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Creating and Running a County-wide Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC):

Creating and Running a County-wide Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC):. The Winona County Experience. What is a CJCC?.

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Creating and Running a County-wide Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC):

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  1. Creating and Running a County-wide Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC): The Winona County Experience

  2. What is a CJCC? An inclusive term applied to informal and formal committees that provide a forum where many key justice system agency officials and other officials of general government may discuss justice system issues.

  3. Why the need for a CJCC? • By design, the criminal justice system is fragmented • No central authority manages it. • No one branch or level of government is responsible for the entire process. • There is great dispersion of power among divergent forces. • Key participants may have diametrically opposed interests. • Lack of communication/coordination can result in inefficient use of resources, system delays and decreased public safety

  4. What is the purpose of a CJCC? • Focus on policy and program level planning

  5. What is the purpose of a CJCC? • Meet the entire system needs, not the individual agency (though that can result) • Devote time for planning to plan • Remain neutral, credible and stable • Provide for ongoing self-evaluation • Maintain independent functions of each agency • Encourage interagency communication and coordination

  6. What are the benefits of a CJCC? • Better understanding of crime and criminal justice problems • Greater cooperation among agencies and units of local government • Clearer objectives and priorities • More effective resource allocation • Better quality criminal justice programs and personnel All of the above can lead to increased public confidence in and support for they system and integrity of the law.

  7. How does a CJCC get started? • The classic “legal” answer—it depends! • Consultants may recommend the need for a CJCC • A crisis may lead to the need for collaboration • One or more key leaders may step forward in support of a CJCC (or similar forum) • Financial pressure may force collaboration

  8. What is the authority for a CJCC? • Some coordinating groups operate informally, BUT • The effectiveness of the group will be enhanced by a degree of independence and legitimacy accorded by formal authorization • May be established by a joint resolution of local governments, joint powers agreement, municipal ordinance, resolution of county government, statute or executive order

  9. Creation of a CJCC--The Winona County Experience • 2001 – County requested technical assistance (TA) from National Institute of Corrections – Jails Division to evaluate need for a new jail due to jail overcrowding. Experts recommend, among other things, the formation of a CJCC. • 2007- County requested TA to form a CJCC. TA providers conducted interviews of key stakeholders and held a formation session in May of 2007. • June 5, 2007- County Board establishes by resolution and funds the Winona County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.

  10. What is the structure of a CJCC? • Most CJCCs have a chairperson and vice-chairperson • The chair and vice-chair typically also serve on a steering or executive committee • Most CJCCs have standing committees and ad hoc (special purpose) committees • Many CJCCs utilize workgroups to perform the work delegated to them by Committees

  11. Structure of a CJCC—The Winona County Experience • Chairperson – Sally Cumiskey (Court Administrator) • Vice-Chairperson – Karin Sonneman (Assistant Public Defender) • Executive Committee: • Chairperson • Vice-Chairperson • County Administrator – Duane Hebert • Executive Director – Kalene Engel • Five standing committees; three special purpose committees besides the Executive Committee • Multiple workgroups

  12. Structure of a CJCC—The Winona County Experience

  13. What is the membership of a CJCC? • Should be broadly representative of both local and elected officials of general government and appointed criminal justice agency administrator’s from within the county’s geographic boundaries • Should include four categories of members: • Justice officials (County attorney, judge, etc.) • Officials of general government (county commissioner, city council member) • Officials of related non-justice agencies (social services) • Public members (community leaders)

  14. Membership of a CJCC—The Winona County Experience

  15. Membership of a CJCC—The Winona County Experience

  16. What guides the operations of a CJCC? • Bylaws: should be developed to govern day-to-day business of the CJCC and delineate powers and duties of members and staff. • Mission Statement: A mission statement is more concerned with the overall aim of the organization—a simple statement of the company’s reason for being. It concentrates on the present. It informs you of the desired level of performance. • Vision Statement: A vision statement is about what the organization hopes to become. It defines the desired or intended future state of a specific organization in terms of its fundamental objective or strategic direction. It concentrates on the future. It is a source of inspiration.

  17. CJCC Bylaws & Mission Statement—The Winona County Experience • Bylaws: See example in materials • Mission Statement: To accomplish its vision, the Council will work systematically and cooperatively to review the elements of the criminal justice system and take an innovative approach to developing and evaluating proposals for change.

  18. CJCC Vision Statement --The Winona County Experience The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council brings together the participating agencies in the criminal justice system with representatives of local governments and the public.  The Council seeks to assure for Winona County a criminal justice system that is fair and just, that provides for the public's safety, offers real opportunities for individuals to change the direction of their lives through rehabilitation and makes the best use of the public's funds.

