HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 01241989 - 2.1 a• I
Z'b BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
FROM: Phil Batchelor
DATE: January 13, 1989
SUBJECT: Electronic Surveillance Home Detention Program
Specific Request(s) or Recommendations(s) & Background & Justification
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Authorize the establishment of an Electronic Surveillance Home Detention Program
operated by the Sheriff-Coroner, as provided by Penal Code Section 1203.016, for
eligible mimimum security inmates, and prescribe per subsection (g), a program
administrative fee, not to exceed the pro rata cost of the electronic suveillance
device, and the cost of administration of the program, to be collected by the
Sheriff-Coroner from each home detention participant according to his or her
ability to pay.
2. Approve the addition of one Sheriff's Specialist and one Senior Clerk to
accomplish this program.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Sheriff's staff project revenues from application fees and program participation fees
of $75,400 for the first year. The County will also save at least $36,500 from not
having to feed and clothe 20 inmates per day who are in the program. The net program
cost of $6,800 will be absorbed in the Sheriff's budget through savings.
REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION/BACKGROUND:
The Board of Supervisors has a long-standing commitment to maximize the use of
alternatives to incarceration consistent with public safety (Resolution No. 76.201),
and has referred the study and development of additional alternatives to incarceration
to the County Administrator and justice agencies (Board Order dated April 23, 1985).
The County's adult detention facilities, continue to operate over the rated bed
capacity. The West County Justice Center will not open until July 1990 and the
current facilities have limited expansion,capability.
Penal Code 1203.016 authorizes the Board of Supervisors of any county to allow the
sheriff or corrections administrator to offer a program whereby minimum security
inmates and low risk offenders may voluntarily participate in a home detention
program, involving monitoring or supervising devices in lieu of confinement in the
county correctional facility. Penal Code 1203.016 also allows the collection of fees
to administer such a program, not to exceed the pro at cost of ini tration of the
program.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES Signature: 04
Recommendation of County Administrator
Recommendation of Board Committee
Approve Other
Signature(s):
Action of Board on: Qkm f da_y Approved as Recommended Other
Vote of Supervisors: I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
Unanimous (Absent ) AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE
Ayes: Noes: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON DATE SHOWN.
Absent: Abstain: G G
Attested: �/ O
cc: Sheriff-Coroner Ph' Batchelor, Clerk of
CAO-Justice System Programs th Board of Supervisors
Justice System Executive Council and County Administrator
By: DEPUTY
/r
Page 2
The Sheriff Coroner has developed a proposal for a pilot Electronic Surveillance Home
Detention Program. The program will reduce the current jail population by 20 persons
per day. Participants will be restricted to their own residences on a strict schedule
that allows work, school and participation in approved programs or counseling. Curfew
restrictions will be enforced by the use of computer technology. Fees will be
collected for persons with an ability to pay. The court may restrict or deny an
offender's participation in the home detention program.
The concept of an electronic surveillance home detention program has the support of
the Justice System Executive Council (12-5-88) and the Correctional and Detention
Services Advisory Commission (1-09-89).
• 1
Sheritf-Coroner } SHERIFF K. Rainey
Cj�t� SHERIFF-CORONER
Rupt
P O Box 391 Costa Warren E. herr
Martinez. California 94553-0039 �.�}, Assistant Sheriff
(415) 646- County 11 V Gerald T.Milosinks
�`1 Assistant Sheriff
Rodger L.Davis
Assistant Sheriff
Electronic Surveillance
Home Detention Program Proposal
Program Need
The County's adult detention facilities continue to operate over the rated
bed capacity. The average daily population of the detention system for
the most recent five-month period (July-November 1988) was 1310.
Forty-eight perdent over the capacity of 886.
The West County Justice Center will not open until July 1990 and the
current detention facilities have limited expansion capability.
There are a number of incarcerated adults in Contra Costa County who could
be safely placed in the community if monitored continuously. These
adults could benefit from a tightly structured program allowing them to
work but remain at home during all other times. These inmates could then
pay for their care as well as pay for program supervision costs (per P.C.
1203.016).
The Sheriff's Department has successfully operated a number of
community-based alternative programs for sentenced offenders. These
programs include:
1. Work Furlough. Eligible inmates are allowed to go to work, school
or provide child care, but must return to custody when not engaged in the
allowed activit•,. There were 84 persons per day on work furlough from June
R vember. 1988. Inmates contributed $293,000 toward their custody costs
during Fiscal Year 1987-88.
2. Work Alternative Project. Persons sentenced to less than 30 days
in custody may be eligible to work on public projects rather than spend
their sentence in jail. The program is self supporting (having collected
revenues in excess of $640,000) since its inception and has provided over
450,000 hours of work at local public and non-profit agencies. There are
about 60 prisoners per day working on public projects.
3. County Parole and Maximum Supervision Parole Program (MSPP). The
MSPP program was implemented (October 1987) as a pilot program to allow the
use of county parole more extensively in Contra Costa County. The premise
is that direct supervision and frequent contacts with biweekly alcohol,
drug testing, and counseling of selected offenders will result in less
recidivism. The program has focused on the early release of inmates
completing the DEUCE program (alcohol rehabilitation program at MCDF and
Work Furlough Center) and release of inmates to residential drug/alcohol
rehabilitation programs.
