RAPID INTERVENTION
COMMUNITY COURT
Enhancing public safety by addressing
the root causes of criminal behavior
Presentation at VT Law School
November 15th 2013
PUBLIC SAFETY OR INSANITY?
• “Doing the same thing over and over and
expecting different results”
– -Benjamin Franklin
What exactly is Rapid Intervention
Community Court? (AKA RICC)
RICC
The mission of RICC is to provide immediate
services that address the root causes of criminal
behavior.
Defining the Problem
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Department of Corrections budget $140 million
Recidivism rate: 43% (VT. DOC facts and figures FY2012)
Total DOC population:
10,743
Total cost per inmate per citizen: $192
Total misdemeanor convictions: 9,058
More than 40% of first time entrants into DOC
are under 25
• 74.6% of female inmates receive mental health
services
DEFINING THE PROBLEM
• Cost of one year in prison: $58,110
• Total expenditures for in state prison costs:
$91,929,918
• Total expenditures for out of state prison
costs: $13,920,906
• Vermont spends $114 million on jail. Is this a
good use of criminal justice dollars?
• Can we do better? Can we do something
different?
RICC
Necessary components to be successful:
1. Use science to determine eligibility.
2. Have a clear incentive for participation.
3. Consistent compliance monitoring.
4. Link to community-based partners.
Evidence-Based Methodology
ORAS: Ohio Risk Assessment System
- Evaluates level of risk for recidivating by identifying
dynamic risk factors to guide and prioritize appropriate
and effective programmatic intervention
- Criminogenic factors include: Criminal history;
education; employment; family & social support;
neighborhood problems; substance abuse; peer
associations; criminal attitudes and behavioral patterns
Evidence-Based Methodology
Program staff incorporate Motivational
Interviewing where possible when enrolling
individuals into the program.
Motivational Interviewing and Thinking for
Change are both utilized in RICC/Burlington
Community Justice Center’s Retail Theft
Awareness and Prevention Class.
Evidence-Based Methodology
Program partners all employ promising practices
or evidence-based interventions OR are
themselves evidence-based programs.
For example:
- Turning Point Center’s Recovery Coaching is
based on Making Alcoholics Anonymous
Easier.
- Lund, HowardCenter, and Spectrum all utilize
Motivational Interviewing.
Incentive
Important question to consider before starting
program:
What motivation will someone have to complete
a program that requires them to accept
responsibility and address the risk factors in
their lives?
Incentive
• RICC is optional and voluntary. Someone can
choose to still go through the traditional
criminal justice system.
• Carrot/Stick approach:
• Carrots:
– 90 days = shorter process than going through courts
– Avoid fees, Prosecution, Lengthy Court Process, Charge,
Conviction, Corrections etc.
• Stick: Prosecution of their case will happen if they’re
not compliant with their contract.
Community Partnership
“This program represents a philosophical
change – that Community Justice Centers
and social service providers are equal
partners in crime prevention.”
TJ Donovan
Community Partnership
• Community Justice Centers (Burlington, Essex, S.
Burlington, Williston, & Winooski) and
Chittenden County-based Reparative Boards
• Lund
• Spectrum Youth Services
• HowardCenter
• Mercy Connections
• Turning Point Center
• VT Works for Women
• Private Substance Abuse Counselors
Community Partnership
Burlington Community Justice Center: close
working partner with RICC
-- Restorative Justice Panels
-- Retail Theft Awareness and Prevention Class
-- Assists with ORAS screening
-- Consultant role
-- Advisory Committee
For questions about the BCJC’s role with RICC, please contact Karen
Vastine: 802-865-7185
Community Partnership
Community Justice Centers – continued
-- Individuals meet with members of the community
and the victim at their restorative justice panel
meeting
-- Collaboratively designed restorative contract
-- Can assist with restitution collection
-- Staff and panel provides ‘case-management’ to
assist with successful completion of program
-- Constant two-way communication vis-à-vis
updates on cases etc.
Community Partnership
Lund Family Services, Spectrum Youth & Family
Services and HowardCenter
-- Depending on demographics, individuals can
be served by these programs for mental health
and substance abuse assessment and
counseling.
Community Partnership
Turning Point Center
- Recovery Coaches assist people in accessing
housing, job training, community services, and
networks of community support.
- Peer Support
- Volunteering
- Additional Programing in a safe, sober
environment
Community Partnership
Mercy Connections
-- Programs, predominantly for women, that
nurture self sufficiency through education,
mentoring and community involvement.
-- Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’-By World: Aha!
Process Inc
Compliance
• Dedicated staff person to monitor compliance:
appointment reminders, contract check-ins,
works with community partners.
• Non compliance with recommended plan
results in Flash Cite i.e. cited into court on the
following Tuesday or Thursday.
• Simultaneous Citation/Contract End Date
• Failures are tracked by SA office.
Key Components
1. Screening appropriate pre-charge cases
2. Determine risk/needs by employing Ohio Risk
Assessment System tool (ORAS) .
3. Divert case by linking individual to the
appropriate community based organization.
4. Compliance: 90 day threshold
5. Completion-no charge filed
6. Failure-flash cite to court for following Tues or
Thurs
RICC Present & Future
DOES RICC WORK?
• What was the post-program behavior of
program participants?
• Outcome Evaluation
– Conducted by Vermont Center for Justice Research
700 participants
September of 2010 to December of 2012.
– Success = No conviction for any criminal offense
THE RESULTS
Percentage of Participants Who Remained
Conviction Free
100%
80%
93%
75%
60%
40%
Completed RICC
20%
Failed to Complete
0%
Completed RICC
Failed to
Complete
NUMBER OF CRIMES FOR WHICH
RECIDIVISTS WERE CONVICTED
# of Reconvictions Per 100 Recidivists
60
50
48
40
30
Completed RICC
20
10
Failed to Complete
15
0
Completed RICC
Failed to
Complete
HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THE RESULTS?
Completed RICC
Failed to Complete
NO MEASURABLE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE GROUPS:
THE PROGRAM PROBABLY MADE THE DIFFERENCE
READ THE FULL REPORT
WWW. VCJR. ORG
HOW DO WE MEASURE SUCCESS?
• Duty of prosecutors is to keep our
communities safe. To do justice.
• Are we enhancing public safety by addressing
the root causes of criminal behavior?
• Are we reducing recidivism?
• What is the proper measure for public safety?
• Are we fulfilling our duty?
Opportunities for Improvement
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Increasing Transparency
Creating an active advisory committee
Increasing communication
Using a more sophisticated database to track
client details.