METRO JUSTICE FORUM · The general purpose and function of the Louisville Metro Criminal Justice Commission as delineated in the Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government Code

METRO JUSTICE FORUM

LOUISVILLE METRO CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMISSION

2019 YEAR IN REVIEW

Website: www.louisvilleky.gov/CriminalJusticeCommission/

Board Members

Judge David Bowles, Chair

D. Scott Furkin, Vice-Chair

Mayor Greg Fischer

Chief Steve Conrad

Director Dwayne Clark

Rashaad Abdur-Rahman

Judge Angela Bisig

Judge Anne Haynie

Judge Tara Hagerty

Thomas B. Wine

Mike O’Connell

Dan Fountain

Tara Boh Blair

Leo Smith

Councilman Mark Fox

Endora Davis

David L. Nicholson

Col. John Aubrey

Carla Kreitman

Libby Mills

Abby Drane

Ryan Nichols

Daniel Johnson

CITIZEN APPOINTEES

Aaron Silletto

Doug Scott

Joan “Toni” Stringer

George Eklund

Donald Vish

Dr. Deonte Hollowell

EX-OFFICIO

Stuart L. Lowrey

D. Christopher Evans

James "Robert" Brown, Jr

514 West Liberty Street, Suite 106 Tel: 502 574 5088 Louisville, KY 40202

On behalf of the Louisville Metro Criminal Justice Commission, I would like to introduce

the 2019 Annual Report documenting the scope of Commission activity over the past year.

For over 52 years the Commission has continued its commitment to enhance public safety

and innovate criminal justice through planning, research, and system-wide coordination of

criminal justice initiatives.

In 2019, the Commission continued to focus on a number of criminal justice-related initia-

tives including jail population management strategies, diversion opportunities for individu-

als with mental health and substance use disorder, the domestic violence system response,

and juvenile justice reform. The Commission also expanded efforts and partnerships relat-

ed to medication assisted treatment to treat individuals with Opioid Use Disorder and to

improve outcomes and remove barriers to successful reentry for justice-involved youth and

adults.

I would like to express my appreciation to members of the Louisville Metro Criminal Justice Commission Board, the staff, and all of the criminal justice, public safety, and stake-holders who contributed time and energy to the important work of the Commission and its mission. I am honored to Chair the work of this Commission and I look forward to another year of continuing our ongoing collaborative efforts to enhance the local operation of the criminal justice system.

Mission - To improve the administration of justice through planning,

research, and system-wide coordination of criminal justice initiatives.

2019 YEAR IN REVIEW

The general purpose and function of the Louisville Metro Criminal Justice Commission as delineated in the Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government Code of Ordinances, Title III, Chapter 32.730 includes, but is not limited to, the following:

1. To collect and analyze data on the incidence and nature of crime in this community and assess the impact of criminal activities upon the citizens and resources of the community.

2. To evaluate the capacity of criminal justice and pub-lic safety agencies through a careful study of existing laws, practices, and institutions, to recognize their areas of strength and weakness, and to formulate proposals to maintain the former and correct the latter.

3. To make and publish, from time to time, meaningful, documented, factual recommendations as will be of assistance to all levels and branches of government in meeting its responsibilities in the area of criminal justice, public safety and crime prevention.

4. To responsibly stimulate community interest in the problems of criminal justice, public safety and crime prevention.

5. To develop and recommend to the proper criminal justice and public safety authorities programs to en-hance public safety, and, when possible, to secure and administer state or federal funds for specific pro-jects.

6. To recognize the authority and responsibility of criminal justice and public safety agencies as the proper areas of administration.

History - Established in December 1967, the Louisville Metro Criminal Justice

Commission has been in continuous operation for more than 52 years, making it

one of the oldest criminal justice planning agencies in the country.

