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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Special County Council
December 6, 1999
The meeting was called to order at 10:00 a.m. by Council Chair Marlene
Dawson in the Council Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
Also Present:
Kathy Sutter
Barbara Brenner
Absent:
L. Ward Nelson
Tom Brown
Robert Imhof
Connie Hoag
DISCUSSION OF THE PHASE I REPORT OF THE WHATCOM COUNTY
LAW AND JUSTICE PLAN: FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
(AB99 -463)
Pete Kremen, County Executive, stated this is a significant and important
gathering. This meeting is to discuss the phase I report of the Whatcom County
Comprehensive Law and Justice Planning Project. Copies of the executive summary
and list of recommendations are available for review. The Northwest Regional
Council (NWRC) prepared this report by Dr. Alvin Cohen and Stuart Readio. They
are nationally known experts in law and justice systems, and are familiar with the
local criminal justice system and jail. Dr. Cohn is an eminent criminal justice expert
and consultant. He has 40 years of experience in the field of criminal justice
administration and criminology. He served on the faculty of six universities and is a
frequent lecturer on criminal justice issues. He was Director of Training for the
National Council on Crime and Delinquency, and Technical Director of the executive
training program in advanced criminal justice practices for the Department of
Justice. He served as a consultant and trainer throughout the field of criminal
justice. He has written many books, journal articles, and correspondence courses.
He has worked with many agencies and organizations.
Kremen gave background for Stuart Readio. He was a law and justice
planner for the NWRC in Bellingham. During that period, he worked closely with
northwest Washington cities and counties on numerous law and justice projects.
He helped Whatcom, Skagit, and Island counties put together their successful
applications to the State Jail Commission to fund construction of their county jails.
He went on to work for the State Jail Commission, the State Corrections Standards
Board, the National Institute of Corrections, and the University of Colorado. He is
now a private consultant for federal, state, and local jurisdictions nationwide.
During the past year, these two individuals and their team have interviewed
nearly 100 local officials and concerned citizens. They met with over 20 groups
locally and worked closely with the project steering committee. They have collected
and analyzed information to identify the nature of offenders entering the local
system, how they are dealt with, and the effectiveness of the disposition of their
Special County Council Meeting, 9/2/99, Page 1
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cases. They examined records and data of all parts of the system to identify causes
of problems and possible solutions. Local people from all agencies have
participated. The report presents the consultants' findings and recommendations.
It is the first step in a two -step process. Following the feedback from the County
Council, the project steering committee, and the community, phase II will
concentrate on those recommendations. He introduced Dr. Cohn.
REVIEW OF THE SYSTEM -WIDE RECOMMENDATIONS
Dr. Alvin Cohn, Consultant, stated their perception of the system is that it is
not broken, but it needs to be polished to create a more effective system. The
various units can be harmonious in the ways they communicate, but it is not a
system in terms of overall planning purposes and in terms of collecting data to
make policy decisions. It would have been easy to submit recommendations to
make the system more effective, but they wanted one that also enhances
community safety. They looked at every aspect of civil, criminal, and juvenile
systems. They concluded there were a number of findings that led to a number of
recommendations. Regarding strategic planning, there is a point in which one must
stop collecting data. Strategic planning is dynamic and evolves, as new data
becomes available. He suggested that the strategic plan not be cast in concrete.
They should not make policy decisions without decent data to justify and explain
the decisions. Also, he cautioned the Council against "plopping." In the report,
there may be some recommendations that the Council really likes. He cautioned
the Council not to move precipitously. One of the issues associated with strategic
planning is the ripple effect. One cannot add an assistant prosecutor without
looking at how it will impact the other parts of the system.
He suggested five critical areas or recommendations that he believed needed
the most immediate attention.
1. The numbers. They must development a management info system or
decision support system that captures every thing that is happening in the
system, such as the types of calls for assistance to the Sheriff, or the
numbers of people going into the jail. He suggested they complete the
Management Information System (MIS) and instigate a Decision Support
System (DSS).
2. Put teeth into the criminal justice steering committee. The coordinating
council serves as the springboard for ideas, issues, and problems.
3. They are overcrowded in the jail, but that doesn't mean they need more
maximum - security beds at a cost of $100,000 to $125,000 per bed.
