Ulster County News

FROM: ULSTER COUNTY OFFICE

DATE: March 23, 2005 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MARCH 23, 2005

Ulster County Celebrates 20 Years of ATI Advisory Board Activities

The Ulster County Alternatives to Incarceration Advisory Board was established in 1985.

In 1983, Criminal Justice practitioners and Ulster County policy-makers formed a task force to confront the problem of rising jail overcrowding and the resulting aftermath in both human and fiscal tolls. This task force proposed the programming direction for the County, and guided it toward establishing a wide array of solutions. After conducting an analysis of the County�s jail population, their first recommendation was to implement a program of community service. This was to become Ulster County Alternative Sentencing. In 1985, concurrent with supporting State legislation, the Task Force became the Alternatives To Incarceration Program Board.

An inclusive body, the board synthesized the input of prosecution, defense, enforcement, judiciary, service providers and elected officials to provide the County with innovative and effective programming. Its membership includes the District Attorney, Public Defender, Sheriff, Probation Director, Mental Health Director, Legislators, Judges, and local service providers.

In accordance with its mission, the ATI Board has been responsible for the creation of UC Alternative Sentencing, UC Community Corrections, the Defender Based Advocate in the Public Defenders office, and enhanced Pre-Trial services in the Probation Department. Each of these programs were the result of collaborative problem-solving, addressing a specific issue manifested within the jail population. These programs were begun under the Legislative leadership of Richard Mathews, who made criminal justice issues a priority during his chairmanship at the Legislature. He served twice as Chair of the ATI Board.

UC Alternative Sentencing began operation in January 1986. It diverts selected jail-bound offenders into programs of community service as an alternative to incarceration. Starting with a program of individual community service, it was later enhanced to include work crews, as a direct response to the increase in weekend jail sentences. These work crews directly reduced the weekend jail population. To provide judges with greater sentencing options, the crews were later expanded to include weekdays. The crews now operate seven days per week.An average of 421 offenders enter the program each year and perform 24,028 hours of community service annually. In addition to saving costs of incarceration, in excess of one third million dollars worth of labor is completed annually for local not-for-profit, charitable and municipal organizations.

The Ulster County Community Corrections Program, the first of its type in New York and a prototype for the rest of the state when it opened its doors over fourteen years ago, is geared toward non-violent offenders with substance abuse problems. Its mission to save taxpayer dollars by reducing jail overcrowding and recidivism by facilitating treatment for substance abusers has been a success. To this end CCP facilitates treatment for between 125 and 150 former inmates annually with a total of 10,720 county jail bed-days saved in 2004 and a commensurate savings in the cost of incarceration. It operates twenty four hours a day.

Ulster County Pre-Trial Release, a unit of the County Probation Department, provides critical background information to Criminal Courts throughout Ulster County regarding inmates detained at the Ulster County Jail in lieu of bail. Operating 365 days per year, the Pre-Trial staff interviews all incarcerated offenders detained and provides decision making information to Judges using a risk assessment instrument regarding criminal history, community roots, housing options, employment opportunities, mental health issues, and substance needs to note a few key areas of importance. This information aids the Judiciary in determining if the offender is likely to return on his or her scheduled Court date if released on bail, on their own recognizance (ROR) or under the supervision of the Pre-Trial staff (RUS). Those released under supervision have conditions imposed to insure their compliance and return to court as scheduled. Conditions of release may include reporting in person, drug and alcohol testing, mental health treatment, obtaining employment, enrolling in an education program or even electronic monitoring or house arrest. In 2004, 531 eligible inmates were interviewed at the jail, 243 were released thus saving 8773 possible bed days.

The Defender Based Advocate provides assistance to the Defense for the Public Defender�s Office and 18b attorneys (Assigned Counsel). Individuals are interviewed to determine eligibility for bail expediting or referral to services. Connections are made with programs for housing, substance abuse, or mental health treatment. Individualized sentencing recommendations are provided to defense attorneys and the Courts. Over 150 defendants are processed each year, reducing pre-trial detention time and providing input to courts that results in more informed sentencing.

In addition, The ATI Board has provided resource material to assist all courts and professionals in finding appropriate services for offenders, by creating the county�s Judicial Resource Manual. Intended to be used from the bench, its purpose is to provide information to judges which may divert selected offenders from unnecessary incarceration, or enlist community organizations to enhance case supervision, treatment and/or monitoring.

For the last twenty years the ATI Board has responded to numerous and challenging problems.  Each year brings greater challenges for Criminal Justice practitioners and the population in general. The past four years have created special concerns in the areas of security and information-sharing. The Board will continue to provide guidance and expertise to Ulster County and will meet those challenges with the vigor and successes it has had in the past.

Past chairmen - Richard B. Mathews

Hon. Joseph J. Traficanti, Jr.

Current Chairman- John Naccarato

Current membership --

Hon. J. Michael Bruhn � County Court Judge

Donald Williams District Attorney

J. Richard Bockelmann Ulster County Sheriff

Hon. Edward T. Feeney Kingston City Court Judge

Marshall Beckman Mental Health Director

Robert Sudlow Probation Director

Richard Mathews Commissioner of Jurors

Glenn Decker Commissioner Social Services

Will Myers Assistant Public Defender

Jo Galante Ulster � Greene ARC

Hon. Richard Husted Town Justice, Woodstock

Hon. Paula Leonard Town Justice, Ulster

Gerald Kellar Chief of Police, City of Kingston

Karen Spinozzi Deputy County Administrator

Jeanette Provenzano Ulster County Legislator

Al Meyer Ulster County Legislator, Chair Criminal Justice Committee