Laserfiche WebLink
this effort, staff are working on developing a pilot restorative justice program that would <br />provide an alternative “off ramp” for low-risk retail theft offenses. <br />The City Attorney’s Office staff have been examining possible changes to the City Code that <br />would provide for greater flexibility in responding to certain low-risk offenses. <br />Municipal Court staff, in partnership with the Lane County Sheriff’s Office, have been working <br />on the implementation of offender assessment tools. <br /> <br />Attachment C provides a summary of the reports and analyses prepared over the past year as part <br />of the Community Justice Initiative. Due to the large volume of information, full copies are <br />provided in the City Council notebook rather than attachments to this agenda item summary. <br /> <br />3¨³¤ 6¨²¨³ ³® 3¯®ª ­¤Ǿ 7! <br />In February 2016, several members of the Community Justice Team made a site visit to Spokane, <br />Washington to learn about their implementation of community court concepts, and about the <br />challenges and considerations associated with transitioning from a traditional criminal justice <br />approach to a community court model. Spokane was selected because it is one of the recognized <br />leaders in community justice initiatives regionally and nationally, and because its demographic <br />profile and the size of the metro area are similar to those of Eugene. <br /> <br />Spokane’s community court model is based on seeking to reduce property crimes and quality of <br />life offenses through a collaborative, problem-solving approach to crime, with a particular focus <br />on the downtown area. In partnership with the Spokane Police Department, prosecuting attorney, <br />public defender, social services providers and other stakeholders, Spokane’s community court is <br />focused on factors impacting defendants’ criminal behavior, addresses victims’ needs, and holds <br />defendants accountable. <br /> <br />During the work session, staff will provide a thorough overview of the Spokane community court <br />system and how it will be modeled for Eugene. Key concepts of the Spokane model include: <br /> <br />Partnering with a wide range of social services providers and other stakeholders to help court <br />customers address their challenges and achieve lasting behavior modification. <br />A research partner to assist with evidence-based, data driven program evaluation to see what <br />is working, and what are the impacts on public safety outcomes. <br />Strong support from elected officials, executive leadership, and community stakeholders. <br /> <br />#®¬¬´­¨³¸ *´²³¨¢¤ )­³¤±­ ³¨®­ « 3´¬¬¨³ ¨­ #§¨¢ ¦® <br />In April 2016, several members of the Community Justice Team and Councilor Pryor attended the <br />Community Justice International Summit, which is a joint project of the Bureau of Justice <br />Assistance, an agency of the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Center for Court Innovation. <br /> <br />This conference brought together an international audience of practitioners and researchers to <br />explore the most pressing issues and best practices in criminal justice reform. Conference topics <br />included strategies for community engagement, addressing community justice funding needs, <br />reduction in jail-based sanctions, offender risk and needs assessments, addressing substance <br />abuse and mental health issues as they relate to the criminal justice system, ensuring procedural <br />justice and legitimacy, exploring restorative justice options, young adult justice issues, and others. <br />S:\\CMO\\2016 Council Agendas\\M160615\\S160615A.docx <br /> <br />