October / November 2016

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October/November 2016

Problem-solving Courts

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Courts Today 69 Lyme Road, Hanover, NH 03755

Presenting Evidence: A/V Advancements

Vol. 14 No. 5

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with alternative & diversion programs

Publisher & Executive Editor Thomas S. Kapinos Assistant Publisher Jennifer Kapinos

O C TO B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 016

Editor Donna Rogers

VOLU M E 14 N U M B E R 5

Contributing Editors Michael Grohs, Bill Schiffner G.F. Guercio, Kelly Mason

F EATU R E S

Art Director Jamie Stroud

4 Pretrial Investigation Tools Reducing High-money Bail

8 Presenting Evidence A/V Gear for the Courtroom

Marketing Representatives Bonnie Dodson (828) 479-7472 Art Sylvie (480) 816-3448 Peggy Virgadamo (718) 456-7329

14 Problem-solving Courts: Four Case Studies

20 Comply & Collect Payments on the Go

25 Electronic Monitoring Breakthrough Products

31 Court Technology Directory & Reference Guide

DE PARTM E NTS

38 Ad Index

with alternative & diversion programs

is published bi-monthly by: Criminal Justice Media, Inc PO Box 213 Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 310.374.2700 Send address changes to: COURTS TODAY 69 Lyme Road Hanover, NH 03755 or fax (603) 643-6551 To receive a FREE subscription to COURTS TODAY submit, on court letterhead, your request with qualifying title; date, sign and mail to COURTS TODAY 69 Lyme Road Hanover, NH 03755 or you may fax your subscription request to (603) 643-6551 Subscriptions: Annual subscriptions for non-qualified personnel, United States only, is $60.00.

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B Y D O N N A R O G E R S , E D IT O R

Reducing high-money bail practices: Tools that lessen the risk.

PRETRIAL INVESTIGATIONS

Pretrial investigations are on the rise as a means of diverting the offender from the conventional judicial and corrections systems. Scientifically determining the risk involved is the challenge, and we look at tools that can help the Court make this determination in the best possible manner, balancing the well-being of the offender with the safety of the public.

The ACLU has recently been challenging what they say are unfair bail practices that favor the rich and deny freedom to the poor based on failure to be able to pay bail. The organization has repeatedly challenged high-money bail practices and is currently urging legislatures to create laws that will improve the pretrial practices by making reforms to the bail system.

In Maine the ACLU urged mem-

bers of the Judiciary Committee to pass LD 1639, otherwise titled An Act to Implement the Recommendations of the Intergovernmental Pretrial Justice Task Force, which calls for making reforms to so-called “pay for release.” A major difficulty for the indigent, the organization reports, was instituted about a decade ago when the Maine legislature began making many fines for criminal offenses unwaivable, even when an individual could prove he or she was unable to pay, the ACLU says, “largely in an effort to fill budget gaps.”

Under the current system, the ACLU furthers, failure to pay a fine for even a minor crime results in a warrant for the individual’s arrest.

“Each year, thousands of Mainers are booked into jail solely for failure to pay fines–usually costing taxpay-

ers more to jail them than was originally owed. Jailing people for failure to pay comes with other hardships as well; they face mounting fines and fees and lose their license and often their job.”

The ACLU points out that a 2011 report by the Maine Center for Public Reporting revealed that decisions about cash bail amounts often neglect to take into account a person’s ability to pay. They state that as a result, thousands of offenders who have not been convicted of any crime stay locked up “not because they are a flight risk or a threat to community safety, but because they can’t afford bail.”

In addition to statute changes in Maine, the Task Force recommended additional in-depth study of ongoing concerns and increased training for

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bail commissioners, law enforcement, judges, attorneys and jail staff.

Beyond Maine, the ACLU is supporting reform of the overall pretrial bail system throughout the country.

In September in Washington state the organization issued a position paper examining the fundamental unfairness of Washington’s bail system. “No Money, No Freedom” highlights the harms caused by the pretrial jailing of people unable to pay money bail in Washington and recommends principles for reform.

“In some Washington counties, and in jurisdictions around the nation, more than half of all the people in jail at any given time have not been convicted of a crime. They are locked up simply because they cannot afford the amount of bail set by the judge,” said Jaime Hawk, Legal Strategy Director for the

ACLU of Washington’s Campaign for Smart Justice.

“Washington’s bail practices and use of money bail is a glaring example of the reality that for people facing criminal charges in our state, there are two systems—one for the wealthy and one for the poor,” said Hawk.

According to the ACLU’s position paper, the use of money bail “forces even those accused of nonviolent misdemeanors to sit in jail before their trials, often with disastrous results for them and their families.”

The paper describes the “serious and persistent” problems that occur when accused people are forced to await their trials behind bars.

The ACLU concludes that because people who are locked up are less able to assist their attorneys in preparing a defense, being in jail

seriously harms their prospects in court and may ultimately prevent a trial from even occurring. The loss of income, possible loss of employment and housing, and stresses on one’s family that accompany incarceration have induced many defendants to accept a plea bargain to get out.

Among the recommendations the ACLU lays out to bring about change are: decreased use of money bail, ensuring all defendants have legal representation, creating less restrictive alternatives to jail, and offering pretrial programs that provide services that allow for more effective monitoring of people who are released and awaiting trial.

A way to objectify pretrial release practices is to utilize risk assessments to qualify if the arrestee is a flight risk or will have a high failure to appear rate.

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Validity & Reliability

“The biggest issue we see for the Courts is in the validity and reliability of the tools they’re using to help inform their decision to release someone (that is, if any tool is being used),” says Dr. Angel Ilarraza, Director, Northpointe, Inc. ). “Many jurisdictions simply use a ‘homegrown’ checklist of criteria that need to be met—or not met—for a person to be

considered eligible for release. Beyond this, there appears to be little if any consideration regarding quantifiable risk of re-offense and/or violence. “ There is a problem with this method, he says. “While these types of homegrown criteria may be intuitive and easy to use, they often lack scientific validation. The importance of that validation cannot be understated... it’s our only reliable means

PRETRIAL DECISION-MAKING SUCCESS

Findings of a BJS-Funded Va. Dept. of Criminal Justice Svcs. Study

• Agencies using the Praxis, a pretrial decision-making framework used in Virginia, increased nonfinancial release recommendations 2.3 times compared to agencies not trained in the use of the Praxis.

• Judges that were informed by the Praxis were 1.9 times more likely to release defendants on nonfinancial conditions at first court appearance.

