President’s Report on Alternative President’s Report on Alternative Birmingham City Court Practices & Birmingham City Court Practices &

Municipal Jail ReformMunicipal Jail Reform

Submitted by Submitted by Birmingham City Birmingham City

Council President, Council President, Carole SmithermanCarole Smitherman

To the Mayor of To the Mayor of Birmingham, Birmingham,

Larry P. LangfordLarry P. Langford

PhilosophyPhilosophy

The municipal court sentencing The municipal court sentencing is not intended to be punitive, is not intended to be punitive, rather, rehabilitative in rather, rehabilitative in nature……..nature……..

The municipal court process The municipal court process must be looked must be looked at holistically…..at holistically…..

Money MattersMoney Matters

The City of Birmingham The City of Birmingham Corrections Fund projects……Corrections Fund projects……

““by implementing new, by implementing new, court-related fees and fines, court-related fees and fines, and by enforcing and by enforcing (currently un-enforced) existing (currently un-enforced) existing state law, this will allow a state law, this will allow a municipality to recover a municipality to recover a misdemeanant’s cost of misdemeanant’s cost of incarcerationincarceration.”.”

Summary of RecommendationsSummary of Recommendations

Audit of municipal jail inmate population to Audit of municipal jail inmate population to determine sentence lengths and balance of determine sentence lengths and balance of outstanding finesoutstanding fines

Pretrial Intervention ProgramPretrial Intervention Program Implement a home detention/monitoring program Implement a home detention/monitoring program

for qualifying offendersfor qualifying offenders Charge probation feesCharge probation fees 23/23 Work Release/Community Service Program23/23 Work Release/Community Service Program Inmates pay cost of incarceration per State and Inmates pay cost of incarceration per State and

City CodesCity Codes

Alternative (cost effective) sentencing

Establish a Establish a Community CourtCommunity Court with a fulltime Judge, with a fulltime Judge, Prosecutor, Clerk and BailiffProsecutor, Clerk and Bailiff

Drugs & AlcoholDrugs & Alcohol Community IncidentsCommunity Incidents Environmental Court Environmental Court Defensive DrivingDefensive Driving Homeless CourtHomeless Court Mental Health CourtMental Health Court Teen CourtTeen Court Victim/Offender Mediation ProgramVictim/Offender Mediation Program Dedicated Bi-lingual servicesDedicated Bi-lingual services

Summary of RecommendationsSummary of Recommendations SCHEDULE/PERSONNEL

Summary of RecommendationsSummary of Recommendations

Appoint full-time Domestic Violence Appoint full-time Domestic Violence prosecutorprosecutor

Warrant Surrender Program (Street Warrant Surrender Program (Street Sweep)Sweep)

Assign additional police officers to Assign additional police officers to be dedicated to the court systembe dedicated to the court system

Move Probation Department to Move Probation Department to Youth Services/create additional Youth Services/create additional courtroomcourtroom

All Magistrates become full-time All Magistrates become full-time personnelpersonnel

Add four additional fulltime Add four additional fulltime magistratesmagistrates

Renew contract with Legal Aid Renew contract with Legal Aid Society of BirminghamSociety of Birmingham

Locate court referral service Locate court referral service providers onsiteproviders onsite

Implement Friday Court Implement Friday Court sessionssessions

Conduct Evening and Conduct Evening and Saturday Court at the Saturday Court at the Southside facilitySouthside facility

Initiate a Lunch Court for Initiate a Lunch Court for individuals electing to requestindividuals electing to request

Mayor to appoint 5-member Mayor to appoint 5-member Parole Board in compliance Parole Board in compliance with lawsuitwith lawsuit

The Parole Department to be The Parole Department to be under jurisdiction of the under jurisdiction of the MayorMayor

The Office of Probation to be The Office of Probation to be under the jurisdiction of the under the jurisdiction of the Court SystemCourt System

Schedule Domestic Violence Schedule Domestic Violence cases on Tuesdays and cases on Tuesdays and WednesdaysWednesdays

SCHEDULE/PERSONNEL, continued

Expansion of municipal court Facilities in DowntownExpansion of municipal court Facilities in Downtown Expansion of Southside municipal court facilitiesExpansion of Southside municipal court facilities Ensley municipal court facility must be brought into ADA Ensley municipal court facility must be brought into ADA

compliancecompliance Move probation department to youth services buildingMove probation department to youth services building Birmingham-Jefferson Regional JailBirmingham-Jefferson Regional Jail

Summary of RecommendationsSummary of RecommendationsSTRUCTURAL

Inmate voter rightsInmate voter rights Inside Inside out out programprogram Bewhoyouwannabe ProgramBewhoyouwannabe Program

EDUCATION-BASED EDUCATION-BASED CRIME CRIME PREVENTION INITIATIVES INITIATIVES

Prepared By: DeJuana L. Thompson

President’s Report on Alternative President’s Report on Alternative Birmingham City Court Practices & Birmingham City Court Practices &

Municipal Jail ReformMunicipal Jail Reform

Submitted by Submitted by Birmingham City Birmingham City

Council President, Council President, Carole SmithermanCarole Smitherman

To the Mayor of To the Mayor of Birmingham, Birmingham,

Larry P. LangfordLarry P. Langford