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Seventy-six percent of persons granted parole are also probationers who are
assigned to regular supervision probation caseloads. 'There is cooperative
supervision of these parolees by DPO's and Sheriff's staff.
Between October 1987 and July 1988, 115 inmates were granted parole; 50
were granted straight parole and 65 were assigned to the MSPP. Seven
parolees have been returned to custody; two for new criminal charges and
five for technical violations of parole conditions, e.g. , failed drug test.
As of November 1988, there were 21 inmates on straight parole and 30
inmates on the MSPP.
These programs are effective in helping to manage the .jail population and
providing constructive alternatives for persons in the Sheriff's custody.
There are still inmates, however, remaining in custody who could maintain a
productive lifestyle in the community if under intense supervision.
Program Objectives
The Electronic Surveillance Home Detention Program is a pilot program to
test the feasibility of releasing selected inmates from custody and
supervising them in the community through the use of electronic monitoring.
Eligibility criteria for the program includes:
1. Low risk minimum security offenders who are sentenced and have not
been denied or restricted participation by the court, and have at least 30
days to serve.
2. Contra Costa County residents.
3. Telephone or ability to obtain a telephone.
4. Persons willing to agree to the electronic home detention
conditions.
Inmates who cannot cooperate due to mental illness or retardation or have
patterns of addiction, violence, failure to appear, flight, parole or
or probation violations will not be eligible for the program.
Completion of program participants' sentences in the community without
violation of the terms of release will result in savings in County
detention costs and greater numbers of persons being self sufficient and
responsible for the care of themselves and their families.
a) In the first year of operation, the program will supervise a
minimum of 20 persons per day in the community through the use of
electronic monitoring. As the program demonstrates a capability to
supervise offenders effectively, the number of participants may be
expanded.
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b) Fees will be collected from persons with an ability to pay. The
fee is based on earnings (a minimum fee of $5.00 or an amount equal to
one-hour's gross wage). Most participants will pay $7-18 a day. The
average charge will be $10 per day.
Estimated revenue is $75,400 for the first year of operation. (This
includes application fees estimated at $2,400. )
c) The program will have a return to custody rate of no more than 6%
of program participants.
d) The program will save the County the marginal incarceration cost
for the number of days program participants would have been in custody.
The amount of savings is estimated at $36,500.
Program Method
Program services begin with an application by an inmate. Information about
the inmate is verified by Sheriff's Department staff. Information is
obtained on arrest history, work record, address, insurance, vehicle and
probation reports.
If an inmate is accepted into the program an electronic surveillance home
detention agreement will be developed and signed.
Participants will be restricted to their own residents on a strict schedule
that - allows work, school and participation in approved programs or
counseling. There will be a minimum of twice per week checks (home,
employment, counseling), drug/alcohol testing and curfew checks.
"Incarceration costs" are often difficult to estimate. The Sheriff's
Department charges the State of California $48. 43/day to house one
prisoner, but because this fee includes many fixed costs, it overstates the
actual marginal costs per day for individual additional prisoners.
Marginal costs become "real" costs when the number of additional prisoners
reaches a point that new jail capacity must be built and staffed. The
marginal cost for feeding and housing of additional prisoners in existing
bedspace with no additional staff resources is currently slightly higher
than $5/day.
3
Curfew restrictions will be enforced by the use of computer technology.
Compliance will be ensured by a tamper-proof, non-removable transmitter
bracelet which will be worn 24 hours a day. Monitoring will be
accomplished by an Intelligent Monitoring Unit attached to the residence
telephone connected electronically by telephone lines to a computer at the
Custody Alternatives Bureau.
Sheriff's Department staff will monitor inmates and follow-up any equipment
notifications that a participant is not at home during the required time.
The electronic monitoring equipment will be leased from a vendor. The
vendor will be responsible for equipment maintenance, service and support
and any necessary modifications to the software.
Program Evaluation
Electronic Surveillance Home Detention Program staff will keep program
statistics. Statistics collected will include:
a) number of applications
b) number of approved applications
c) fees collected
d) number of violations (rearrests and technical violations)
e) electronic monitoring statistics including costs, false
alarms, equipment failures
f) average daily population of program
g) custody days saved
Justice Systems Programs staff will analyze the statistics and draft a
first year evaluation of the pilot program.
Sponsoring Agency
The Electronic Surveillance Home Detention. Program is administered by the
Sheriff's Department. The program will be placed in the Custody
Alternatives Bureau. The Bureau is responsible for the following
programs:
Custody Alternatives Bureau
Work .Alternatives Program (WAP)
County Parole
Maximum Supervision Parole Program
Electronic Surveillance Home Detention
The Custody Alternatives Bureau is currently staffed by one sergeant,
two clerks, one Sheriff's Specialist, two Sheriff's Aides, and 0
to four light duty deputies.
A Sheriff's Specialist and a senior clerk will be added to operate the
Electronic Surveillance Home Detention Program.
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Estimated Program Cost
a. Personnel Services (including benefits cost)
1 Sheriff's Specialist $34,400
1 Senior Clerk 25,942
b. Equipment
Lease of Electronic Equipment (20
inmates per day x $8/day) 58,400
Program Cost $118,742.
Estimated Revenue - 75,400
Per Diem Custody
Savings @ $5/day - 36,500
Net Program Cost $ 6,842