• Judges’ decisions to release defendants on nonfinancial conditions increased 8.8 times when pretrial officers recommend release, when controlling for risk level, charge category, and demographic characteristics.

• Defendants on pretrial supervision in the Praxis group were 1.2 times less likely to experience any pretrial failure (failure to appear in court or new arrest).

1.3 times less likely to fail to appear 1.3 times less likely to experience a new arrest —Ken Rose

of better understanding how well the tool performs at predicting a successful pretrial release candidate.”

Virginia’s Pretrial Program

Approximately 20 years ago the state of Virginia addressed the validation issue by authorizing pretrial services by statute with the passage of the Pretrial Services Act (1995).

As of this writing, 32 pretrial services agencies were operating in Virginia, serving 99 of 133 localities.

In the past few months additional funds were appropriated to expand pretrial services to counties and cities that currently are not served and were to be awarded in October.

The state uses its own tool called the Virginia Pretrial Risk Assessment Instrument (VPRAI) to inform the Court whether a defendant should be detained or released prior to trial.

When the VPRAI was first implemented, it provided pretrial services staff and other justice stakeholders with the defendant’s risk level (low, below average, average, above average, and high) along with the risk factors identified, explains Ken Rose, criminal justice program coordinator, Division of Programs and Services/Juvenile & Adult Services, Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS).

“Although Pretrial Services staff considered the results of the VPRAI, there was previously no guidance for making pretrial release recommendations to the Court or determining the appropriate levels of pretrial supervision and as a result, these decisions were largely subjective,” he says.

Further, “despite having access to a research-based pretrial risk assessment, pretrial release recommendations varied from one agency to another. In addition, many of Virginia’s pretrial services agencies required the same frequency and types of contacts for all defendants and there lacked objective and consistent policy for providing differential pretrial supervision based on the risk of pretrial failure.“ Continues on page 38

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“The process of integrating riskinformed tools requires not just good staff training, but strong collaboration.”

—Ken Rose, Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services

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B Y M I C H A EL G R O H S , C O N T R IB U T IN G E D I T OR

Presenting Evidence

PROJECTING YOUR MESSAGE IN THE MODERN COURTROOM.

COURT TECHNOLOGY is continuing its drastic pace of change. Courts are going paperless, arraignments are being conducted remotely, transcripts are being recorded online in real time, hearings can be recorded with voice activated microphones and cameras (and in one experimental case, in virtual reality using Occulous Rift).

Evidence can be presented accurately, quickly, efficiently, and cost effectively. It can be presented on small individual tablets in jury boxes and on 70” screens on which the user can annotate. Evidence can be

presented in 3D using visualizers such as WolfVision’s VZ-9.4F, and it has even been presented as a 3D hologram in an experimental trial.

(Fred Lederer, director of the Center for Legal and Court Technology, who conducted the experiment, points out that hasn’t actually been done in a courtroom setting yet).

Those advancements also mean that there is a lot to know. Evidence needs to be presented pretty much flawlessly, and that takes skill and knowledge.

There are also many products from which to choose. That alone

can be daunting. There are considerations such as what new devices will work with what current devices, and will both of those devices work with those accumulated in the future? (Think iPhone 7 and its lack of an audio jack.) There is the consideration of using in-house personnel to make the upgrades or outsourcing it to vendors—or both.

Ted Brooks, owner of Litigation Tech, Inc., a California-based trial tech company, is one of those experts courts call when it comes time to seek outside help for trial prep and support. Litigation Tech

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gets all of the evidence into digital format and into a database and assists lawyers with their own equipment or the court’s. They counsel courts in matters such as how to upgrade, and they assist in details such as choosing and marrying legacy and HDMI technology.

It is not just the technology with bells and whistles that needs to be considered. There is the matter of where to put it. For example, Brooks furthers that many courtrooms have a projector installed in the ceiling to keep it off the courtroom floor, and while that might work well for a projector, it wouldn’t be practical for other devices such as a digital document display camera such as ELMO or WolfVision. In such scenarios, a small, portable stand such as the Da-Lite Project-O-Stand may be the best solution.

“Model 425 is a very popular choice among trial technicians and courtroom equipment vendors. It has detachable legs, which can adjust from 32 up to 56 inches. This stand works very well for placing a projector, document camera, or other items, and can be easily stored by clipping the legs to the bottom. It can even be used as a work table in tight quarters, such as behind the gallery rail, by removing two legs, using the rail as the rear support,” points out Brooks.

The tech provider also notes that one thing that is consistent about the volume levels of evidence or depositions played in court is its inconsistency. How loud it plays depends on how the video or audio was originally recorded, with what it was recorded, and the volume settings of the device on which it is played back in

court. While most courtroom systems have a system volume controller, it is not always quick and easy to make an adjustment. “One device that is very simple to use is a remote volume control, which often includes something called a ‘ground lifter.’ This can help eliminate the ‘buzz’ or ‘hum’ of electrical noise feedback through the audio system.”

Of course, says Brooks, the other purpose is that “counsel or their trial tech can have a simple method of quickly adjusting the volume of their own playback. It is not always a quick process to raise or lower the volume levels on a laptop or tablet.

The device connects to a standard headphone jack.

HARMAN

HARMAN’s N2000 JPEG2000 Networked AV solution is well-

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LITIGATION-TECH, LLC

designed to fit the courtroom where video distribution has to be extremely flexible to handle the complex work flow required when sending video images to the appropriate viewers in the appropriate order. With imperceptible latency and compression, the video is very clear and delivered on demand.

Durable, simple to control, and easy to reconfigure, the N2000 Series deploys easily using standard 1 Gbs structured cabling and layer 2 or 3 switches. Expanding the system is as easy as adding a single encoder or decoder at a source or destination.

Use with our N-Control or NetLinx Control platforms for simple, intuitive control of the system.

Website: http://trade.amx.com/products/categoryJ PEG2000VideooverIP.asp

JAVS

Streamline your evidence presentation with the JAVS Evidence Presentation System. The system houses all the tools necessary to present digital evidence throughout the courtroom from one centralized station. Display images from a variety of devices, including portable media devices, then annotate those images while on-screen. The Evidence Presentation System cart is designed with built-in speakers for stand-alone playback but can be routed to public address speakers as well. Additional configurations include a control panel stationed at the judge’s bench, a touch screen monitor placed at the witness stand, and/or input connections placed at counsel tables.

Website: www.javs.com Phone: 1-800-354-JAVS (5287)

Litigation-Tech LLC is a courtroom technology and trial presentation provider based in California.

