Supportive Factors (Factors pushing racial jail census down)

STATE POLICY

• NYS BAIL REFORM (decrease unsentenced jail population)
• LESS IS MORE (restricting the use of incarceration for Technical Parole Violation) 

TOMPKINS COUNTY

• Huge monetary investment in ATI’s (Alternatives to Incarcerations)
• County and City Judges are using ATI’s.  
• DA’s office is open in using ATIs for appropriate interventions
• DA’s office requiring unconscious bias training for all ADA’s
• Community Based Organizations (non-profits) are working together  
• Counsel at First Appearance (defense attorney provided)
• Assigned Counsel: Presumed Eligibility (assume client qualifies for services)
• District Attorney: Presumption of RoR (Release on Recognizance, when appropriate)
• District Attorney: new ADA positions added (decrease ratio, speed up process, lower unsentenced census)
• Judicial: 3rd County Court Judge added (decrease wait time and caseloads)

COVID

• Courts have been closed

ARRESTS

• Arrests have decreased over the last SIX (6) years
• Tompkins County has less arrests than countries of similar size.

• Tompkins County is one of only a few Counties with higher crime index than arrests

Restrictive Factors (Factors pushing racial disparity up)

STATE POLICY

• NYS BAIL REFORM & LESS IS MORE (New Policies without complimentary programs creates new barriers & gaps.) example: with Bail Reform someone accused of a crime might wait 30-90 days before facing a judge, a perfect time to meet with someone, assess needs, and provide supportive programming – a missed opportunity! 

TOMPKINS COUNTY

• PIFSAB: White Supremacy Culture: local Government Power Hording, Defensiveness, Worship of the Written Word, Either/ Or Thinking, Fear of Open Conflict, Right to Comfort, and Objectivity (lack of)   
• Criminal Justice issues overshadowed by Environmental/ COVID platforms

COVID

• Crime is on the rise
• Unemployment is up
• Substance use and Mental Health issues are increasing

ARRESTS

• Overt racial bias (as long as there is racism, it will be present in the Criminal Justice system.)  

INHS (Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services) 

OAR (Opportunity, Alternatives, & Resources) 

URO (Ultimate Reentry Opportunity)  

•Revise Policies and Laws (with Disparate Racial Impact) 

•Address Implicit Bias

•Increase Resources to low-income areas

•Increase funding for prevention

•Improving Education

•Wrap Around services

•Trauma Informed Care

•Participatory Actions   

SUNFLOWER HOUSING PROGRAM 

GOAL: transitional housing program designed to provide wraparound services to people in reentry in order to facilitate their successful reintegration into our community

CLIENTS: Parolees and Court involved persons

PARTNERS: INHS/OAR/URO

HOW MUCH: Quantity of EFFORT

Individuals Served

HOW MUCH # of customers/clients served  

HOW WELL: Quality of EFFORT

Avg time until client is self-sufficient (a measure that we want to see improve overtime, although we understand that every client is unique with individualized issues. It’s a measure in how “we” are getting better in serving client needs.)     

Customer Satisfaction Survey:

Is (Sunflower Housing Program) providing you the services you need to be successful?

Recommend 5-6 questions (when?) perhaps mid to end of programming

   Collecting data, are we getting better or worse?

   Reasons why we are getting better or worse?

   Suggestions on how we might improve

   (Added benefit improved relations by empowering customers. We value their feedback.)   

BETTER OFF: EFFECT Changes in Skills, Knowledge, Behavior, or Circumstances

Change in Circumstances: #/ % of “warm” referrals

List ALL referrals below and define what a “warm” referral is:

DSS (SSI, CA, TA, PA) , IHA/TCA Section-8 app./ Public Housing app./ INHS app., SJCS, Advocacy Center,

DOC’s, Office of Parole, Office of Probation, courts Challenge, HEAP, Ithaca Reuse, Learning Web (Age restriction), WOC, Stafkings, Workforce NY

   OAR supports: Case Management & Supportive Services, Birth Certificates, ID,…

            Benefit Navigation services: Housing Assistance/ Financial Assistance/ Medicaid/ Healthcare/ …

Warm Referral: (define)

Community Readiness: #/% engaged in Wrap Around Services

All Three Categories combined

Change in Circumstances: #/% with permanent housing

Housing

• Magnolia
• Chartwell
• Second Wind Cottages
• ARTHAUS
• West End Heights
• Endeavor House

Change in Skills: #/% attending Counseling/ Therapy

Mental Health

• TCMH
• REACH
• Family & Children’s

(I have a copy of the Vera Institute for Justice’s Mental Health diversion strategies, I am thinking this might be the NEXT front-end diversion.)   

 Change in Behavior: #/% who are employed/ Work readiness program

#/% of customers who are employed FT

#/% of customers who are employed PT

#/ % of customers attending a work readiness program

(Job search, resumes, applications, referrals)

Change in Behavior: Recidivism:

#/% of clients diverted from Jail/Prison or (more costly systems) 

#/% of clients rebooked (new Charge)

#/% of clients rebooked (Technical Violation)