leary and Todd Clear
• Adopt a Unifying Vision
  • The judges have been given the outline of Limited Risk Management
  • The Criminal Justice Management Council is holding a retreat on August 21 to discuss the mission, vision and values.
  • Information regarding the mission, vision and values.
  • Information regarding the mission, vision and values will be disseminated among agencies with a stake in the criminal justice system.
• Jail Bed Usage
• Jail Population Risk Profile
• Future Projections Will Need to be Modified
• Management of female inmate population should be reconsidered based on low risk
• Justice Sanctions design should be changed to manage higher risk offenders
• A more seamless delivery system is needed.
• Category 2 – Assessments
  • Staff met with the judges to discuss modifications in assessment and received court approval.  Further meetings with law enforcement, DOC, prosecutors and defense to explain the process.
  • The sheriff’s Department and Justice Sanctions have worked on a process to interview inmates earlier.
  • The COMBINE curriculum has been ordered and received.
• Category 3 – Case Flow
• Category 4 – Female Inmates
  • Close the women’s jail and implement a women offender case management model.
• Category 5 – Justice Sanctions
  • Restructure JS to focus on risk reduction
  • Modify the community service program
  • Reduce drug testing by half
• Category 6 – Community Based Organizations
  • Make contracts explicit in terms of service deliverables and adherence to evidence based principles
  • Provide technical assistance to CBO’s
  • Develop accountability measures that target the priority areas
• Category 7 – Jail Structure and Operations
  • The jail structure and operation is part of the ongoing discussion of the LEC addition
  • The jail program coordinator started on 7/9/07.
  • Addition of six additional officers.
  • Consider adding a structured contingency management program.
• Category 8 – Criminal Justice Management Council
  • Conduct an annual planning retreat
  • Revisit the vision, mission, values and philosophy
  • Develop a “wall of progress”
  • Develop tools for board members
  • Develop an executive committee
  • Adopt a problem solving and decision making approach
  • Imbed a research component
  • Hire a facilitator to work with the CJMC to implement the decision making model
• Category 9 – Mental Health Services in the Jail
  • County Administrator, Sheriff, Clinical Services, Justice Sanctions meeting on Thursday, July 12 to discuss roles.
• Category 10 – Fidelity and Quality Assurance
  • Establish key process and outcome measures and develop a schedule by which those measures will be reviewed.
• Category 11 – Information Systems
  • Develop a simple data query tool for the jail, Justice Sanctions and integrated proxy database.
  • Add the LSI-R data elements to both the jail and JS data systems.
  • Show risk data in percentages and highlight top four criminogenic risk factors for each offender  .
• Category 12 – Training
  • Conduct a day-long evidence based practices training overview session. (Set for Sept 11 and 12)
  • Provide skill based training to justice personnel that provides direct service. (Set for Sept 11 and 12)

Presentation by Eric Lawson of Potter Lawson Architects

Power point – Carey Report Analysis (Preliminary Facility Concepts – Preliminary Costs)

La Crosse County LEC

• Existing Facility Review
  • Pod Remote Supervision
  • Sally port / Booking / Receiving
  • Special Needs & Medical
  • Food Service / Laundry
  • Master Control
  • Visitation
  • Program Space / Exercise Space
  • Justice Sanctions
• Facility Capacity

• Housing Configuration

• The Carey Report Recommendations
  • Major Facility Recommendations (17)
    • Program Spaces & Exercise Spaces
    • Modified Direct Supervision Model
    • Single Occupancy Cells
    • New Intake Area (Sally port, Booking, Receiving)
    • Food Service & Laundry Facilities
    • Better Visitor Access and Reception
    • Justice Sanctions
• Facility Capacity

• Housing Configuration

• Carey Recommendations (Yr. 2030 Best Case System Change Scenario)

Capacity of 296 (Single Cell Occupancy & Dormitories)

ESTIMATED PROJECT BUDGET $42,900,000

• Next Steps
  • Alternate Concept
    • Major Facility Recommendations
      • Program Spaces & Exercise Space
      • Modified Direct Supervision Model
      • Double occupancy Cells
      • New intake Area (Sally port, Booking, Receiving)
      • Food Service & Laundry Facilities
      • Better visitor Access and Reception
      • Justice Sanctions
      • Shell space for Future Jail Expansion
  • Update at the August 6^th County Board Meeting

Question/answer session

County Board Chair Steve Doyle

It any supervisor has questions, or wants more information; please contact the Chair or Committee in advance so they will be able to get the answers to you by the August Planning Meeting.  It was stressed how important it is for each supervisor to try to make the LEC Addition Committee meetings.  It is important to hear from a cross section of the Board.

Doyle commended Supervisor Sebranek for all his hard work on the picnic, including getting such a great price for a good menu.

Audit/Finance Director Gary Ingvalson 

Ingvalson asked Supervisors to bring their copy of the La Crosse County Comprehensive Annual Financial Report to the July 19^th meeting.  The auditors will be giving their presentation and the Board will approve the Report.

ADJOURN:

Motion by Hanson/Gamroth to adjourn at 8:08 p.m. passed on a unanimous voice vote with 3 excused – Hampson, L. Pfaff and Schippers.

The above minutes may be approved, amended, or corrected at the next Board meeting. 

I, Marion I. Naegle, La Crosse County Clerk, in and for the County of La Crosse, Wisconsin, do hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the Journal of Proceedings of the La Crosse County Board of Supervisors Special County Board Meeting held Monday, July 9, 2007 and that it is the whole thereof IN WITNESS THEREOF, I HAVE HEREUNTO SET MY HAND AND AFFIXED THE OFFICIAL SEAL THIS 10^th DAY OF JULY 2007.