Although their focus is more along the lines of trial presentation and temporary “portable” systems, they have been consulted in several major courtroom system upgrades in federal and state courts.

A portable setup is designed for quick installation and removal, but many of the components are the same as with permanent installations. Primary differences would be how and where things are installed, such as projector, screen, and cables to connect everything. Permanent installations will often include a master system control, allowing a judge or clerk to “toggle” the feed input between parties. In a portable setup, these functions would be controlled by a Trial Tech (such as Litigation-Tech LLC), although a “kill switch” for the bench can be provided on request.

Parties are frequently encouraged to contact someone like LitigationTech LLC to utilize technology in trial, which benefits all by significantly improving the display of evidence, and reducing trial time for the Court and jury.

Website: www.litigationtech.com Phone: 888-907-4434

MARSHALL FURNITURE

JAVS Evidence Presentation cart

Present with confidence using Marshall Furniture's Quick Ship evidence cart and mobile video monitor stand. Model ELCO-VS is a mobile video/monitor stand that can perform anywhere in the courtroom and is perfect for presenting digital evidence or remote testimony via videoconferencing to the jury or judge. Evidence can be presented conveniently from our Model ELCO-25WS cart. It allows storage of modern technology such as a document camera, monitor/annotation display or touch panel. Both models can be ordered as an ensemble or separately with many color

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SHARP BUSINESS SYSTEMS

Digital Editing with Clarity and Brilliance, Right at Your Fingertips!

Talk about a “screen saver!” The 70” Class (69.5” diagonal) Sharp AQUOS BOARD® PN-L703B interactive display system is designed for

choices and options and ship fully assembled with a 10-year warranty.

Website: www.marshallfurniture.com

QVS

QVS presents VGA/HDMI 1080p Wireless Presentation System for Projector/HDTV with Large Touch Screen and Annotation Support. It connects PC/Mac, Android, or IOS devices with Wi-Fi to

ity matter–and any deviation in imaging or color can take away from a jury’s perception. Make sure that doesn’t happen in your Courts with WolfVision’s VZ-9.4F Visualizer.

Manufactured in Austria with only the highest quality standards allowed, it is assembled with the very best components available, the company reports. With a native 1080p HD resolution, frame rate of up to 60 fps, and true-to-life color reproduction, the VZ-9.4F offers an allaround higher quality image for evidence presentation that can be shown on a courtroom’s monitors and display devices.

Website: www.wolfvision.com Phone: 770.931.6802 Email: sales@wolfvision.us

smooth and effortless communication in a wide range of contexts. The PN-L703B’s highly-responsive touch pens allow several people to write on the same screen at the same time. And the SHARP Display Connect software enables multifaceted wireless communication.

Whether in the boardroom, the classroom or the courtroom, Sharp changes the way you communicate.

Website: Sharpusa.com/aquosboard

WOLFVISION

When presenting evidence in legal proceedings, clarity and qualprojector/HDTV with VGA or HDMI ports. It can connect up to 64 users and split-screen display up to 4 users simultaneously. Users can annotate directly on the screen using an included AirPad touchpad or using USB HID-compliant touch screen. The system supports audio/video 30fps screen mirroring, BrowserSlides and SidePad for remote desktop control. The system features an embedded web-based system utility and built-in Wi-Fi g/n router/access point.

Website: www.QVS.com Phone: 800-622-9606 (QVS East) or 800344-3371 (QVS West) October/November 2016 12

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BY DONNA ROGERS, EDITOR

PROBLEM-SOLVING COURTS Challenges and Solutions When they were first launched over 25 years ago, drug courts offered the first unique problem-solving treatment approach for those addicted.

Since then they have been proven effective in halting the insidious cycle of addiction and jail time. As of December 2014, “there were 3,057 drug courts in the U.S., representing a 24% increase in five years,” according to a report prepared by the National Drug Court Institute, published in June 2016. Just how far have drug courts have come in a quarter century, and how are other types of courts applying the same model to solve social issues beyond drug abuse?

The NDCI report Painting the Current Picture: A National Report on Drug Courts and Other Problem-solving Courts notes that drug courts are estimated to have served approximately 127,000 participants in 2014, helping them overcome habits that were taking away their lives. Drug courts do have a markedly better success rate than the average probationer does.

The average graduation rate in survey respondents’ drug courts was 59% in 2014, which is approximately twothirds higher than completion rates for probation, and were more than twice those of comparable programs for probationers with severe substance use disorders.

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not address in totality the wideranging issues that offenders need assistance with. That’s where other specialty courts such as community courts, homeless courts, mental health courts, reentry courts and veteran’s treatment courts come in.

The NDCI report notes rapid expansion of these other types of problem-solving courts. “As of Dec. 31, 2014, there were 1,311 problemsolving courts other than drug courts in the United States, representing a 10% increase over the previous five years,” it reports. The most prevalent included mental health, truancy, and domestic violence courts. At the time of the study, adult mental health courts had increased by 104 programs (36% growth) in five years.

The report furthers that “Adult mental health courts were most likely to be expanded within the next three

years, followed by reentry courts, juvenile mental health courts, and domestic violence courts.

CT spoke with four problemsolving courts around the country.

Here are their comments.

Okaloosa, County, Fla. Veterans Treatment Court At present, veterans from the latest conflicts are returning home with serious health issues. Painting the Current Picture reports that: “Between 10% and 20% of soldiers deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan suffer from combat-related PTSD, traumatic brain injury (TBI), clinical depression, or a substance use disorder, based on several studies, including one done by the Substance Abuse and Mental

Health Services Administration, 2012.

Enter Judge T. Patt Maney, a county court judge and an acting circuit judge in Florida, where he’s served on the bench for 27 years. A combat veteran himself, he was medically retired in 2005 after he experienced an IED explosion and suffered a TBI in Operation Enduring Freeedom (Afghanistan) when his army reserve unit was mobilized. The retired brigadier general reservist saw firsthand the problems that veterans were experiencing in the court, that despite being generally well-mannered and polite, were having a hard time understanding the system, as well as following basic instructions.

Among the veteran’s group he saw in court, there was uptick with things like substance use, domestic violence and trespass. Simultaneously the

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county was becoming aware of overcrowding at its jails, where 8% to 9% of those jailed were veterans. A dramatic incident with one vet sealed the deal, he says. He had committed a low-level offense and was instructed to “go talk to prosecutor and the charge will be dismissed” but he wasn’t processing the information to get the charge dropped. Maney suspected these vets were having cognitive difficulties based on some of their injuries. “This doesn’t make sense,” he thought, “if they are cycling through the system over and over, and are self medicating, we need to address the reason.”

