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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-30-2016 Community Engagement SubCommittee Minutes MEETING MINUTES COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SUBCOMMITTEEOF THE COMMUNITY JUSTICE COLLABORATING COUNCIL September 30, 2016 8:00 AM D203-EOC (Lower Level Government Center) D203-EOC (Lower Level Government Center) -1101 Carmichael Road, Hudson, Wisconsin CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 9:00 a.m. by Susan Capparelli, Chair, Community Issues Subcommittee of the Community Justice Collaborating Council. ROLL CALL Attendee NameOrganizationTitleStatusArrived John ShiltsSt. Croix SheriffPresent County Pam BellrichardSt. Croix Victim Witness CoordinatorExcused County Stephen T'KachSt. Croix Director, Emergency Support Present CountyServices Kathleen AvolesSt. Croix St. Croix County Bar Present CountyAssociation Mike WatermanSt. Croix Judge, Branch IVPresent County Randy Morrisette St. Croix Citizen MemberPresent IICounty Susan CapparelliSt. Croix Executive Director SCVRJPPresent County Also present, Andy Brinkman, Michelle Leccia, Mike O'Keefe and Tamra Young. APPROVAL OF MINUTES PUBLIC COMMENT BUSINESS ITEMS 1.Mission & Vision of CJCC Community Issues Subcommittee back to the CJCC. A mission statement clarifies what falls under this subcommittee and what should be dealt with under this subcommittee. Mental health is the only subcommittee that currently has a mission statement. We do not have a copy of it. He will provide a copy. Judge Waterman stated our segment of CJCC is to look at issues within the community and to address matters relevant to the community as a whole to support the integrity of the criminal justice system. Discussion ensued regarding what this subcommittee does and how the issues will be brought to this subcommittee. Ideas regarding how this subcommittee will be advised of issues included: Input from what each community experiences as problems so we can collaboratively come up with solutions; letting the public know this committee exists for their input; reaching out to those who are doing the work. Judge Waterman suggested another way issues will come to this subcommittee is through the CJCC. The population on the CJCC is a cross section of just about every area of local government, including law enforcement, judges, mental health, community representatives, victim witness, and county board members. These CJCC members will be fed information from their constituency. The issues that get brought to the CJCC as a whole can be filtered down to this subcommittee. The issues will be brought to us through our representatives on CJCC. RESULT: DISCUSSED 2. St. Croix County Community Justice Collaborating Council (CJCC) Subcommittee List The other subcommittees are: Substance Abuse/Trauma Informed Care, Evidence Based Decision Making, CJCC Bylaws, Criminal Justice, Mental Health, Domestic Violence/Family Issues and the Executive Committee. RESULT: DISCUSSED 3. 17 Year Old Legislation Michelle Leccia reported on the issues many agencies are having with bringing 17 year olds back to juvenile system and whether funding will come with it. She advised that Fred Johnson requested numbers as to how many 17 year olds actually get referred Wisconsin is one of five states in the country that allow 17 year olds to be charged as adults. Judge Waterman advised that St. Croix County handles first-time, non-violent 17 year olds much the way the proposed legislation would. Currently, all 17 year olds are charged in adult court. Proposed legislation is called the Second Chance Bill. It would place 17 year old first time non-violent offenders into juvenile system. St. Croix County already achieves many of the goals of the proposed legislation through its diversion program. First-time, non-violent 17 year olds are frequently referred to diversion and they get a lot of the same benefits and programming that would be available in the juvenile court system. One question that needs to be considered is whether the Second Chance legislation should be applied to all offenses, not just second time offenses or non- weigh in on the entire issue. Sheriff Shilts described the difficulties 17 year olds pose in Association just met this week. The WCA does have a resolution. The WCA voted on their resolution to not approve or support it because of funding issues. The committee agreed that we have nothing at this point to bring back to CJCC and one more meeting de a copy of the WCA resolution. RESULT: DISCUSSED 4. Racial Disparity Issues - Role of Community Justice Collaborating Council (CJCC) This issue was referred to this subcommittee to determine what St. Croix County has in place or needs to establish should something happen similar to what recently occurred in Minneapolis/St. Paul. The following questions were asked: What exists or needs to be created to address the issue of someone making a claim that they are being treated unfairly? Do we have anything in place in which we could respond? Data would be the being treated fairly? The subcommittee discussed how this issue could best be identified and addressed. Sheriff Shilts stated there are really two different topics - racial disparity issues and a disturbance. The first is whether persons of color in this county are being treated differently than others and, if so, what does that look like. The second is about civil unrest and that does not have a color--someone acting in a certain way and just causing a disturbance in the community and the way that we deal with that should pretty much be the same. He reported all officers are slated for civil unrest/disturbance training this next year and equipment has been ordered. There is also an effort to train all law enforcement in the county in the 40 hour crisis intervention technique. This not only works well with mental illness/crisis, but also gives the officer techniques they can has had policies in place for some time about how these issues are dealt with and officers train on them regularly. He advised data exists but we need an analyst to put it together and give it to us in a form where we can see patterns, trends, arrests, demographics and dispositions. If analyzed, we could see what the population we are dealing with is like and if there is any disparity in treatment of individuals. Stephen problems or types of calls. All the data is there but we need the ability to analyze and cross-reference. Kate Avoles suggested an intern do data analysis if budget doesn't Kate Avoles questioned whether there is something that we could put into place that collaborates with restorative justice and puts forward a forum for that type of issue. Judge Waterman summarized the discussion as one that touched on three different aspects: 1) Data. Do we have a way of responding with actual numbers rather than anecdotes? 2) Training. Are people in the front line being trained in these areas? Is the training adequate? 3) Forum. Is there a forum for members of the public who feel they are being treated unfairly to have their concerns heard and possibly have action taken? Judge Waterman will bring this summary back to CJCC and get input from them as to what direction they want this subcommittee to pursue. RESULT: DISCUSSED 5. Future Agenda Items will bring the issue to the judges and he will report back at Oct. 13, 2016 CJCC meeting. Michelle Leccia will provide an update on where 17 year old legislation is at and if there the mental health mission statement examples to share with group in addition to sending out a group email for people to share ideas. Kate Avoles will provide a list of the ideas shared. RESULT: DISCUSSED REQUEST FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ANNOUNCEMENTS & CORRESPONDENCE ADJOURN 9:12 am meeting adjourned DATE OF NEXT MEETING Tuesday, October 18, 2016 at 8 am in room D203-EOC (Lower Level Government Center). .