  19. How is the CJCC staffed? • Size of staff support depends upon jurisdiction • CJCC will not work well unless it has staff support • Staff members need to provide skills in three basic areas: • Analytical skills and experience; • Practical experience and an understanding of justice system agencies and processes • Political, managerial and administrative capacities to get along well with CJCC members and justice agencies.

  20. What are typical CJCC staff duties? • Staff CJCC meeting/committees/workgroups • Prepare agendas/meeting packets, take minutes, schedule meetings • Prepare public relations materials (website, brochures, press releases, fair booth materials, etc.) • Coordinate agency efforts • Plan for resource allocation and review agency budgets • Prepare grant applications and manage grants • Design, implement and evaluate programs • Provide technical/research assistance, training and information • Coordinate strategic planning efforts • Mediate interagency disputes

  21. CJCC Staff—The Winona Experience • No staff hired until March of 2008 • Until then, agencies were devoting some of their staff time to the position and contracted facilitator was used • Currently one part-time staff person, contracted with Winona County • Most of success of CJCC occurred after hiring staff person

  22. How do you evaluate the CJCC? • Poll CJCC members and public • Perform ongoing evaluations of performance of CJCC (Strategic Planning Sessions) • Strategic planning is an organization’s process of defining its strategy, or direction, and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this strategy. Strategic planning is the formal consideration of an organization’s future course. • What did the CJCC accomplish? • What benefit did this provide? (monetary or otherwise) • Was the accomplishment consistent with its vision/mission?

  23. Evaluation of a CJCC—The Winona Experience • Each Committee also has a Committee Charge • Annual Strategic Planning Sessions • Facilitation by a CJCC Council Member • Committees provide self-evaluations in months leading up to Planning Session • For funding source, try to equate success in terms of cost avoidance/cost savings

  24. Outcomes of a CJCC—The Winona Experience • Community Outreach • Student Interns and Volunteers • Speaker’s Bureau • Winona County Fair • Legislative Visits • Courthouse Open House • Crime Prevention Committee • Social Host Ordinance • Best Practices • ZAP Grant • Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws College Enforcement Grant

  25. Outcomes of a CJCC—The Winona Experience

  26. Outcomes of a CJCC—The Winona Experience

  27. Outcomes of a CJCC—The Winona Experience

  28. Student Internship Program

  29. Student Internship Program

  30. Outcomes of a CJCC—The Winona County Experience • Courts Committee • Public Defender In-Jail Screenings • Conciliation Court Referees

  31. Outcomes of a CJCC—The Winona County Experience • Juvenile Justice Committee • Youth Support Program • Adolescent Substance Abuse Class • Therapeutic Foster Care • Jail and Jail Alternatives Committee • CARE (Community Assessment and Reintegration) Program • A re-entry program for ex-offenders • Received a $386,210 ARRA Grant from Office of Justice Programs

  32. Checklist for forming a CJCC • Determine need for an interest in forming a CJCC • Contact a number of key stakeholders; determine whether they will support formation of CJCC • Determine whether an existing group can form the basis for a CJCC or whether a new group must be formed • Decide on geographic scope of CJCC—countywide or other • Decide who must authorize CJCC • Draft a proposed statement of purpose for CJCC • Draft an authorization document or charge

  33. Checklist for forming a CJCC (cont.) • Determine the structure and administrative location • Draft bylaws for consideration by the CJCC and/or authorizing groups • Determine representation and membership • Select the chair and vice-chair • Determine executive committee and standing committees or task forces • Decide who votes, when and how • Develop guidelines for establishing meeting agendas

  34. Checklist for forming a CJCC (cont.) • Determine whether a workshop in a retreat setting with a trained facilitator is needed • Determine financing for the CJCC • Identify the number and type of staff that will be needed; hire and train staff • Develop a method for evaluating the CJCC and for reinvigorating it if it begins to go into decline. • Plan ways to celebrate success and demonstrate benefits of CJCC

  35. Resource List • U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Corrections: Guidelines for Developing a Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee (http://nicic.gov/pubs/2002/017232.pdf) • U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Corrections: Getting it Right: Collaborative Problem Solving for Criminal Justice (http://nicic.gov/Downloads/PDF/Library/019834.pdf)

  36. Questions Kalene Engel, Executive Director Winona County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council 171 West Third Street Winona, MN 55987 Phone: (507) 454-7770 E-mail: kalene@engellawoffice.com www.winonacountycjcc.org

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