Item Coversheet

Board Action Request
18-0556

Item Description:
Create Jail Population Oversight Committee; establish data repository of real time data to inform the work of the committee
Resolution:

BE IT RESOLVED, that the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners directs the County Administrator to establish a Jail Population Oversight committee to regularly review average daily jail population and evaluate and implement the recommendations from the 2018 Systems Analysis Jail Population Drivers and Trends report; and 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Jail Population Oversight Committee provide regular updates to the Joint Board Bench Committee, the Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee, and the County Board; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners directs the County Administrator to establish a data repository for regular assessment of real time criminal justice data to inform the work for the committee.

Background:

On June 12, 2018, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners directed the County Administrator to appoint consultants to conduct a system analysis of the jail population at the Adult Detention Center (ADC) [BAR 18-0198R2]. The ADC had operated at or above its functional capacity of 755 inmates since May 2017. As a result of this overcrowding, the Sheriff’s Office had spent in excess of $1.3 million in overtime to adequately staff inmate overflow, meet staffing guidelines and address concerns over the safety of deputies and inmates. Using data provided by the various criminal justice stakeholders to analyze jail population drivers and trends, the primary goal of the system analysis was to determine whether and how the demand for jail resources could be reduced.

 

On November 29, 2018, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners was briefed on the results of the analysis, titled “System Analysis Jail Population Drivers and Trends.” The report outlined a number of ways that Hennepin County justice partners could work together to reduce overcrowding in the ADC while still prioritizing the safety of county residents, and also more closely engage with a growing body of evidence from other urban jurisdictions across the country regarding bail reform.

 

Recommendations from the report include:

  • creation of an integrated public safety line of business data information system
  • consider alternative detention options for Minnesota Department of Correction holds
  • utilize electronic home monitoring for arrest and detail cases with no new criminal charges
  • explore the possibility of earlier release on probable cause holds that go to expiration
  • review pretrial release tool
  • consider book and release for individuals currently held on low bail
  • establish an operational oversight committee to continue ongoing evaluation of the recommendations of the analysis

 

Current Request: The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners directs the County administrator to establish an oversight committee that includes individuals with departmental decision making authority and also explore for a data repository for regular assessment of real time criminal justice data to inform the work for the committee.
   

Recommendation from County Administrator: Recommend Approval