Putting someone who has come in on a warrant for driving without a
license in a bed is asinine. A minimum- or medium - security facility is
needed for up to 400 beds. That would take them up to the year 2010.
The facility should be clinically oriented.
4. It is time to do something most communities have not done, which is to
put them into a clinical setting where they can be diagnosed, treated, and
diverted to become productive citizens. If they can reduce the number of
misdemeanants flowing through the system, they would save hundreds of
thousands of dollars. This is an investment in the county's future to
Special County Council Meeting, 9/2/99, Page 2
1 reduce the recycling and to change lives and behaviors of these people.
2 They are also talking about a need to fill gaps in services. They have not
3 taken advantage of alternatives. They have found they can reduce the
4 failure to appear rate with more supervised pre -trial offenders. This
5 includes electronic monitoring, house arrest, and other services. All
6 consolidated into one kind of unit. Administration could be independent,
7 through the Sheriff, or through probation.
8 5. Finally, they recommend the hiring of a criminal justice
9 planner /coordinator. They are not in any way suggesting that the
10 criminal justice planner be anything other than an advisor to the county
11 government as one who can ensure that data area collected and
12 interpreted, identify inter - agency problems, and review budgets, but have
13 no authority over budget- making other than making recommendations.
14 The person would also facilitate the coordinating council. He or she could
15 be the sight and sound of what is happening in the county.
16
17 NEXT STEPS: PHASE 2: IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY
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19 Cohn stated that, in phase II, they are planning to revisit the priorities, and
20 then recognize that nothing can be done overnight. They will develop a series of
21 phases from highest priority /most feasible, to lowest priority /least feasible. The
22 five serious recommendations are those which require immediate attention. That
23 does not suggest that any one of them, except for hiring the planner and re-
24 invigorating the coordinating council, can or should be done immediately. If the
25 Council agrees that the minimum- or medium - security facility, the MIS, and the
26 criminal justice planner are important, then he urged those three be given serious
27 attention so that the budget can be appropriated. The design of the phase II
28 implementation strategy is to go back to the steering committee to create steering
29 committee sub - groups, each dealing with a specific area. They will also ask that
30 each functional area of each criminal justice department have a task group that
31 looks at the recommendations from within. The Council will not be concerned with
32 some of the internal issues, such as re- deployment or policy and procedure
33 changes. In phase II, they will provide budget expectations and talk about where
34 staff can be re- deployed. Phase II will take the highest priorities and develop a
35 strategy for implementation. They will look seriously at where Whatcom County
36 ought to be in terms of the second one -tenth of one percent tax increase. He
37 hoped that is where they are going. If so, they will talk about a marketing
38 strategy. Regarding the minimum - security facility, depending upon certain factors,
39 it is unlikely they can be operational in less than 2 Y2 to 3 years.
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41 Brenner questioned the makeup of the task groups. Cohn stated the steering
42 committee includes citizen representatives, community mayors, and the heads of all
43 the criminal justice departments within the County. The task groups will be a
44 committee within the steering committee, but they will expand those groups to
45 include other people.
46
47 Brenner questioned whether they expect to have a citizen group. Cohn
48 stated there would be citizens represented on the task groups.
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Brenner stated they were not going to implement any taxes until there is a
plan. She was concerned about moving ahead with talk about the added tax.
Unless the citizens are on board and believe in this, it is not going to work. She
was concerned about taxing before outreach.
Dawson stated the outreach involves getting the information together before
going to the citizens.
Brenner stated a process was set up through the Blue Ribbon Panel two
years ago. She had a problem with the process. Cohn stated there are lessons to
be learned about the failure two years ago. There is going to be new money
required, no matter how they look at it. They don't know yet how much. They
should go ahead with hiring a planner, proceeding with the management
information system, and reinvigorating the coordinating council. All are needed in
order to develop the full implementation strategy. At the end of the second report,
the implementation strategy, it will delineate the phases and stages, so they can
make a decision on where to go.
Dawson asked if the Coordinating Council is made up of the mayors and
police chiefs of the small cities. Cohn stated it also includes all agencies' heads in
the County, and is chaired by Sheriff Dale Brandland.
Kremen stated the recommendation is to create a minimum - security facility.
