HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 4-e - Resolution in Support of 3DaysCount™
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: April 17, 2018
Action Agenda
Item No. 4-e
SUBJECT: Resolution in Support of 3DaysCount™
DEPARTMENT: County Manager, Criminal
Justice Resource Office
ATTACHMENT(S):
Resolution in Support of 3DaysCount™
INFORMATION CONTACT:
Bonnie Hammersley, 245-2300
Caitlin Fenhagen, 245-2303
PURPOSE: To consider a Resolution in Support of 3DaysCount™ – A Nationwide Effort To
Make Communities Safer And Ensure Better Outcomes For All By Applying Common Sense
Solutions To Widespread Pretrial Justice Challenges.
BACKGROUND: At the April 3, 2018 Board meeting, the Board voiced an interest in
considering a Resolution in Support of 3DaysCount™ – A Nationwide Effort To Make
Communities Safer And Ensure Better Outcomes For All By Applying Common Sense Solutions
To Widespread Pretrial Justice Challenges. 3DaysCount™ is an initiative of the Pretrial Justice
Institute’s. Commissioner Renee Price provided a sample resolution as the basis for the
attached resolution for Board consideration.
Nearly 12 million people are booked into United States jails each year, mostly for nonviolent
misdemeanors, and a majority are detained before trial largely because they are too poor to
post even small money bond amounts – costing local governments a nationwide aggregate of
nearly $14 billion annually in incarceration expenses. Pretrial detention is also deeply disruptive
to people’s lives and can have serious consequences, from interrupted education and medical
treatment to lost jobs, housing, and even custody of children. Research also shows that when
people who are most likely to appear in court and stay out of trouble are detained for even three
days, they become more likely to be arrested for new criminal activity during the pretrial period
compared to similar individuals released within just 24 hours.
The goals of 3DaysCount™ are to help states reduce unnecessary arrests by expanding the
use of citations or summons, replace money bail with non-financial, least restrictive conditions,
restrict detention to the small number of people for whom no condition or combination of
conditions can reasonably assure appearance in court and public safety, and reduce disparity
within the pretrial justice system.
Orange County has already implemented many of the recommendations of the Pretrial Justice
Institute including:
• internalizing the Pretrial Release program in the Criminal Justice Resource Department
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• using an evidence-based pretrial risk assessment tool
• ensuring the presence of defense counsel at first appearances
• increasing opportunities for pre-arrest diversion
• employing mental health professionals to work directly with individuals incarcerated at the
County detention center to assess and refer to treatment in the community; and
• continuing to collect data and measure performance on County efforts.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with considering the resolution.
SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: The following Orange County Social Justice Goals are applicable
to this item:
• GOAL: FOSTER A COMMUNITY CULTURE THAT REJECTS OPPRESSION AND
INEQUITY
The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race or color;
religious or philosophical beliefs; sex, gender or sexual orientation; national origin or
ethnic background; age; military service; disability; and familial, residential or economic
status.
• CREATE A SAFE COMMUNITY
The reduction of risks associated with vehicle/traffic accidents, childhood and senior
injuries while building a safe, inclusive and loving community.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board consider approving the
Resolution, and if approved, authorize the Chair to sign the Resolution in Support of
3DaysCount™ – A Nationwide Effort To Make Communities Safer And Ensure Better Outcomes
For All By Applying Common Sense Solutions To Widespread Pretrial Justice Challenges
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RES-2018-025
ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
RESOLUTION SUPPORTING 3DaysCount™ – A NATIONWIDE EFFORT TO MAKE
COMMUNITIES SAFER AND ENSURE BETTER OUTCOMES FOR ALL BY APPLYING
COMMON SENSE SOLUTIONS TO WIDESPREAD PRETRIAL JUSTICE CHALLENGES
WHEREAS, nearly 12 million people are booked into United States jails each year, mostly for
nonviolent misdemeanors; and
WHEREAS, more than 60 percent of people in jail are not convicted – detained before trial largely
because they are too poor to post even small money bond amounts – costing local governments a
nationwide aggregate of nearly $14 billion annually in incarceration expenses; and
WHEREAS, pretrial detention is deeply disruptive to people’s lives and can have serious
consequences, from interrupted education and medical treatment to lost jobs, housing, and even
custody of children; and
WHEREAS, the money bail system places a disproportionate and unfair burden on people of color,
who, on average, face higher bail amounts even as they have fewer resources as a result of
chronic, systemic exclusion from economic opportunity; and
WHEREAS, research shows that when people who are most likely to appear in court and stay out
of trouble are detained for even three days, they become more likely to be arrested for new cr iminal
activity during the pretrial period compared to similar individuals released within just 24 hours; and
WHEREAS, the money bail system allows nearly half of those least likely to succeed on pretrial
release to quickly buy their release from jail with little to no meaningful support or supervision,
without regard for the needs of victims, witnesses, and the broader community; and
WHEREAS, the goals of 3DaysCount™ are to help states reduce unnecessary arrests by
expanding the use of citations or summons, replace money bail with non -financial, least restrictive
conditions, restrict detention to the small number of people for whom no condition or combination of
conditions can reasonably assure appearance in court and public safety, and reduce disparity within
the pretrial justice system; and
WHEREAS, Orange County has already implemented many of the recommendations of the Pretrial
Justice Institute including internalizing the Pretrial Release program in the Criminal Justice
Resource Department, using an evidence-based pretrial risk assessment tool, ensuring the
presence of defense counsel at first appearances, increasing opportunities for pre-arrest diversion,
employing mental health professionals to work directly with individuals incarcerated at our jail to
assess and refer to treatment in the community and continuing to collect data and measure
performance on our efforts;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Orange County Board of Commissioners hereby
endorses the goals of 3DaysCount™; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Orange County Board of Commissioners strongly urges our
state-level stakeholders and government leaders to apply to join the Pretrial Justice Institute’s
3DaysCount™ initiative.
This the 17th day of April 2018.
_________________________________
Mark Dorosin, Chair
Orange County Board of Commissioners
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