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Published byArron Charles Modified over 9 years ago
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President’s Report on Alternative Birmingham City Court Practices & Municipal Jail Reform Submitted by Birmingham City Council President, Carole Smitherman To the Mayor of Birmingham, Larry P. Langford
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Philosophy The municipal court sentencing is not intended to be punitive, rather, rehabilitative in nature…….. The municipal court sentencing is not intended to be punitive, rather, rehabilitative in nature…….. The municipal court process must be looked The municipal court process must be looked at holistically…..
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Money Matters The City of Birmingham Corrections Fund projects…… “ by implementing new, court-related fees and fines, and by enforcing (currently un-enforced) existing state law, this will allow a municipality to recover a misdemeanant’s cost of incarceration.”
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Summary of Recommendations Audit of municipal jail inmate population to determine sentence lengths and balance of outstanding fines Audit of municipal jail inmate population to determine sentence lengths and balance of outstanding fines Pretrial Intervention Program Pretrial Intervention Program Implement a home detention/monitoring program for qualifying offenders Implement a home detention/monitoring program for qualifying offenders Charge probation fees Charge probation fees 23/23 Work Release/Community Service Program 23/23 Work Release/Community Service Program Inmates pay cost of incarceration per State and City Codes Inmates pay cost of incarceration per State and City Codes Alternative (cost effective) sentencing
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Establish a Community Court with a fulltime Judge, Prosecutor, Clerk and Bailiff Establish a Community Court with a fulltime Judge, Prosecutor, Clerk and Bailiff Drugs & Alcohol Drugs & Alcohol Community Incidents Community Incidents Environmental Court Environmental Court Defensive Driving Defensive Driving Homeless Court Homeless Court Mental Health Court Mental Health Court Teen Court Teen Court Victim/Offender Mediation Program Victim/Offender Mediation Program Dedicated Bi-lingual services Dedicated Bi-lingual services Summary of Recommendations SCHEDULE/PERSONNEL
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Summary of Recommendations Appoint full-time Domestic Violence prosecutor Warrant Surrender Program (Street Sweep) Assign additional police officers to be dedicated to the court system Move Probation Department to Youth Services/create additional courtroom All Magistrates become full-time personnel Add four additional fulltime magistrates Renew contract with Legal Aid Society of Birmingham Locate court referral service providers onsite Implement Friday Court sessions Implement Friday Court sessions Conduct Evening and Saturday Court at the Southside facility Conduct Evening and Saturday Court at the Southside facility Initiate a Lunch Court for individuals electing to request Initiate a Lunch Court for individuals electing to request Mayor to appoint 5-member Parole Board in compliance with lawsuit Mayor to appoint 5-member Parole Board in compliance with lawsuit The Parole Department to be under jurisdiction of the Mayor The Parole Department to be under jurisdiction of the Mayor The Office of Probation to be under the jurisdiction of the Court System The Office of Probation to be under the jurisdiction of the Court System Schedule Domestic Violence cases on Tuesdays and Wednesdays Schedule Domestic Violence cases on Tuesdays and Wednesdays SCHEDULE/PERSONNEL, continued
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Expansion of municipal court Facilities in Downtown Expansion of municipal court Facilities in Downtown Expansion of Southside municipal court facilities Expansion of Southside municipal court facilities Ensley municipal court facility must be brought into ADA compliance Ensley municipal court facility must be brought into ADA compliance Move probation department to youth services building Move probation department to youth services building Birmingham-Jefferson Regional Jail Birmingham-Jefferson Regional Jail Summary of Recommendations STRUCTURAL Inmate voter rights Inmate voter rights Inside out program Inside out program Bewhoyouwannabe Program Bewhoyouwannabe Program EDUCATION-BASED CRIME INITIATIVES EDUCATION-BASED CRIME PREVENTION INITIATIVES Prepared By: DeJuana L. Thompson
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President’s Report on Alternative Birmingham City Court Practices & Municipal Jail Reform Submitted by Birmingham City Council President, Carole Smitherman To the Mayor of Birmingham, Larry P. Langford
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