Consensus Questions for the Leag

Thothese figures are for 1994-2003 in Guilford County, so some things have improved or perhaps are being overlooked as the courts try to handle more serious crimes.

From the Civics 103 Session on Alternatives to Incarceration

Notes by Trudy Whitacre and Carol Fleming

Yvonne Johnson, Executive Director of One Step Further, Inc. explained that One Step Further is a private, nonprofit United Way agency that has served the citizens of Guilford County since 1982. It recommends sentencing options for adults and juveniles, and provides mediation services, life skills/conflict resolution training, juvenile work sites for unpaid community service and victim restitution, and opportunities for juveniles and their families to resolve conflicts positively.

Gerry Blake is director of DelanceyStreet, a 2 year treatment center with a rehabilitation program for offenders run by offenders. The program funds itself through businesses the residents run, the main one being Delancey Street Moving Company, but landscaping and retail sales as well. As each new person comes into the program, the previous person teaches the new person the rules and routine. Obtaining a GED is encouraged. The last 90 days in the Delancey Street program focuses on securing a job.

Cliff Lovett is director of Malachi House, a rehabilitation program designed to reduce crime and substance abuse. This program reaches out to men and their families. It has an apprenticeship program working with veterinarians as lab techs, working with carpenters, etc. Other work sites include the Guilford County Animal shelter and Furniture Market. Life skills classes, including teaching residents how to be employable, are taught in the evenings. GED courses are offered as well since many are not high school graduates. Character and Ethics, Anger Management, Drug Abuse Counseling, Consumer Savy, and Computer Programs help those who have made a commitment that to change. Presently there are 90 students. Malachi House has a 43% success rate.

Summit House is a residential facility for women who have young children or are pregnant and is an alternative to sentencing.

The Day Reporting Center is a program for 16 to 25 year olds which lasts 6-9 months. The goals of the program are to build self esteem, teach good health and hygiene habits and educate the residents.

Guilford County Jail Study

(Kimme report)

· The High Point and Greensboro jails are over capacity. The designed capacity of the two is 610, the rated capacity is 672, but the average daily population is 866, 29% above rated capacity and 42% over designed capacity.

· The highest single day count was 952.

· By the year 2025 the projected need is 1732 beds.

· The Greensboro jail is dangerous and antiquated and needs replacement or major security improvements.

· Currently one officer is in charge of 80 inmates in the jail and that number can go up to one officer in charge of 160. In efficient new jails, the ratio is one officer for 64 inmates, but the preferred ration is one to 48!

· 14.2 % of inmates are in jail on drug related charges.

· Guilford has a wide range of alternatives. 49% of offenders receive alternatives and fail.

· National jail incarceration per 100,000 population is 243. Guilford County’s is 193.

· Guilford takes an average of 184 days to dispose of a felony case, while, by way of contrast in NC, Mecklenburg takes 241 days.

Cases filed in Guilford County
In general a high percentage of guilty pleas and a low percentage of dismissals suggests that a county is filing quality cases. In Guilford County 70% of the felony cases filed result in a guilty plea. The state-wide average is 59%.

The number of case that result in trials in Guilford is 2.1% which is nearly identical to the state percentage of 2.2% .

Of the seven counties examined in the Kimme report, Guilford has the highest rate of felony filings per 100,000 population, 1660. It is also higher than the state average of 1179.

Almost all counties in the state are experiencing increases in disposition times and this is true in Guilford, contributing to increased jail population.

Thus, Guilford is efficient in case handling, but disposition time is increasing.

Observer Report:

Lunch with Doug Henderson, DA

By Sara White

Our newly appointed District Attorney, Doug Henderson, spoke at a Lunch Forum on March 15, 2006 and had high praise for the Guilford County District Attorney’s office. He feels that he inherited the best District Attorney’s staff in North Carolina. From June of 2005 through December of 2005, they resolved more felony cases than any other office in the state. This group of 30 prosecutors and a management support staff of 23 work hard to carry out the mission of the office. They focus on justice, protecting the citizens of our area and prosecuting criminals. They want to keep the bad ones off the streets. You, as citizens of Guilford County, are their clients and as any good attorney does, they fight for your rights.

The District Attorney’s office takes a hard line on Driving While Impaired cases, dismissing only if there is not enough material to prosecute. They also take a hard line on domestic violence. They don’t plea bargain a case and will prosecute even if the couple is not married. In drug cases, they aggressively prosecute dealers who are in possession of large quantities of banned substances, but recommend help for the small-time dealer or user. Felony, rape, murder and burglary are other areas where there is little tolerance for the perpetrator.

