On Thursday afternoon the Oklahoma County Felony Justice Advisory Council (CJAC) held their month-to-month assembly through WebEx. Chairman Clay Bennett known as the assembly to order after establishing quorum.
The group heard a presentation from Police Chief Wade Gourley about initiatives to higher join with the neighborhood, and to handle officer wellness.A presentation was additionally given by the Honorable Choose Amy Polumbo about persevering with authorized schooling programming she will probably be providing on the Courthouse.
A subcommittee of CJAC gave an replace on plans to make the Jail a extra environment friendly surroundings, particularly by the doable addition of a brand new annex. After that, the group had the chance to signal on to a letter from CJAC to the State Legislature asking them to fund SQ781.
Authorities in response to columnist Marty Peercy
Police Replace
Police Chief Wade Gourley gave a presentation to the group about Division initiatives to hook up with the neighborhood.
Gourley briefly described a program known as Religion & Blue, whereby native police departments throughout the nation partnered with church buildings and faith-based organizations to carry occasions and city halls regionally.
Gourley mentioned OKCPD joined within the framing of a home with Habitat for Humanity. In addition they held a few meet and greets and lunches with native church buildings, and completed up the day’s lengthy program with a city corridor model assembly at Metropolis Presbyterian, the place Gourley and fellow police management took questions.
Gourley claimed that new consulting agency 21cp has continued these city halls, referring to 1 a few months in the past at a church and this week’s digital city corridor, that was not attended by Gourley or different representatives of the native PD or the native Fraternal Order of Police.
VCAT
Gourley shifted the main focus of his presentation to the Violent Felony Apprehension Staff. This can be a particular squad shaped for the particular process of apprehending folks concerned in gun-related crime or harmful felonies. Gourley mentioned this staff was accountable for fixing the homicide of Riah Thomas.
Gourley mentioned that Riah was two years outdated when she was killed in a drive-by taking pictures. Gourley mentioned that the police don’t get a variety of cooperation from folks within the space the place Riah’s household lived. The case went chilly for a while, however one 12 months to the day, the police have been capable of arrest and cost two suspects for the homicide.
Gourley mentioned that the assets obtainable to the VCAT solved that crime.
For the reason that Staff was arrange they’ve revamped 800 felony arrests, with solely 23 makes use of of pressure. Gourley mentioned that they now clear up nearly all of murder circumstances inside 24 to 72 hours.
Gourley went on to say that they’re making an attempt to construct a brand new tradition within the division. To that finish, the division has developed “core values.”
These core values are Integrity, Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Fairness. These phrases type the acronym “I CARE.”
The sanctity of life is on the coronary heart of the division, Gourley mentioned, however declined to make any feedback about any of the prison fees or wrongful dying fits towards members of the division.
Gourley mentioned that the division has launched a wellness initiative with a number of devoted officers, in addition to a service canine named Will who visits members of the Division usually.
In the course of the Public Remark portion of the assembly, native activist and regulation scholar Jess Eddy mentioned that Gourley’s presentation was disingenuous and “performative.” Eddy mentioned that Gourley has but to carry a constructive dialog with neighborhood members with legit grievances towards the division.
“This received’t be solved by creating cute acronyms or strolling a canine across the division,” Eddy mentioned.
Choose Palumbo
Choose Amy Palumbo of the District Court docket gave a short presentation on plans for ongoing authorized schooling alternatives.
Palumbo mentioned that her audience for the Lunch and Be taught program is attorneys who’ve been training prison regulation for fewer than three years, although she additionally welcomes different prison regulation attorneys who would merely wish to brush up on finest practices.
The collection of studying alternatives will characteristic partnership with native companies for purchasers and households.
District 2 County Commissioner Brian Maughan’s workplace will give a presentation on Maughan’s SHINE program. Different teams will give displays on diversion applications and neighborhood sentencing. These teams will embrace drug courtroom, psychological well being courtroom, ReMerge, and others.
The District Lawyer’s workplace will even convey a presentation for these desirous to study extra about their position.
Choose Palumbo managed to get this chance licensed by the Oklahoma Bar Affiliation to think about this program as one hour of Persevering with Authorized Training, one thing that every one Bar members are anticipated to pursue yearly.
Amenities Enhancements
CJAC members Dan Straughan and Sue Ann Arnall gave an replace on their subcommittee that’s taking a look at facility enhancements.
Arnall deferred to Straughan to start their presentation.
Straughan mentioned that their first process was to actually have a look at the constructed surroundings of the Jail facility. He mentioned the medical ward and consumption each want a variety of work. The present medical facility is on the twelfth ground of the 13-floor Jail. Consumption is crowded and tough.
Straughan referenced Flip Key Well being, the healthcare supplier for the Jail, who gave a presentation to CJAC some months again. Flip Key used the Tulsa County Jail for instance of how consumption must be used.
Tulsa’s consumption course of is designed to maintain folks from being put in a cell for so long as doable. One of many propositions for the recommended Annex some members of CJAC want to construct, is to incorporate a courtroom to hurry up the method of releasing new detainees on bonds.
Straughan mentioned that the subcommittee was at some extent within the course of the place they want the experience of a advisor to assist decide what their wants are and what the feasibility of assembly these wants could be, and to assist design an environment friendly ground plan.
Arnall mentioned that proper now the Jail isn’t sure what it’s inhabitants demographics actually are, and the way many individuals they need to really construct for.
New database software program, Jail Tracker, has enormously improved the Jail’s skill to seek out out who’s within the jail, for the way lengthy, and for what offenses. Beforehand, if someone needed to know the way many individuals have been being detained for home violence fees, it will be a painstaking process to arrange a report.
Arnall mentioned that there are at the moment 412 individuals who have been on the Jail for over six months. She mentioned that the logistical effort of merely transferring detainees across the Jail usually leads to folks being held and never seeing their legal professional till they’re current for his or her first courtroom date.
The group voted to draft an RFP for consultants to bid on offering companies. Government Director Tim Tardibono defined that the price range for this advisor would come from carry-over cash that CJAC already has.
SQ 781
Of their remaining little bit of official enterprise, CJAC thought-about a decision to ship a letter to the Oklahoma State Legislature encouraging them to fund State Query 781.
SQ 781 was handed by the voters of Oklahoma in 2016, coupled with SQ 780. 780 was a prison justice reform invoice that handed with quite a lot of bipartisan help.
Nevertheless, over the following couple of years, some legislators tried to say the folks of Oklahoma didn’t perceive what they have been voting for, and tried to strip the invoice of its tooth.
SQ 781 was the funding mechanism for the 2 state questions.
Thursday’s decision was to ask the state to really fund the companies supplied for underneath SQ780. After dialogue of funding mechanisms for poor counties with fewer applications, the group permitted the decision with some minor “pleasant” amendments.
CJAC meets month-to-month. The subsequent assembly is scheduled for Could 20 at 3:00 p.m. Chairman Clay Bennett mentioned that he expects to fulfill in particular person at the moment.
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Final Up to date April 15, 2023, 7:39 PM by Brett Dickerson – Editor
The publish Felony Justice Advisory Council continues effort to handle Jail points appeared first on Oklahoma Metropolis Free Press.
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