There is nothing that says they have to adopt the additional one -tenth of one
percent sales tax. The reality is that it will obviously cost some money to construct
that facility. They are not at this time advocating raising anyone's taxes. The
Council needs to be aware that if the Council decides to implement one of, if not the
key, recommendation of the report, then there needs to be funding.
Brenner stated her concern was that people are voting for the "son of I -695"
because people are angry with the Council for approving the sales tax. The County
needs to reach out to the public about this.
Dawson asked how many years the tax would have to be in place to build a
400 -bed facility. Kremen stated the financing talk is premature. It will take a
significant amount of revenue to build a facility of that nature. It will also take a
significant amount of funding to staff and operate a facility, which will be more in
the long run.
Brenner questioned if funding has to do with whether or not the County owns
and operates the facility. Kremen stated the administration wants to work with the
Council to come up with the best option.
II.
Cohn stated those issues are open issues that will be examined during phase
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Sutter stated the Sheriff's Office has been accredited. She questioned
whether this has any relationship to the plan, in terms of benefits that may accrue.
Dale Brandland, Sheriff, stated there are two separate tracks. The criminal
justice planning doesn't relate to the accreditation process. By going through the
accreditation process, they are more ready to do criminal justice planning.
Cohn stated a problem nationwide is what jails are to do with those who are
mentally ill. Unless there is an effective screening device, classification system, and
risk and needs assessment, they can't make program plans or developments. They
are looking at that area internally in the jail and how to look at improved
programming, based on what is best for the community. Any inmate they can
provide treatment or help to, which will lead to less rescitivism, is to the County's
advantage. Some of these things are going to require some money. If they divert
mentally ill rather than house them in the jail, they get nothing but an expense.
Brenner stated the Mental Health Advisory Board is working with the
Substance Abuse Advisory Board on a triage module. She questioned whether that
would be taken into consideration. Cohn stated it would. They need lots of groups
looking at what should be done. The bottom line for the plan is whether or not it
will work.
Brenner stated they looked at the costs of a program in Pierce County.
Because they have a bigger population, the costs are different. She questioned
whether the plan would open up other monies for the substance abuse and mental
health people. Cohn stated it is possible. The County has not sought federal or
state grants. In phase II, they will identify other sources of income that have not
been tapped. There is so much money coming out of Washington for substance
abuse that everyday there are requests for proposals.
Dawson asked about the average population of counties who hire a
coordinator. Cohn stated he hasn't seen any city or county with at least a medium
population that did not have a planner position. There are all kinds of pass- through
monies at the state level. Now, all the Bureau of Justice money flows through
Olympia. They are the ones who distributed the money. The County is not tapping
into that money as much as it could. The need for planning is increasing because
they are spending more money on the criminal justice system than any other
system. It is foolish to spend the money without appropriate planning.
Brenner stated she would like to see some town hall meetings where people
have access to this information and to give their opinions and ideas. It is important
to have the community look at this and be involved. Cohn stated he would
encourage that. That would become a part of the educational campaign.
Kremen stated they are going to the editorial board of the Bellingham Herald
to give them a briefing on this. Involving the public as much as possible is very
good and essential.
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Brenner stated they should also have a videotape of an entire presentation
and put it out there so people can make their own judgements. They should also
have town hall meetings around the county.
Kremen stated this document is also on the County's website for public
access.
Brandland stated he chaired the committee, but Dewey Desler and Pete
Kremen were the driving forces. They have worked most closely with the
facilitators.
Brenner questioned whether Brandland would support some town hall
meetings. Brandland stated he has done that before. He usually gets a lot of
participation in areas that were controversial. He questioned how they could get
people to the meetings. He didn't know how to get the word out to get people
interested.
Brenner suggested they also have meetings in the small cities. Brandland
agreed. They have to be able to say they tried to do this. It would behoove them
to inspire people to come to the meetings.
Dawson suggested combining a town hall meeting with a Council meeting in
the remote county areas.
Brenner suggested a Council special meeting instead of a regular County
Council meeting in remote areas.
Kremen stated they have sent out 150 invitations to organizations and
groups. They will try to videotape the presentation and air it on the public access
channel.
ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 10:55 a.m.
Jill Nixon, Minutes Transcription
These minutes were approved by Council on February 22 , 2000.
ATTEST:
Dana Brown - Davis, Council Clerk
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Marlene Dawson, Council Chair
Special County Council Meeting, 9/2/99, Page 6