In addition to the standing committees outlined in this annual report, the Criminal Justice Commission staff continues to par-ticipate on a number of local and national criminal justice, juvenile justice, and technology-related committees and projects, as outlined below:

Local Committees:

Metro Performance Partners

Metro OPI Data Governance Committee

Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative Local Coordinator

Group

Subcommittee for Equity and Justice for all Youth (SEJAY –

Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice)

SafeStat Cross-Functional Team

Black Male Achievement Initiative (Metro United Way)

National Innovation Projects:

National Criminal Justice Coordinating Council Network

(Justice Management Institute)

Research Network for Misdemeanor Justice (John Jay

College of Criminal Justice)

Data-Driven Justice Initiative (Laura and John Arnold

Foundation)

NACo Stepping Up Large/Urban Counties Network

2019 YEAR IN REVIEW

CJC BOARD ACTIVITY

In its effort to raise awareness regarding contemporary criminal justice issues, the following special presentations were made to the Board:

Louisville Metro Public Health and Wellness Health Equity Report

T Gonzales, Center for Health Equity

Aja Barber, Center for Health Equity

OD Map Overview and Demonstration

Jennifer Jones, Louisville Metro Emergency Services

Heroin Rocket Docket

Thomas B. Wine, Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney

Ebert Haegele, Division Chief & Hero-in Prosecutor, Office of the Common-wealth’s Attorney

SAMHSA Trauma Resilient Community Project

Robin M. Hawkins Faulkner, Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods

The Bail Project

Leo Smith, Chief Public Defender/Executive Director, Louisville-Jefferson County Public Defender Corporation

Shameka Parrish-Wright, The Bail Project, Site Manager Louisville

District Court Pilot Project

Judge David Bowles, Jefferson District Court

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE Chair: D. Scott Furkin

The Legislative Committee was reconvened on September 4, 2019 and met on

three occasions. A total of 26 proposals were submitted for review by five

organizations, the Jail Policy Committee, and the Juvenile Justice Advisory

Committee. Proposals included draft amendments and others were considered

at the concept level. Twenty-five were approved by the committee: some with

opposition; and one proposal was withdrawn.

Proposals that were approved by the Legislative Committee include:

• Establish age 12 as the minimum age for criminal responsibility;

• Raise the felony theft threshold from $500 to $2,000;

• Amend the trafficking statute to distinguish between addicts who share

drugs and sellers who profit;

• Enact a “red flag” statute to remove firearms/ammunition from anyone

deemed an extreme risk to themselves or others; and

• Bail Reform—Reform Kentucky’s pretrial release system to eliminate

financial bail in most circumstances and implement a clear and convincing

evidence standard for pretrial detention.

The legislative proposals were approved by the Criminal Justice Commission

Board in October 2019 and relayed to the Jefferson County Legislative Delega-

tion, and the House and Senate Judiciary Chairs for consideration.

Accomplishments/Board Activities include:

• Welcomed two new staff members: Miranda Deaton and Stacey Ayers.

Miranda will coordinate the work of the Opportunity Network, a sub-group

of the MCJC created to bring together consumers, system decision makers,

and service providers to improve outcomes and remove barriers to success-

ful reentry for justice-involved youth and adults. Stacey will serve as pri-

mary staff support to the Domestic Violence Prevention Coordinating

Council and its various subcommittees and workgroups.

• Welcomed new Commission members: Aaron Silletto, Donald Vish, Abby

Drane, Doug Scott and Joan “Toni” Stringer.

• Presented a Certificate of Appreciation to outgoing members Jay Davidson,

Chandler Blewett, Joyce Horton Mott and Debora McGill.

2019 YEAR IN REVIEW

With public safety as the number one goal, the Jail Policy Committee provides a neutral forum for system stakeholders to meet on a regular basis to discuss issues related to the jail population. The committee is charged with using data to monitor the jail population; analyze trends and identify points of intervention; recommend changes in policy and practice to promote effective jail population management; and oversee the implementation of those recommendations.

The jail population is ultimately determined by two variables:

• Number of bookings (jail admissions)

• Average length of stay (average period of incarceration) Since both variables can be heavily influenced by the police, courts and the legislature, jail crowding is best understood as the result of policy decisions made across the entire criminal justice system; it is not created solely by the action of any one entity. Experience in responding to jail crowding has also demonstrated that jail crowding is not a problem to solve, but rather a condition to manage.

