Drafter
Clerk 11/04/2004
Title
AN ORDINANCE creating a department of community justice and dissolving the community corrections division; adding a new section to K.C.C. chapter 2.16 and repealing Ordinance 14561, Section 9, and K.C.C. 2.16.122.
Body
PREAMBLE:
With the approval of the Adult Justice Operational Master Plan, Ordinance 14374, the county has established policies for the use of secure detention capacity that emphasize system and process efficiencies that reduce the utilization of jail and reduce overall criminal justice expenditures. In addition, the policies encourage alternatives to the use the secure detention for adult offenders in order to make best use of limited detention resources and preserve public safety. The council also established as a county policy the requirement for the use of integrated and coordinated treatment of offenders whose criminal activity is related to substance abuse or mental illness in order to avoid future system costs, reduce jail utilization for these groups, and reduce future criminality. This emphasis, along with other system changes, has significantly contributed to the slowing of the growth of the county's criminal justice budgets. In order to ensure the appropriate implementation of the county's criminal justice policy, the department of community justice is created.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Ordinance 14561, Section 9, and K.C.C. 2.16.122 are each hereby repealed.
NEW SECTION. SECTION 2. There is hereby added to K.C.C. chapter 2.16 a new section to read as follows:
A. The department of community justice is responsible to manage and be fiscally accountable for programs that provide alternatives to confinement, as well as services directed toward reduction of the use of correctional facilities in the county. These services could include education programs, work training and job development, secure residential drug treatment, transitional and permanent housing alternatives and reentry and release planning.
B. The functions of the department include:
1. Work education release;
2. Electronic home detention;
3. Day treatment;
4. Work crews;
5. The administration of contracts for the provision of treatment and other identified services;
6. Coordination of offender services in the community; and
7. Intake and court services.
C. The department of community justice shall be composed of the following divisions:
1. Detention alternatives division. The detention alternatives division shall be responsible for the administration of the department's alternatives to secure detention programs;
2. Court services division. The court services divisions shall be responsible for the intake services unit and shall evaluate the appropriate placements for incarcerated individuals. The division shall also be responsible for the assessment of service and treatment needs of individuals who are mentally ill or chemically dependent, or both. The division shall coordinate its effort with the superior and district courts.
3. Community services and treatment division. The community services and treatment division shall be responsible for coordination of treatment and other services with county and community providers. The division shall be responsible for the administration of contracts with providers; and
4. Administrative services division. The administrative services division shall be responsible for administering personnel operations, budget and fiscal operations and other central support services involving all divisions in the department to ensure consistency and efficiency of operations. The operations and services of the department
shall conform to county policies and procedures and to department guidelines and practices.
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