Many of the veterans they work with are homeless or endangered homeless. Maney works with a Vet/HUD subsidized housing partnership to find housing, and with local employment agencies to receive job placement assistance.

Most of it is paid for by the national V.A. budget, he says. “They get hooked up with benefits they might not be aware of, particularly if they have a brain injury and may be afraid of the system or get very frustrated.” Maney says they also work with an organization called the Vets Center, a critical resource for combat veterans (and military sexual trauma

Low-level/breach of peace crimes can be overcome and the charges dropped in community court.

In 2010 he informally founded veteran’s treatment court (it was formalized in 2012 and legislation was named after him) that served courts in a four-county circuit, until this year, when Okaloosa County began its own vets treatment court.

With 35 participants at any one time, the Okaloosa Court focuses on issues that face this group most— homelessness, anger issues, addictions, domestic violence. Maney says the court deals with these cooccurring disorders with a multidisciplinary approach. “We’ve knitted together a lot of the resources,” he says, adding they have a “wonderful” team that is well supported by the V.A.

vets only), that provides readjustment counseling services by certified health counselors (who are mostly combat veterans). There are 300 such centers around the country, and counseling services can be used by veterans and their families.

New Haven, Conn.

Community Court Cycling in and out of the courts system for low-level misdemeanor crimes is something Chris Pleasanton has seen over and again in his 17 years with the New Haven Community Court. The court program manager says clients are brought to community court for

quality of life type crimes, the most common of which is loud noise, followed by possession of marijuana, public drinking, trespassing, interference with a police officer, shoplifting, loitering, and prostitution-related offenses. Courts are usually busy with violent, high-level cases, he says. These are breach of peace type issues, and not the biggest thing on the agenda, but they may be symptoms of underlying issues the individual is experiencing that deteriorate communities. Avoiding a permanent record, and not having their life ruined by a breach of peace charge helps normalize their future.

When forming the Community Court back in 1998 (it was only the third community court in the country), Hartford modeled itself on the Midtown Community Court in New York City that mixed accountability with opportunity, Pleasanton explains. Accountability comes in the form of a sanction, a court supervised community service, like cleaning up a park, removing graffiti, restoring the community, delivering food to the needy, or helping with the recent Hartford marathon.

“Our hope is that in being involved they will feel more connected with their community,” he says.

Clients have racked up a lot of community service hours. In 17 years, Hartford defendants have provided over 511,000.

“On the other hand,” Pleasanton furthers, “we have opportunity— onsite social services, [finding] what is driving their behavior, such as lack of resources, drug abuse, mental illness, or, often, a combination of all three.”

The other important thing to mention is partnerships, he continues. “We do intensive case management—we offer help with housing, benefits… the whole gamut.”

In order to connect our defendants/clients with services the court works with the city Dept. of Health and Human Services, the Social Service departments, the state Dept.

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of Mental Health and Addiction Services, the state Dept. of Labor, and numerous local non-profit service providers. “We couldn’t do that without their help.”

Hartford Community Court is open five days a week, has a range of 10 to 50 clients a day, and averages 7,000 cases a year. One of the greatest accomplishments Pleasanton has observed is clients that come in “in very, very serious conditions…in dire straights,” he says—and have been helped to turn their lives around.

“That’s very rewarding.”

Colorado Problem-solving Courts Coming a long way since the first adult drug court was established in the state of Colorado in 1994, the state currently has 80 separate problem-solving courts in operation in 20 judicial districts. Among the active programs are juvenile courts, DUI courts, mental health courts, family and dependency/neglect courts and veteran’s treatment courts.

The program had its start when the judge and others were seeing the same people on the same type of charges, explains Brenidy Rice, state problem solving court coordinator, Colorado State Court Administrator’s Office. “Putting them in jail wasn’t solving the problem.”

Now, at the core of the Colorado specialized courts is a multi-disciplinary planning commission, which includes judge, treatment provider, probation supervisor. “It is truly a multi-disciplinary process,” Rice says.

In 2012, she furthers, a statewide assessment that included outcomes showed “a two-thirds reduction in recidivism over two years post-termination” from participating in the program. She adds: “These programs have the capacity to get lives back.”

In addition, as a result of ongoing positive results, Rice points out: “In 2007 we tripled our programs.

Growth has been exponential.”

San Francisco Superior Court Collaborative Courts Similarly, the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, operates a wide variety of problemsolving courts through their Collaborative Courts program.

Among the courts are adult drug courts, behavioral health court, and the Community Justice Center. In 2013, the V.A. noticed a need for treatment for justice-involved veterans and approached the court, which agreed to form a veterans calendar as part of the CJC, explains Allyson West, coordinator, Community Justice Center/Veterans Justice Court.

“We had such great success that VJC became a standalone court in 2015.”

Veterans are a unique group that has special needs. “Homelessness, drug addiction and mental health are the primary issues facing our clients, although that hardly makes them unique,” she points out. “In CJC, so many are homeless, drug users out on the street, and the court tries to address those underlying causes to get them stable, housed, and with legal income.”

Their objective is to provide substance abuse and mental health treatment as well as academic, vocational or skills improvement leading to job placement.

“In VJC we have a somewhat higher functioning clientele, more educated, and often with more stable home lives,” she explains. “But most have experienced trauma and/or traumatic brain injury while serving in the military and need specialized treatment for that in addition to being homeless, having substance abuse issues, and/or other mental health challenges.”

VJC adheres to the principles of San Francisco’s other collaborative court programs: a problem-solving focus, a team approach to decision making, integration of social and treatment services, judicial supervision of the treatment process and

community outreach.

VJC works in partnership with a Veterans Justice Outreach Specialist through the VA Medical Center and a case manager through Jail Behavioral Health for veterans without full VA benefits, and offers treatment and case management services.

In 2015 114 clients were served; the majority (46%) were for property /theft related charges; 20% had charges related to crimes against persons; 12% had drug related charges and 7% had weapons-related charges. As of Sept., the VJC calendar is operating with a current caseload of 50 veterans with an estimated program length of nine to 18 months.

The Vet’s Court has shown success as measured in a variety of ways. “Having clients graduate, reunite with their families, get jobs, and have stable housing in this terrible market is our best accomplishment!” says West. The numbers speak for themselves. Of the 255 clients that have gone through the program since 2013, 84 have graduated. Of those, only seven have been rearrested and only one of those had a new conviction, she details. In addition, a RAND recidivism study of the CJC completed in October 2014 conservatively estimated that CJC reduces recidivism by 8% to 10%.

