Background
This ordinance authorizes a supplemental appropriation to the Franklin County Municipal Court in support of the Court’s Work Release Program.
The Court’s Work Release Program provides an alternative response to mandatory jail sentences and it has been an invaluable sentencing option. The program allows judges to consider this residential, community resource as a response to probation violations, while allowing the individual to maintain his/her employment by paying toward their court-ordered restitution, fines, costs and child support.
Recently, the state has significantly reduced in the diversion funding in the state budget, which resulted in the elimination of a portion of grant funding.
The per diem rate at the Work Release Program is $66.00 compared to the $80.00 per diem for incarceration within the jail. This is a significant cost savings, and each Work Release participant is required to pay a subsistence of 25% of their gross income while in the program to help offset the cost and extend the length of the funding.
Lastly, the Work Release Program allows the County’s most restrictive and costly resource, its county jail beds, to be reserved for higher risk and higher level defendants.
Fiscal Impact: Funding is available within the Public Safety Initiatives subfund.
Emergency action is requested in order to immediately provide the Franklin County Municipal Court with resources in support of the Work Release Program to avoid any disruption in service provision.
Title
To authorize a supplemental appropriation within the Public Safety Initiatives subfund to the Franklin County Municipal Court in support of the Court’s Work Release Program, and to declare an emergency. ($25,000.00)
Body
WHEREAS, the Court’s Work Release Program provides an alternative response to mandatory jail sentences and it has been an invaluable sentencing option; and
WHEREAS, the per diem rate at the Work Release Program is $66.00, compared to the $80.00 per diem for incarceration within the jail, representing a significant cost savings; and
WHEREAS, because of reductions in state support of Work Release funding, there is a risk for reduced availability of work release opportunities; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily business of the city in that it is immediately necessary to provide the Franklin County Municipal Court with resources in support of the Work Release Program to avoid any disruption in service provision; now, therefore,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the City Auditor is hereby authorized and directed to appropriate $25,000.00 in the Public Safety Initiatives subfund, fund 1000, subfund 100016, to the Franklin County Municipal Court per the accounting codes in the attachment to this ordinance.
See Attached File: Ord 2701-2017 Legislation Template.xls
SECTION 2. That the funds necessary to carry out the purpose of this ordinance are hereby deemed appropriated, and the City Auditor shall establish such accounting codes as necessary.
SECTION 3. That for the reason stated in the preamble here to, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.