Criminal Justice Advocacy/Support

We would like to receive training from the National Resource Center on Justice Involved Women on gender specific case management. The Justice Grants Administration (JGA) proposes piloting a case management program inside of the Central Treatment Facility (CTF), beginning October, 2013, for women currently incarcerated for misdemeanor sentences with a minimum of 30 days in jail. The goal of the program is to reduce recidivism among women inmates, by providing case management and discharge planning.

The Osborne Association will receive TA in a community planning process during the transformation of 1511 Fulton Avenue from a prison into a reentry facility. This assistance will allow the Osborne Association to engage community members in the planning of programs and services, collect data on neighborhood needs
and assets, and develop partnerships with local community organizations.

Specifically, APD is requesting Blue Courage training. After ten solid years of exemplary executive police management, APD has reached a fork in the road where we are facing a "socialization" hurdle.

We are facing a problem with both tenured and junior sworn personnel who need a re-commitment to the basic principles of the profession, either due to tenure, lack of maturity, and many other reasons. We have also faced a few recent challenges in decision making regarding off duty actions that have resulted in a lot of bad publicity, reduction in public trust and some good people making poor choices resulting in significant discipline.

The Ohio Parole Board has discretionary releasing authority over a portion of the prison population that is comprised of offenders serving sentences for the most serious crimes. Specifically, approximately 50% of the offenders heard are convicted of a Homicide offense including Aggravated Murder, Murder and Manslaughter. Another 30% of those offenders heard by the Board are convicted of a sex offense. In it release decision making, the Board utilizes a risk instrument (ORAS) that is predictive of the general risk of an offender to reoffend.

Our Drug Court is in transition. Some of the issues are personnel related, i.e.Dept of Public Health staff and the fact that the court has a visiting judge overseeing Drug Court. Some are related to the need for programmatic changes. Overall, we are very interested in improving our graduation rate which resides steadily at 23%.

Recruitment of needed participant for the CARE 3 grant which we provide free Recovery Support services and a mentorship for youth ages 12-21

Our program was recently featured in Miami by the Center for Court Innovation (contacts - Julius Lang and Rebecca Thomford Hauser) as one of 10 criminal justice innovation projects worth replicating nationwide. Operational for 4 years, we are currently having internal conversations about the level and delivery of accountability for our chosen repeat felony domestic violence offender population. Denise O'Donnell spoke in Miami about the HOPE probation program, led by Judge Alm, out of Hawaii.

Seeking greater interest and buy-in from local criminal justice partners for a range of good practices in place in other jurisdictions that we are seeking to encourage development in New Orleans.

Requesting funding for travel costs for attendees for a conference on violent crime put on by United States Attorney's Office in Eastern Texas in conjunction with Michigan State University (MSU) and conference space provided by Lamar University for violent crime reduction.