Problem-solving courts look at individuals as a whole person, and are helping restore communities, one life at a time. According to Judge Maney, these courts are a success on multiple levels. First, for society, turning the individual around reduces the cost to society, whether in reduced jail time or lost productivity.

Secondly, for the individual, a person may start out with no job, perhaps homeless and with his/her children in state custody. Through the program, kids have “gotten their parents back and it’s made families whole again.”

Finally, he says, “for me personally, I get to work as a team that is trying to make all this happen. It is very, very satisfying.” CT

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B Y G . F. G U E R CI O , CO N T R I B U T I N G E D IT O R

COMPLY & COLLECT

Payment compliance is shown to increase with options in payment types and platforms, while collections technology and methodology raise revenue and rate of compliance.

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Compliance and collections produce the same end result for the courts: provide deterrence/punishment by way of recovering revenue.

Increasing both are a constant conundrum for courts.

“One of the best ways we believe courts can increase revenue is by making it easy for citizens to make payments,” says Tony Clancy, CEO of nCourt. “This includes providing numerous options for citizens to make a payment, both in terms of payment platforms—desktop, mobile, at the counter, phone, or via a live call center—and different payment types—credit or debit card, ACH (automatic clearing house), digital checks. Increasing options for citizens increases on-time payments and reduces outstanding balances that end up in a collections process.

Ultimately this leads to increased revenue for the court, increased satisfaction for citizens and increased efficiency for the court staff.”

In Georgia, Clancy explains, “Gwinnett County’s Court Clerk attributed a more than 100 percent jump in revenue in one year to the court’s ability to handle a higher volume of service. Between 20132014 Gwinnett’s revenue jumped from $4 million to $9 million, which in part was attributed to the implementation of nCourt’s solution.”

Another tool, the electronic payment system called CitePayUSA, makes it easy and convenient to accept and manage credit card, debit card, and e-check payments over the internet and in the court—and then can automatically update Justice Systems, Inc.’s FullCourt Enterprise case management system, notes Ernie L. Sego, President/CEO. “To more effectively and efficiently recover revenue, courts must be able to deliver information and payment services through mobile device interactions,” Sego believes. “For 10 years, we have enabled constituents

Justice System Inc.’s CitePayUSA allows payments from mobile devices such as this iPad mini.

to review their obligations and make payment at our CitePayUSA website,” he says. “Additionally, our web-based Public Access module allows constituents to review their obligations and then directs them to our CitePayUSA website to make a payment.”

He adds, “The FullCourt Enterprise Overdue Processing functionality will monitor and process cases where defendants have failed to pay.” The automated processing can include data entry to the case, financial updates, document production, reporting to collections, and more.

Texting = Collecting

“How can a single text message drive revenue and reduce costs for the court?” asks Steve Handel, managing partner, TextGov LLC. “A text is sent providing the court date and payment information. With a single click, the citation can be paid; the court receives the revenue, and the court hearing is averted.”

In Georgia, the Cook County Probate Court utilizes TextGov’s Citation Reminder Service to provide citation information via text for violators that opt-in to receive the

information: the monthly online payment rate averages 40 percent.

Nationally, “Nearly 20 percent of all individuals receiving a citation opt-in to the text message option, and an average of 65 percent of those pay their citation online and, in doing so, avoid a court appearance. Additionally, those who optin pay their citations earlier,” Handel explains. A 12-month review shows an online payment rate of 8 percent to 12 percent in the 30 days prior to a court date; for those who opt-in for text citation information, the payment rate jumps to 20 percent to 25 percent.

“When it comes to court payments, technology is as significant to this service as it is to our everyday lives,” agrees Leigh Sides, director of Business Development, The Payment Group. “Therefore, court payment services should be mobilefriendly and integrate with case management systems. Defendants need to know that they are paying the right amount to the right court to their case. Likewise, the court needs to have that payment information updating their software automatically.”

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methods for their customers to make payments they are taking a proactive measure toward preventing outstanding collections,” she says. If a defendant had planned to come to court but at the last minute was unable to make it, he/she could still make a payment remotely either online or by calling a service that accepts phone payments for the court. “The defendant doesn’t incur an FTA (failure to appear), late charges or even a warrant; and receives a text or email receipt of payment and the court receives their payment. Case closed.”

Making a Case for Outside Collections To open the case for collections, Don McKinley owner and founder of N3CS, LLC, an internal court and government collections consultant, says, “It is estimated that over $100 billion is owed to courts and governments in outstanding court costs, fees, and fines.” But, he adds, “Collections really isn’t about

This actual citation shows the payment screen when a person clicks on the link in the text when using TextGov’s Citation Reminder Service. With a single click a citation can be paid, the court receives the revenue, and the court hearing is averted.

money or revenue, the focus should be on compliance with orders of the court. If you focus on compliance, the revenue will take care of itself.”

He says N3CS helps increase compliance and collections by reviewing current efforts, streamlining processes and operations, establishing amnesty/warrant roundup programs, training solutions and assisting with policies and procedures.

Outside collections entities free up resources to court and governments, McKinley notes. They need to provide strong customer care and understand their role reflects back to the court and government entity.

“Together the focus is on compliance and working to achieve that goal. I think over the next several years this point is going to become more critical and expected.”

MSB has always been consumerminded and prides itself on its record of being professional and ethical in all matters, says Bruce Cummings, CEO, Municipal Services Bureau (MSB). “Our industry's regu-

A Case for Text Messaging Stats on text messaging: • 90 percent of text messages are read within 5 minutes of receipt.

• 98 percent of all text messages are read.

• There exist more cell phones than toothbrushes.

In September a study was published specific to Millennials and texting with businesses; while the study is business related there are some interesting stats that would carry over to courts: • 62 percent would like to receive appointment reminders from businesses.

• 48 percent would like to receive payment reminders.

—Steve Handel, Managing Partner, TextGov

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lations and laws are changing rapidly and it’s our job to stay on top of those changes and adapt to them.

MSB has a dedicated compliance team who tracks and manages all areas of compliance which is essential. Everyone in the company takes annual exams on compliance laws to ensure all employees are knowledgeable on current laws, including an annual ethics test, which includes the CEO.” “We are constantly implementing and improving on existing technology solutions to meet the challenges of being a third party collection vendor in today's regulatory environment,” he says, and, “Technology is the backbone of our success: Phone systems that handle high volumes and record calls, online portals that generate custom reports, data security, file transfer protocols and webbased/IVR payment options to name just a few.”