Thomas B. Wine, Co-Chair, Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney Leo Smith, Co-Chair, Louisville/Jefferson County Public Defender

2019 KEY METRICS

27,762

Bookings

1,824

Average Daily

Population

23 days

Average Length

of Stay

In July 2019 Jefferson County was selected by the Bureau of Justice

Assistance, Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program to participate in a 9-

month technical assistance project to establish a continuum of care model to

treat individuals with Opioid Use Disorder that starts in jail and extends to

treatment providers in the community. This project is a collaboration be-

tween the MCJC, Louisville Metro Department of Corrections, Louisville

Metro Public Health and Wellness and Wellpath.

2019 activities include:

• Working with expert coach, Dr. Margarita Pereyda to develop an action plan to initiate at least two of the three FDA approved

forms of medications for Opioid Use Disorder in the jail and building out a seamless continuity of care for those individuals.

• Attending two convenings in Washington DC in July 2019 and January 2020 to learn about best practices with MAT in a justice-

involved setting.

• Through start-up funding received by the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Centers for Disease Control, LMDC will hire an

additional Substance Abuse Coordinator and part-time Peer Support Specialist to coordinate OUD treatment services for

individuals during incarceration and coordinate continued community care for individuals upon release from jail.

MAT Planning Initiative

The Domestic Violence Prevention Coordinating Council

(DVPCC) was established through ordinance in 1996 to

improve interagency cooperation and communication in

the area of domestic violence and abuse. Through the work

of the DVPCC, goals and objectives include promoting

effective prevention, intervention, and treatment strategies

and to improve the response to domestic violence and

abuse so as to reduce incidents thereof.

System Response to Domestic Violence:

Assessment, Evaluation and Recommendations

2019 activities include:

• DVPCC approved the Community Assessment Report

as a blueprint for improving services for victims of

domestic and interpersonal violence.

• The Community Assessment Steering Committee was

created to begin planning and implementation of the

eighty-three recommendations that center around the

need for additional advocacy resources, improved co-

ordination and data sharing, and continual training for

all stakeholders in the areas of domestic violence.

• Partnered with Louisville Metro Office of Performance

Improvement to project manage, provide coaching and

consulting, and help guide the work.

• Identified seven subcommittees to begin prioritizing

the recommendations into formal projects. The sub-

committees include: Courts, BIP, Interagency, Train-

ing/Prevention, Legislation/Firearms, Law Enforce-

ment, and Data Collection.

2019 YEAR IN REVIEW

Launched in October 2018, the

Louisville LEAD Pilot

incorporates a new pre-arrest

diversion option for 50 individu-

als suffering from substance

abuse disorders involving opioids. LEAD is governed by the Lead

Advisory Council (LAC) who make and approve policy-level

decisions regarding the pilot program and provide administrative over-

sight.

2019 activities include:

• Police in Division 1 have diverted eleven individuals into the

community-based harm reduction program with treatment services

provided by Volunteers of America.

• Several modifications approved by the LAC include exclusionary

criteria modifications, and expansion beyond Pre-Booking Diversion

to incorporate Social Contact Referrals into the Program.

• LEAD is currently working with Outreach Officers in Division 4,

Probation and Parole and LMDC to identify individuals as social

contact referrals into the program.

Domestic Violence Prevention and Coordinating Council

Fatality Review Committee

• In 2019 the FRC reviewed a total of thirteen

cases .

• Based off the case reviews several recommen-

dations were identified including: reviewing

the effects of the change in the Mandatory Re-

porting Law and monitoring implementation of

the Ontario Domestic Abuse Risk Assessment.

• Provided education and training to the District

and Family Court Team.

The Opportunity Network Jolie Scott and Patti Echsner—Co-Chairs

About The Opportunity Network was created to bring together consumers, system decision makers, and service providers to improve outcomes and remove barriers to successful reentry for justice-involved youth and adults. The Oppor-tunity Network will drive changes in practice, policy and legislation at the local and state level, leveraging its part-nerships to do so.

