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TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
FROM: Supervisor Tom TorlaksonContra
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DATE: March 18, 1986 County
SUBJECT: COURT DOUBLE SHIFTS
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Refer to the County Administrator and the
Internal Operations Committee to investigate the double shift concept,
as another means of addressing our space needs and growing workload.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Our own Contra Costa County court
overcrowing problem is serious. We recently implemented night court
which will have a positive impact on reducing the day calendar.
Double shifts may be another modification that could add to the
solution to the overcrowded court rooms. The attached article
provides some background on a program launched 'in Los Angeles County
to add a second shift to their court system.
TT:gro
Attachment
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: j
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
V�
SIGNATURE(S)
ACTION OF BOARD ON -- MArrh 18. 1 9,96 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER x
The Board referred the above matter to the County Administrator, the Justice Department's
Executive Council and the Finance Committee to investigate the double shift concept as
another means- 'of addressing space needs- and growing workload.
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
X _ UNANIMOUS (ABSENT ) I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
AYES: NOES: AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD
OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
CC: County Administrator ATTESTED March 18, 1986
Justice Dept. Executive Council rhil eor, Werk
Finance Committee &VammabdCa11otyAdmainUd r
M3e2/7-83 BY DEPUTY
FEBRUARY 15, 1986 CAL-TAX NEWS 8
COSTCUTTER
L.A. court double shift aims to. save county $10 million
Los Angeles County last week end of the current fiscal year, June 30.
launched a program to add a second shift j2 i= The staff acknowledges arguments pro
in one municipal court and three superior SHIFT SRI and con for the system.
courts with the goal of eventual expan- Among the concerns,even though all
sion and saving$10 million in capital and parties have agreed to the pilot,are that
operating costs. / judicial officers and staff will need to
An alternative to double sessions,ac- work "unusual hours," says Chief Ad
cording to the chief administrative office j/ ministrative Officer James Hankla, and
(CAO), would be to construct four more they must share chambers and office
courtrooms for an estimated $1,920,000 space.
each, plus land and design and develop- Another is that, while the pilot ad-
ment costs of about 30%. dresses potential problems with regard to
Double shifts are starting as a pilot in "impanelment of adequate juries and
downtown courts hearing only felony public safety, actual avoidance of these
cases.Eighty county superior courts hear and other potential problems is not
criminal cases exclusively while municipal guaranteed."
courts generally hear criminal and civil When Hankla presented his recom-
cases. mendation to the Board of Supervisors
The new sessions will be limited to the last November he said the pilot would be
four courts to test their impact and effec- periodically monitored and reported to
tiveness before expanding, says Mike the board.
Henry, a CAO chief analyst. • It costs less to house inmates after `With the concurrence of the
The innovation will cost an estimated sentencing than before, and expensive presiding judges of the Superior Court
$1.7 million through June and $3.3 transportation between jail and court- and Los Angeles Municipal Court,"said
million a year following costs that house is avoided. Hankla,"I strongly feel that the pilot has
would have come whether the county extreme value as a means for the board
built four more courtrooms or turned to Another change to accelerate the pro- and the courts to address future facility
double sessions, Henry says. cess is reducing time for preparing pre- requirements..."
sentence probation reports to 21 days Henry says this is the first court dou-
Sheriff Sherman Block gave impetus from 28 in the superior'court central ble session of its kind in the country.He
to court innovation when he wrote a letter district. notes that the program has attracted
to the Board of Supervisors last fall, Block has custody on an average day wide attention in the criminal justice field
noting the slow-moving criminal courts of 17,000 to 18,000 inmates — in eight and that its progress will be closely
process and overcrowded jail conditions. jails with state-approved capacity for followed by jurisdictions around the
Accelerating the process can relieve 11,800 — and 67% are awaiting judg- country.
jail crowding and expense in two ways: ment.The CAO staff estimates 600 addi- The pilot was supported by all coun-
• Inmates utlimately convicted spend tional cases a year can be handled in the ty agencies in the system and also recom-
less time at cost to the county before go four double session courts. mended to the board by the Countywide
ing to state prisons, and those found in- The CAO expected to implement full Criminal Justice Coordination
nocent are released sooner. operation of double sessions around the Committee. -