There are many advantages gained by using revenue recovery

A Sample Case for Payment Options Here are different use cases in the author’ s immediate family: • My son is 21, my parents are 85 and I’ m somewhere in between.

• My son wants to pay via his mobile phone using Apple Pay. • My parents want to pay at the courthouse or by speaking with someone on the phone.

• And I’ m going to want to pay at 11pm at night or on a weekend via my laptop.

—Tony Clancy, CEO of nCourt

resources, says Brett Sivits, client executive, RevQ, A Division of Ontario Systems. These include: Increase in revenue, increase in efficiency; improved communications with debtors, other departments and vendors; and automatic audit trail of collections efforts. More reasons are a work list to keep work to be done better organized; access to skip tracing tools and improved management reporting. These resources also provide access to automated dialer, IVR and text messaging; ability to support a web payment portal; improvements in Victim Restitution tracking and disbursement; and access to state and federal tax intercept systems.

“Tax Intercept is a seamlessly-integrated module within our collections system that allows courts to submit requests directly to state and/or federal tax agencies to have the debtor’s tax refund intercepted to cover unpaid debts,” Sivits says, or enter into a collections agreement to avoid intercept. Victim Restitution is

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“To more effectively and efficiently recover revenue, courts must be able to deliver information and payment services through mobile device interactions,” —Ernie Sego, CEO, Justice Systems essential in the “totality” of justice, he says, “and to recover these receivables effectively, we provide courts software that allow staff to work faster and more productively.”

“Perhaps most popular with our

Municipal Services Bureau (MSB) relies on technology to meet the challenge of collecting for courts in a regulatory environment.

clients,” points out Harve Platig, national director of Government Accounts, NCSPlus Inc., “is the fact that every single action we are taking—every letter, call, address update, skip trace, payment received, and much more—is visible to the client in our secure custom web portal built for that client.” He adds another feature: payment process pathways, which provide a route through the website that deposits directly into the court’s account, with linkage built to the court’s case management system.

Platig follows a restorative recovery process for collections, which focuses on “restoration, reconciliation, and recovery.” First, NCSPlus seeks to restore communication and the payment pathway between the past due citizen and the court; the citizen experiences the satisfaction

of paying—and being heard by—the court which remains in control of all decisions. “This allows for a reconciliation of not only questions, but also the past due claim,” he says, while treating all past due citizens with the same full and robust collections process.

Citizen treatment gone awry marked the beginning of practices in Ferguson, Mo., that locked people up because they couldn’t afford to pay their fines, explains Jim Lehman, CoCEO, Coalition of American Court Collectors (CoACC). “At the heart of all the misunderstandings and confusion related to court collections is the lack of education and communication. As the Ferguson Commission pointed out, several rouge courts were responsible for making the entire system look bad and ultimately all the courts suffered the consequences.” Enter the Coalition of American Court Collectors (CoACC).

“CoACC is a non-profit education and awareness-based organization founded by court collections professionals for the purpose of promoting and supporting the interest of court collections and court collections professionals nationwide. CoACC is a new organization with a mission to bring clarity to this industry by providing a platform for encouraging compliance and enhancing the collection of revenue for court entities by promoting innovation, information and education.

“The concept of court collections has always been a sensitive and often controversial issue,” Lehman sums up. “It presents an inherent conundrum. In reality, court collections is not about collecting a debt, it is about enforcing punishment in hopes of producing deterrence.” CT For more information: N3CS, www.n3cs.com, don.mckinley@n3cs.com, https://www.facebook.com/pages/N3CS/1402878019 984743 Municipal Services Bureau (MSB), 512.371.9995, www.muniserv.com The Payment Group, 1.800.444.1187 x. 1125, Leigh@thepaymentgroup.com RevQ, a Division of Ontario Systems, 1.866.684.7387, www.revq.com, info@revq.com nCourt, 844.400.8881, www.ncourt.com, salesinfo@ncourt.com TextGov LLC, 678.392.2005, Textgov.com, Steve.Handel@Textgov.com NCSPlus Inc., 321.332.7578, ncsplus.net, harveplatig@ncsplus.org Justice Systems, Inc., 505.883.3987, www.justicesystems.com, Jason Sego: jsego@justicesystems.com Coalition of American Court Collectors (CoACC), www.ncoacc.com, National conference tentatively scheduled February 2017

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BY BI LL S C HI F F NE R , C ONTR I BUTIN G EDITO R

NEW BREAKTHROUGHS IN ELECTRONIC MONITORING

From ankle bracelets and GPS tracking to smartphones and web software, the latest advances in community supervision are providing solutions for court administrators to consider.

Telmate Guardian can monitor and communicate with the offender via their cell phone, including SMS and video calls.

Electronic monitoring systems provide community supervisory staffs with additional tools to more intensely supervise offenders on probation or parole. Where deemed appropriate by the Courts, these programs allow clients to remain part of the community to carry out their normal obligations.

These programs also help lower public safety expenses for taxpayers by reducing jail populations and requiring offenders to pay for services. In addition, electronic monitoring provides increased public safety by utilizing the latest monitoring technologies and other supervision strategies.

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Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite monitoring is the major solution used to impose and enforce curfews, establish prohibited/restricted areas, and assess and monitor offender movement in the community. Depending on the type of GPS technology that is being employed with a particular offender, monitoring can now be performed on an almost real-time basis.

MOBILE TECHNOLOGY James Gilbert, vice president of sales at SuperCom says that mobile technology is continuing to play a huge role in this area. “We believe there is a strong trend in electronic monitoring to develop tracking tools that aggressively evaluate and adopt emerging technology that holds the enrollee accountable to their release terms while incorporating tools to assist the enrollee and reduce recidivism. We believe the smartphone is the best solution to achieve this goal.”

MORE EFFECTIVE TOOLS NEEDED “With problem solving and specialty courts, we are finding case managers need better tools for facilitating client services,” notes Jim Webb, vice president of sales and marketing at Corrisoft. He points out that agencies often struggle to maintain consistent communication with clients, which makes it difficult to provide an effective level of support.

“Our AIR program provides participants with a customized smartphone, making it possible for agencies to deliver services in a more efficient manner. For example, case managers can text or e-mail a job posting to their entire caseload or manage and monitor a client’s calendar directly through the phone system. AIR is unique in the fact it adds value to both sides of the equation by improving agency efficiency and removing many of the

barriers that hinder a client’s successful re-entry back into society,” he adds.