First Year Goals - Update: In 2019, the ON created a five-year strategic plan of action to reduce silos in addressing policy and practices issues impacting successful reentry. A system map to assess gaps and successes in how the reentry system functions was completed. A hands-on workbook that can be given to those preparing to leave jail or prison was developed and is waiting approval by the Kentucky Department of Corrections team. The ON will partner with Indiana University Southeast for academic research, and the workbook will be piloted in four county jails that house class C/D inmates (population sample 400-500). The ON continues to advocate for change to eliminate or reduce barriers at the local, state and federal levels, and is preparing a “State of Reentry Report” that will take a look at reentry across Metro and Kentucky Counties to guide future initiatives.

Activities: Over the last six months, the ON began the planning process to host a storytelling event to address reducing stigma for people reintegrating into the community, unfortunately the event will be postponed due to the pandemic. The ON continues to build new partnerships with employment focused organizations to work on employment and em-ployer connections. The ON also developed bylaws and standard operating procedures.

2019 YEAR IN REVIEW

Citizens Commission on Police Accountability

Established by Ordinance No. 10 in March 2003, the Commission’s scope is to review closed police investigations in all police shooting cases and incidents involving loss of life due to police action. The Commis-sion advises the Chief and the Mayor on the

adequacy and quality of the investiga-tion and may recommend changes in police policy, training and procedures. In 2019, the Commission met on eight occasions to review seven cases.

CCPA BOARD

James Burch, Chair

Bhavna Gupta

Charles Ricketts

Dr. Ricky Jones

Yolanda Moore

Clarissa Mobley

Jared Smelser-Dearing

Dr. Steven Kelsey

Christine Schneider

Dr. Steven Kniffley

Corinsa Smith

2019 YEAR IN REVIEW

Purpose

The purpose of the Jefferson County Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee (JJAC) is to provide a forum for juvenile justice reform and serve as the steering committee for the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI). The JJAC is comprised of local, state, and federal juvenile justice leaders, government officials, com-munity partners, and those who have been impacted by the juvenile justice system. The activities and recommendations of the JJAC are built upon validated, data-driven criteria and objective analysis as well as collaboration among stake-holders and consensus decision-making.

Activities

Juvenile Justice Community Conversation Series

• At the end of FY19, JJAC members concluded a six part juvenile justice community conversation series. Since June of 2019, attendees of the series have met to follow up on community recommendations and several attendees have become members of the JJAC.

• Staff completed a final report which included event outcomes and a summary of community recommendations. The series engaged 212 total attendees across the six sessions with 118 unique individuals attending at least one session.

• Staff also created the Juvenile Justice Community Conversation toolkit for other jurisdictions across the state to use in the planning and implementation of community engagement events. This toolkit has been used in at least two other JDAI sites in Kentucky.

YDS Transition

• JJAC members and staff assisted in the planning and tran-sition of detention services from Louisville Metro to the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). Staff and JJAC members have continued to collaborate with DJJ to build processes of communication and data sharing.

• Initial data shows less youth are being referred to deten-tion and more youth are being supervised in the commu-nity. JJAC and community members are developing a proposal to support additional community-based alterna-tives to support these youth.

Committee Work

• The JJAC established the Education for Justice-Involved Youth Committee to identify and address educational bar-riers for justice-involved youth and partnered with the School Justice Project in Washington DC.

• The Data Subcommittee reviewed secure detention data, analyzed and discussed data of youth charged as adults, and is considering strategies for reducing the number of Jefferson County youth to Circuit Court.

COVID 19

• Currently, JJAC members are working to reduce the num-ber of youth in detention in response to COVID 19 and to identify and support justice-involved youth and their fam-ilies during this time.

Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee

Beth McMahon and Chris Brown, Co-Chairs

2019 YEAR IN REVIEW

2020 Criminal Justice Commission Board Meeting Schedule

514 West Liberty Street, Suite 106 Tel: 502 574 5088 Louisville, KY 40202

Website: www.louisvilleky.gov/CriminalJusticeCommission/

February 20, 2020

April 16, 2020

June 18, 2020

August 20, 2020

October 15, 2020

December 10, 2020

2017 Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program $400,000

2018 Port Security $182,737

2019 Improving Criminal Justice Responses to Domestic Violence

$750,000

2019 Port Security $803,015

Planning Initiative to Build Bridges between Jail and Community-Based Treatment Technical

Assistance

Building Bridges between Jail and Community-Based Treatment $93,500

Commission Grants and Opportunities