However, Mr. Henderson strongly believes that money would be well spent educating children, the younger the better, to avoid developing criminal behaviors rather than paying to prosecute and punish for such behaviors later in life. The office is putting together a new program they would like to be able to implement in mid to late summer of this year that would give kids 9-15 years old knowledge so they will know what they are getting into when they decide to participate in crimes. This program will use videos of what a prison looks, sounds, and smells like. It will make sure that children understand that if they commit armed robbery they will be treated as adults. They will hear from people who have served time in prison and mothers who have lost their children to prison or whose children have been killed by violent criminals. The point of the program is to give the children information to inform their behavior choices.

He also feels we should be spending more on drug treatment programs. They are not always successful the first time, but the courts have leverage with parolees to force them into treatment as a condition of parole.

During the Question and Answer time, Mr. Henderson talked about the situation with Project Homestead. He said that some of the conduct of the organization was not illegal even though it doesn’t sound right or meet ethical standards, but that some, probably a great deal, of the conduct of the organization was illegal but there is not enough evidence to prosecute the case.

His response to a question about jail overcrowding was to keep only those who cannot be turned loose lest they hurt somebody. He says the numbers are pared down as much as they can be at this time. Some suggestions he had were to have extra court sessions to clear the jail load and to take the time after trial to fill out the paperwork so the convicted can be sent on to the prison system.

Guilford County Substance Abuse Coalition

The jail study committee met with George Coates, Executive Director of the Guilford County Substance Abuse Coalition on March 17. The mission of the Coalition is to get all the providers of substance abuse services working together. Currently 126 people participate and over 30 organizations are represented. Funding comes from a $100,000 federal grant with matching funds from the Moses Cone Health Care System. Other foundations aid as well.

The Guilford Center is the single point of entry into the system of services. Coates is working on a “flow chart” showing how a substance abuser might progress through the services that will aid him or her the most. Agencies are currently fragmented and some may be able to combine to provide better services.

The coalition works on life style programs for young people as a prevention method. Through education the coalition reaches 3rd-5th graders to try to intervene at a very young age. The coalition participates in the Parks and Recreation Teen Summit.. Alcohol and tobacco are considered gateway drugs so information is needed.

Those who are already abusers may be interviewed on the way to jail and then case management may be provided.

Coates stated that work with the homeless is important in preventing substance abuse and in helping those who are already abusers.

Visit to D.R.E.A.M.S

On August 28, 2007, four members of the Jail and Alternatives study committee visited D.R.E.A.M.S Treatment, Inc. D.R.E.A.M.S is the only licensed residential treatment program in Guilford County. Clients usually stay for a minimum of 30 days, but have contact with the program for at least a year.

Ms. Brenda Smith-Williams talked with us and explained the need for such a program and provided facts about operating the program. She emphasized that you cannot expect a person to recover from chemical abuse by “pushing” them out after a week or two week residential program or incarceration. A strong therapeutic relationship must be developed and a longer contact period is needed.

Most of the D.R.E.A.M. clients have a problem with “crack”. Ms.Smith-Williams explained that crack is more of a psychological addiction than a physical one.

The Guilford Center has an agreement for two beds per month for which it pays $55.12 per day. The actual cost per client per day is $149.99. Clients may pay on a sliding scale, and most need financial help. The facility currently has eight beds, but will have 16 by the end of September. Both men and women are served.

The treatment program operates on a basis of strength, with a holistic approach, reaching toward core issues that affect mind, body, and spirit. The program is backed by an established church, Mount Zion with help from several other area churches.

The program is intensive and busy. Clients spend 13 hours day in group and individual therapy and classes on self-esteem, skill building, life skills, “the scoop on crack/cocaine use and body/spirit”. Clients learn about health consequences of chemical use.

Family education is mandatory before families can visit with the clients. All need to “get rid of the excuses”.

Ms. Smith-Williams believes that small treatment facilities are better than large ones since there is more attention per client. The current staff size is 7 (not all are fully accredited) and the number of clients are a maximum of 8. The center accepts volunteers, but volunteers must be trained.

Most clients have not completed high school and GED training is encouraged.

Food Lion and the Farmer’s Market have been generous with food donations which enables the center to continue functioning within a modest budget..

Ms. Smith-Williams did tell us that it was a challenge getting the neighbors to accept the use of the former YWCA/Pathways Center for a treatment center. She says if she ever sets up another facility she will walk the neighborhood first to explain what her plans are!

Visit to D.R.E.A.M.S (additions)

D.R.E.A.M.S. stands for Drug Rehabilitation: Education, Addiction and Mental health Solutions.

Clients of D.R.E.A.M.S. range in age from late 20's to 40 years old. 65% of referrals come through

the courts and probation officers and some from churches.

D.R.E.A.M.S. is supported by Mt. Zion and other churches, but it is not a religious or spiritually based program as some of the other alternatives in the area are. All clients are allowed to worship or not as they choose.

D.R.E.A.M.S. has contracts with the Guilford Center to do behavioral assessments on clients for which payment is made. Being a licensed facility allows insurance and MEDICAID to assist clients with payments for services of D.R.E.A.M.S..