Explanation
Background
In October of 2018, the City of Columbus received three U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-based Program (COAP) awards. COAP funding will enhance and expand critical prevention, intervention and data driven action designed to promote successful implementation of justice strategies outlined in the Franklin County Opiate Action Plan for the period of October 1, 2018 through September 30, 2021. In February of 2019, BJA approved using a total of $95,438 in COAP funds from two of these three grant awards to support Prosecutor Impact (PI) training for Columbus City Attorney Prosecution Division. This ordinance authorizes the City of Columbus to enter into a sole source contract with Third Sector New England, Inc., doing business as Prosecutor Impact, to bring the PI’s innovative and unique prosecutor training to Columbus, Ohio June 2019 through September 2021.
PI will train prosecutors to better understand root causes motivating non-violent, misdemeanor criminal behavior (i.e. poverty, mental health and substance use disorders with specific focus on opioid addiction) and to develop diversion and prevention strategies that connect individuals with the proper systems for support, treatment and/or rehabilitation. PI training includes one week of immersive, highly interactive learning experiences followed by weeks of online lessons and virtual discussion forums and twelve months of technical assistance from PI staff. Training is experiential by design to ensure prosecutors not only learn background information, but also have opportunities to apply and practice skills throughout the training period. As part of the PI experience, a peer to peer training team will be established within the Prosecution Division to train new prosecutors and provide ongoing “booster sessions” for existing staff. Thirty City prosecution staff will complete PI training in 2019. ...
Click here for full text