December 8, 2015 Redeploy Illinois Oversight Board

Audience

Redeploy Illinois Oversight Board Members and Staff. The public is welcome to attend.

Date/Time

December 8, 2015, 000pm to 2:00pm

Location

This meeting will be conducted via video conference with Chicago & Springfield Locations as follows:

• Chicago: 401 Clinton Building, 7th Floor Executive video conference room
• Springfield: Harris Building, 2nd Floor video conference room 2B. 

Agenda

1. Call to Order
2. Roll Call
3. Approval of Minutes
4. ICOY-Youth Network Council Funding
5. FY16 Budget Update/Impact of State Budget Impasse on Redeploy Sites
6. FY16 Site Monthly Expenditures/Commitments-Comparison
7. Site Compliance Review - Peoria/St Clair (New FY15 IDJJ Data)
8. 2014 Annual Report
9. Redeploy Eligibility Requirement

Minutes

1. Call to Order
   The meeting was called to order at 12:04 P.M.
2. Roll Call
   Anne Studzinski, Jim McCarter, Pat Griffith, Scott Clark, Janet Ahern, Paula Wolff, Rick Velasquez, Grace Hong Duffin, Betsy Clarke, Margie Groot and George Timberlake. Staff and Guests: Karrie Rueter, Steve Sawyer, John Payne, Angelica Jimenez and Andrea Durbin (CEO of ICOY-Youth Network Council).
3. Approval of Minutes
   The RIOB reviewed minutes from the October 16, 2015 Board meeting.  Motion: Pat Griffith motioned to approve the minutes from October 16, 2015. Paula Wolff seconded the motion. Decision: The Board approved the October 16, 2015 RIOB meeting minutes.
4. ICOY-Youth Network Council Funding
   Karrie Rueter directed members to a number of documents in their packets containing fiscal information from the ICOY-Youth Network Council. The documents included approved budgets and year-end expenditures for FY13, FY14, FY15 and FY16. A summary of job descriptions and responsibilities and time allocations were also included in the handouts for the Board to review.  Andi Durbin, CEO for ICOY reviewed with the Board the history of ICOY attempting to hire a Redeploy program director and where that process was today. Further explaining to the Board that if ICOY were to hire a full time Director position, additional funding would be needed as the ICOY contract amount had been reduced. Therefore, should the Board need ICOY to proceed with filling the position, reductions would need to be made elsewhere if additional funding was not made available. Miss Durbin also informed the Board that as a result of the state budget impasse, ICOY has not received any payments from the state for expenses related to Redeploy. However, they have continued to pay staff and the Redeploy Coordinators/Consultants. Karrie Rueter asked the Board whether it expects ICOY to fill this director position.  The Board then discussed the current workload in light of the budget impasse considering sites are having to suspend services. While communication with the sites regarding closures and contingency plans has increased significantly over the past few months and staff have spent the past two months reviewing program plans, having conference calls with sites, and gathering additional information needed for those plans, which have undergone revisions this year, staff were in agreement that the workload would be reduced going forward. Miss Durbin added that once a state budget is in place and sites can return to operations, the workload will increase dramatically. The Board agreed.
   A Board member asked about ICOY's spending plan for the next few months. Miss Durbin said that the organization currently has two months in operating funds available. But if nothing changes with the budget, she will have to reassess the situation. Currently, she said the state owes ICOY $250,000. If the stalemate continues, she will have to look at reducing staff.
   Generally Board members were in agreement that it was not an appropriate time to be hiring a new Program Director, particularly if other program staff are being reduced or laid off. However, if the right person and money were there we would want to fill the position therefore the Board would not take that matter completely off the table.
   The Board discussed other ICOY Redeploy budget items and staff to determine why those items were in the budget and if the Board approved them, such as a training coordinator. These expenditures were explained as the detail that is behind the costs of developing, coordinating and implementing training activities for the Redeploy program and the expenditures are within the approved allocations for training. They were broken out in that manner at the request of Karrie for purposed of this meeting.