Webb says as more and more jurisdictions continue to add problem-solving court programs, they are seeing an increased demand for solutions that make it easier for case managers and community supervision officers to communicate with and support clients. “With specialty courts there is a real focus on working closely with the clients, and our AIR program represents an ideal tool to help agencies achieve this objective. AIR features a customized smartphone and web-based management platform that work together to make it far easier for agencies to engage clients, deliver support services, and manage client activity.

This is exactly the type of solution case managers need to work more efficiently and deliver better outcomes,” he adds.

‘TRANSFORMATIVE’ SMARTPHONEBASED MONITORING Another company pushing the envelope in this area is Telmate with their Guardian system. Guardian is a technologically-advanced, lowcost smartphone-based, GPS monitoring solution for community corrections including pre-trial, work release, probation and parole.

“As the popularity of Evidence Based Practice in community corrections continues to gain momentum, we see the smartphone playing an increasingly significant role,” says Brendan Hyland, product manager with Telmate. “Whether the device is used purely to enhance client/officer communications or as a method to gather information and data and help identify and correct patterns of behavior, smartphone electronic monitoring has transformative potential.”

Chuck Geveden, strategic account executive with Telmate adds that agencies are looking for a monitoring solution where case managers have the ability to interact

with the participants and help them reintegrate into society, while holding them accountable. “Telmate Guardian helps reduce recidivism for the Courts. Courts today want a monitoring solution that will not only hold participants accountable to the terms of their release but also give them the tools they need to become contributing members of the community and reduce recidivism,” Geveden concludes.

ALCOHOL MONITORING “More portable alcohol monitoring technology—like new, handheld, cellular units—can capture the client’s photo, pinpoint via GPS where the client took or skipped a test, and report immediate violation notifications to the monitoring authority within minutes,” reports Jacquie Sheehey, director of marketing and S.M.A.R.T. Mobile Solutions at Smart Start. “Immediate notification is especially beneficial, because it allows the monitoring authority to know if a client has had an alcohol event, and the monitoring authority is able to impose a sanction when necessary,” she adds.

DRUG TESTING There are some new solutions for drug testing as well with Shadowtrack’s color code service.

“The color code service currently offered with Shadowtrack allows probation and parole to administer evidence based supervision through random drug testing,” reports Christopher Shortt, probation manager at the Virginia Department of Corrections. “It affords probation and parole staff the ability to increase and or decrease testing patterns. Through this service with Shadowtrack probationers and parolees are held accountable with the latest technology; [with it] probation and parole staff can focus supervision on those offenders with the greatest risk/needs.” He further says: “The technology associated with this program is user-friendly

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with the emphasis on getting quality services to field staff.�

Let’s take a look at some of the latest electronic monitoring solutions on the market that are helping provide agencies with more economical options than confinement.

Monitoring System

BLUtag uses GPS signals to record the locations of enrollees 24 hours a day, 365 days per year.

Together with VeriTracks, their

secure application, supervising officers can see if enrollees were spending time together and/or in the vicinity of a reported crime or incident. Even in the absence of GPS signals, BLUtag records the movements of enrollees. www.stopllc.com, 1.832.553.9500

Portable Testing System

The IN-HOM S.M.A.R.T. Mobile is a portable, handheld, cellular alcohol monitoring device. It offers facial detection, a built-in camera, GPS, affordable pricing, and up to 10 customized test windows daily,

the company reports. The unit can serve as a helpful monitoring tool for offenders of all risk levels, and allows for immediate violation notification to monitoring authorities. www.smartstartinc.com, 1.800.880.3394

Random Drug Test Notifications

Shadowtrack has unveiled their new module, Drug Testing Color Code, which allows you to automate random drug testing notifications to participants. Using voice verification

technology, it can ensure the participant receives their drug testing notification. If the offender misses a scheduled outbound verification call, an SMS message is delivered with instructions for calling the system back. With color-coded custom

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drug testing templates, and date and time reporting features, this added service will elevate the efficiency of participant appearances, the firm reports. www.ShadowTrack.com, 1.985.867.3771

Smartphone-based, GPS Monitoring Solution

Guardian is reportedly a technologically advanced, low-cost smartphone-based GPS monitoring solution. The system leverages an enrollee’s personal smartphone and

munity supervision solution that enables agencies to more consistently communicate with participants, more effectively deliver support services, and better manage client activity, they state. AIR combines a customized smartphone with a web-based management platform in order to both deliver proactive communication capabilities and serve as a tool that more efficiently facilitates support resources. www.corrisoft.com, 1.859.271.1190

GUARDIAN

offers case managers real-time supervision, easy-to-read reports, and check-in controls, along with features like live video calls, event reminders, SMS alerts, face and voice detection, and location compliance zones that make it simple to actively pinpoint and supervise enrollees, according to Telmate. www.telmate.com/guardian, 1.866.516.0115

Tracking Solution

PureTrack is a secure offender tracking solution that pairs a hardened smartphone with a Bluetooth ankle bracelet and optional

Electronic Monitoring Application

FocalPoint is an award-winning, electronic monitoring application that offers easy-to-use, on-demand access to critical offender tracking data. Running an effective electronic monitoring program depends on

leveraging smart multitasking tools, the firm notes. Flexible options from FocalPoint, a Numerex Solution, make it easy to manage persons of interest anytime, anywhere, from a desktop, smartphone, or tablet. Built to increase efficiency, FocalPoint offers streamlined functionality with a secure platform. http://numerex.com, 1.800.665-5686

Automated Telephone Reporting System

OffenderLink ATR is an Automated Telephone Reporting system with a Web-based Super-vision Management System designed to facilitate EBP. The system is proven

Technology Solutions

Corrisoft is a technology and services provider, delivering advanced technology solutions that support

community supervision agents in their efforts to facilitate the broad set of services fostering re-entry and rehabilitation. Corrisoft’s AIR program is a smartphone-based com-

lar, wi-fi, landline, Ethernet), greater location features (GPS, RF, bluetooth, wi-fi, cell tower triangulation), educational delivery and other advanced features only available through the smartphone. www.supercom.com, 1.212.675.4606

Bluetooth beacon. The smartphone offers features previously unavailable through one-piece devices such as biometric verification, pictures/video transmittal, voice and text conversations, greater device communication options (dual cellu-

to improve efficiencies, reduce workload and increase accountability for lower risk offender populations on supervision or pretrial where an office visit (or a mailed in form) can be replaced by an automated telephone contact, the firm reports.

