These interesting items were mentioned in an email received this morning from the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition:
JJ Report Released TodayCoalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ) released its first-ever national report on state compliance with the federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA). Titled
A Pivotal Moment: Sustaining the Success and Enhancing the Future of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, the report provides an eye-opening account of the present challenges facing states as they work to comply with the JJDPA and effectively argues for a recommitment by the federal government to promote JJDPA standards and to provide continued support for states in their delinquency prevention and juvenile justice reform efforts.
To download the full report click
here .
To download the executive summary click
here .
* * *
Key Parole StudyCitizens Alliance on Prisons and Public Spending (CAPPS) recently released a
study entitled
Denying parole at first eligibility: How much public safety does it actually buy? Key findings of the study include: 1) parole denial upon initial eligibility does very little to reduce crime rates, 2) people convicted of homicide and sex offenses rarely commit new crimes, and 3) increased time served does not increase the likelihood of success upon release.
To view full copy of the report click
here.
Innovative Program of the MonthBell County Community Supervision and Corrections Department recently established a substance abuse/post-traumatic stress disorder program designed to assist probationers who have been in military combat operations to better cope with post-traumatic stress disorders caused by their military experience. The program provides participants with alternative tools and strategies to help them stop the use of alcohol or controlled substances. This program, run by Phyllis Davis, MA., LCDC, CART, CAS, is twelve-weeks long and requires individuals to participate in both group and individual counseling and undergo acupuncture twice a week to help relieve stress and anxiety in support of counseling efforts. Congratulations to Todd Jermstad and his team for being part of the solution! For more information about the program, please click here ! |
Must Attend Policy ConferenceThe University Texas at El Paso will hold a Global Public Policy Forum discussing a 21st century approach to the U.S. war on drugs. This forum seeks to identify policies that will assist communities affected by drug use, addiction, and related drug war violence that impacts border communities and beyond. Experts will discuss the history, success, and failures of the war on drugs movement and its impact on communities along the Mexico and U.S. border. Researchers will also discuss the social consequences of the war on drugs and suggest alternative strategies and policy proposals to effectively address the needs of affected communities. The conference will be held September 20-22, 2009. Click here to see video on the conference. |
thanks Scott!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to Todd Jermstad for what?
ReplyDeleteIf Todd wants to to really fix something he screwed up in 2005, he needs to fix House Bill 1326.
For those you who don't know about that particular bill, in short here goes. House Bill 1326 was created so that all the Criminal District Judges in Texas were relieved of any liability in the operations of the Adult Probation Departments in their respective counties in Texas. Prior to passing of House Bill 1326, those District Court Judges could involve themselves in the operations, management and or a final decision making, of an appeal process of an disciplinary proceeding involving an Adult Probation Officer, at any Adult Probation Department.
After passage of House Bill 1326, those District Court Judges are forbidden BY LAW to involve themselves in the operation, management and any appeal process of a disciplinary proceeding against an officer.
For example, if an Adult Probation officer was WRONGFULLY FIRED by the Director of that particular Adult Probation Department, that officer could APPEAL the Director's decision before a higher authority (a panel of three District Court Judges).
After house bill 1326 was passed in March 2005,
it took away any APPEAL process an Adult Probation Officer had. The decision of the Director is FINAL and an officer could not appeal that Director's decision. An officer's only remedy now is a LAWSUIT.
What Mr Jermstad and those Ignorant State Legislatures failed to provide in House Bill 1326 was an APPEAL replacement mechanism such as an independent/unbiased body of individuals (for example: A Civil Service board) that any WRONGFULLY Terminated Probation officer could APPEAL a Director's decision to.
One need not look any further than to the Adult Probation Officers in Bexar County where numerous officers were Wrongfully fired by Director Bill Fitzgerald. As of this date, there are still 8 Lawsuits that have been filed against Mr Fitzgerald, his cronies and the Department itself.
So, Mr Jermstad, if you want to FIX your screw up, FIX House Bill 1326????????????