   The Board also discussed what DHS would do or has done with any lapse program funding and if those funds could be used in a future year. Karrie explained that not since the first year (2005) has any unspent funds gone towards anything other than Redeploy and that currently, those funds can only be spent during the designated fiscal year. Miss Durbin explained that ICOY invoices for its services and is then reimbursed. ICOY is not paid for services not rendered and therefore does not lapse funding.
5. FY16 Budget Update/Impact of State Budget Impasse on Redeploy Sites
   She provided updates to the Board summarizing the status of services for each of the 13 Redeploy program sites as of December 2, 2015
6. FY16 Site Monthly Expenditures/Commitments-Comparison
   Karrie Rueter shared data on all the sites spending since the beginning of the fiscal year as well as commitments to IDJJ. The Board noted it was helpful to see all of this information in the format presented. Members also requested that the information be displayed multiple ways that might show trends. Karrie agreed to present the data additional ways.
7. Site Compliance Review - Peoria/St Clair (New FY15 IDJJ Data)
   Karrie Rueter presented the IDJJ Redeploy eligible commitment data for 2015 for Peoria and St. Clair Counties. She presented a document charting the eligible commitments, percentage reduction from the baseline, the number of youth enrolled in the Redeploy program and the cost avoidance charted over a 10-year period. St. Clair County were projected to commit 761 youth over a 10-year period but only committed 174 youth, a 77% reduction in DJJ commitments avoiding a nearly $29 million cost to the state. After review, Board members noted that we will eventually need to move away from the baseline and that would require a statutory change.
8. 2014 Annual Report
   Karrie Rueter informed the Board that the 2014 report is due at the end of December. She also wants to work on a 10 year annual report that includes data for FY15, but that data will not be made available until April 2016 at the earliest. Members noted that it would be very valuable to have a report ready that includes the most recent data available during the spring legislative session and that a10-year profile would be great. However, data is not likely to be available early in the session. Motion: George Timberlake motioned to authorize the Executive Committee to approve the 2014 report prior to the next full Board meeting. Anne Studzinski seconded the motion.  Decision: The Board approved the motion.
9. Redeploy Eligibility Requirements
   Karrie Rueter shared the statute with the Board to discuss the impact of newly-enacted legislation. This law will become effective January 1, 2016.
   PA 99-0268 prohibits commitments to the Department of Juvenile Justice for youth adjudicated of misdemeanor offenses. The law also codifies case law on status offenses. Juveniles cannot be detained or committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice for status offenses (including probation violations) based on the initial status offense.
   Karrie Rueter reviewed the data to see the number of youth enrolled in the Redeploy program who are in the program because the presenting offense is a misdemeanor offense. She reported that approximately 35% of the youth in Redeploy are there for committing misdemeanor offenses. 30.2% are there because of a Class A misdemeanor.
   Sites have asked if they will be allowed to continue serving misdemeanor youth after January, 1, 2016. Board members felt the statute is was clear that these youth would not be eligible for Redeploy since there was not a commitment to be "avoided". A Redeploy Eligible offense is essentially an offense punishable by a commitment to IDJJ, which misdemeanors no longer will be.
   The Board would like additional information regarding misdemeanors and will need this information to begin discussions on how this might impact the program going forward.Motion: Anne Studzinski motioned to allow Redeploy program sites to continue serving existing youth charged with committing misdemeanor offenses after the new law goes into effect on January 1, 2016 until such time as the complete services or are otherwise discharged from the program. Pat Griffith seconded the motion.  Decision: The Board approved the motion.
10. Redeploy Focused Update
    Angie Jimenez shared that she spoke with probation staff in Logan County regarding a case that would like to submit an application. She said that she anticipates that they will send their application in January or early February 2016.
11. Next Meeting:
    Executive Committee Meeting: January 15, 2016 at 9:30 a.m.
    RIOB Meeting: February 19, 2015 at 9:30 a.m.
12. Adjourn
    Pat Griffith made a motion to adjourn. George Timberlake seconded the motion.  The meeting was adjourned at 2:06 p.m.