Minutes 01/12/1995 - Laserfiche WebLink

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 1995 Mr. Barry listed the following options available to Council: (1) do nothing--this is probably the least desirable option because the problems' associated with Jail overcrowding will not go away; (2) get out of the corrections business (privatize), however, a City can never do that completely because the inmates are ultimately the City's responsibility; (3) select a regional solution (if the City chooses the option to build a new facility); (4) select a privatization alternative; (5) develop corrections as an industry (go into private corrections); under this option, the City develops the correctional system' in order to take prisoners from other jurisdictions for the purpose of producing revenue; and (6) develop an independent program (not involved with privatization or regional solution). Mr. Barry recommended that the City participate in a series of forums/workshops designed to facilitate the most effective decision making for Martinsville. Among possible topics for such forums would be the following: (1) Forum I--Regional Solutions: Issues to be discussed: funding, budgeting, management; Mr. Barry recommended that for this forum, the City should bring in an individual who has experience with Virginia Regional facilities; (2) Forum II--Private Alternatives: Issues to be discussed: funding, management, liabilities; (3) Forum III--Community Corrections Programming: Issues to be discussed: benefits and costs of holistic approach, Virginia planning standards; (4) ForumIV--Pretrial Diversion: Issues to be discussed: methods, advantages, costs; this session would include such things as electronic monitoring and getting involved in certain treatment programs; and (5) Forum V--Selecting an approach; in this session, all parties would come together and make a decision.