Explanation
BACKGROUND
This legislation authorizes the Franklin County Municipal Court, Clerk of Court (Municipal Court Clerk) to accept a grant in the amount of $25,002.00 from the Franklin County Office of Justice Policy and Programs, and to appropriate the total amount of the grant from the unappropriated balance of the General Government Grant Fund to the Franklin County Municipal Court.
This grant will fund the Short Message Service (SMS) Reminder Notification’s Pilot Project. The project will provide defendants an automated courtesy text reminder of their scheduled arraignment court appearance. In Franklin County Municipal Court, there are an overabundance of individuals who fail to appear for court; resulting in the issuance of order-ins and warrants. Most warrants issued are for low level misdemeanors, creating a clog in the system, and increasing workloads for all justice system partners.
Studies suggest that using a text notification reminder system may improve court appearance rates of defendants and reduce community and operational court costs associated with failure to appear. In addition, defendants may spend less time in jail.
EMERGENCY: Emergency Legislation is requested so that the grant funds can be used as soon as possible.
FISCAL IMPACT: $25,002.00 will be expended from the General Government Grant Fund.
Title
To authorize and direct the Franklin County Municipal Court, Clerk of Court to accept a grant award from the Franklin County Office of Justice Policy and Programs; to appropriate $25,002.00 from the unappropriated balance of the General Government Grant Fund to the Franklin County Municipal Court; and to declare an emergency. ($25,002.00)
Body
WHEREAS, it is in the city's best interest that the Municipal Court Clerk receive support to provide courtesy reminders of scheduled court appearances for defendants; therefore, reducing the number of defendants who fail to appear in Court and lessen operational costs associated ...
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