OffenderLink ATR also helps users

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track compliance of any and all special conditions of supervision. www.fieldware.com/OffenderLink/, 312.258.1000

House Arrest App

Comprehensive GPS offender tracking and monitoring program is a smartphone-based, house arrest app program that incorporates a number of biometric safeguards to identify offenders and provides

accurate, actionable, alerts. All verified check-ins are time stamped and easily tracked. The web-enabled Dashboard Monitoring Center is accessible by smartphones, iPads, and tablets, as well as traditional

methods such as desktop and laptop computers to assist in compliance. www.E-Cell.com, 1.888.316.0600

Miniature Monitoring Device

Driven by customer demand to improve the affordability and performance of electronic monitoring devices, Shadow is the smallest and lightest device of its kind with a sleek, modern design featuring an enhanced mobile charging capability that makes it easier to use. The

device is also 3G compliant and fully supported by all global mobility providers. http://trackgrp.com, 1.877.260.2010

Smart Tag

Buddi US’s Smart Tag, one-piece tracking device that features 3G GSM communication, thus provides vastly improved coverage compared to 2G, according to the firm, and their groundbreaking Convergent Location Technology provides full time indoor tracking. The Smart Tag continuously records indoor points to supplement GPS and provides minute-byminute location information indoors and in urban canyons, greatly reducing gaps in location information when GPS is unavailable. www.buddi.us, 1.844.283.3487

Monitoring Bracelet

The OM400 is a versatile, onepiece, GPS/cellular ankle-worn electronic monitoring bracelet with 2-

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way communication. Designed to track—and communicate with—all types of offenders 24/7, indoors and outdoors, this rugged and weatherproof ankle bracelet signals offend-

tery life and precisely verify in-home locations all while using the cloudbased software application, FocalPoint, to map and track offender location. http://numerex.com, 1.800.665-5686

Ignition Interlock

Smart Start’s SSI-20/30 ignition interlock device is compatible with all vehicle makes and models and

offers a camera, GPS tracking, upcoming test alerts, anti-circumvention features, programmable violation levels, and immediate notification of violation to monitoring authorities. The camera—which Smart Start was the first to employ—allows for positive identification of the user with each test. www.smartstartinc.com, 1.800.880.3394

Smart Interlock

ers using vibrations and sound, and receives offender acknowledgment in return. The OM400 can pair with an OM400 RF Beacon to extend bat-

The Interlock 7000 is an in-car breathalyzer that reinvents the traditional IID to incorporate enhanced user features and monitoring capabilities. The intelligent camera, mouth alcohol detection and GPS/GPRS options anticipate local compliance regulations. The Sober Driver Verification System™ goes one step further with an intelligent camera module that can detect a change in the driver of the vehicle between the initial test and driving. http://www.draeger.com/

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CO U RT T E C H N O LO G Y D I R E C TO RY & R E F E R E N C E G U I D E ADA Requirements Appligent Document Solutions Computing Systems Innovations Marshall Furniture

Architectural & Construction CGL HDR Architecture Marshall Furniture Professional Systems Engineering

Audio/Video Systems Hunt Reporting Infax Marshall Furniture Meridian Technologies Pointmaker, LLC Professional Systems Engineering Revolabs, Inc.

Collections; Receivables Management Penn Credit Ontario Systems Xerox Consultants CGL HDR Architecture Integrated Software Specialists Judicial Systems Professional Systems Engineering Xerox Court Automation Computing Systems Innovations CourtView Justice Solutions Gottlieb & Wertz, Inc. ImageSoft Integrated Software Specialists Judicial Systems Jury Systems RevQ Tybera Tyler Technologies Syscon Xerox Court Reporting Hunt Reporting Data Integration Computing Systems Innovations Integrated Software Specialists Meridian Technologies

Detectors; Weapons and Explosives Autoclear CEIA USA Garrett Metal Detectors Document Management Computing Systems Innovations CourtView Justice Solutions ImageSoft Integrated Software Specialists Real Auction Relational Semantics Syscon Tybera Tyler Technologies

Digital Signage/ Electronic Dockets Infax Drug/Alcohol Testing and Detection Draeger Safety Diagnostics USDTL Electronic Citations Saltus Education/Training Judicial Systems MHS Assessments Pointmaker, LLC USDTL Electronic Monitoring Saltus Smart Start Telmate Facility Management CGL Draeger Safety Diagnostics Judicial Systems

Ignition Interlock Draeger Safety Diagnostics Smart Start Jury Services & Systems Judicial Systems Xerox Kiosks Infax Interactive Touchscreen Solutions Judicial Systems Marshall Furniture Xerox

Presentation Equipment Marshall Furniture Pointmaker, LLC Security-Electonic Garrett Metal Detectors Professional Systems Engineering Security-Physical Autoclear CEIA USA Garrett Metal Detectors Professional Systems Engineering Software Appligent Document Solutions Computing Systems Innovations CourtView Justice Solutions Extract Systems Gottlieb & Wertz, Inc. Imagesoft Infax Integrated Software Specialists Judicial Systems Ontario Systems Real Auction Relational Semantics Syscon Tybera Tyler Technologies Xerox System Integrators Computing Systems Innovations Infax Integrated Software Specialists Judicial Systems Meridian Technologies Relational Semantics Xerox Web Based Services, Electronic Access, Online Access Appligent Document Solutions Computing Systems Innovations CourtView Justice Solutions ImageSoft Integrated Software Specialists Jury Systems Real Auction Relational Semantics Telmate Tybera Xerox

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D I R E C TO RY Appligent Document Solutions 22 E. Baltimore Ave. Lansdowne, PA 19050-2202 tel: 610-284-4006 fax: 610-284-4233 contact: Virginia Gavin, President & COO email: vgavin@appligent.com website: https://appligent.com ...Appligent specializes in Software and Services for processing PDF content. Our services are focused on the efficient use of PDF and range from the remediation of PDF files for Accessibility & Section 508 compliance to PDF forms development and web portal development. Our software enables redaction, forms processing, bates numbering, document assembly and personalization, encryption and digital signatures.

2 Gardner Rd Fairfield, NJ 07004 tel: 973-276-6000 fax: 973-276-6162 contact: Sales email: inf1@a-clear.com website: www.a-clear.com ...Autoclear delivers innovative and affordable security screening systems to detect and identify explosives, weapons, contraband and narcotics. Applications include checkpoint, mail and cargo screening using X-ray inspection, explosives/narcotics trace detection and metal detection technologies. Autoclear proudly serves the military, government and private industry worldwide for their security needs.

9155 Dutton Drive Twinsburg, OH 44087 tel: 330-405-3190 fax: 330-405-3196 contact: Marilyn Thaxton, Marketing Manager email: security@ceia-usa.com website: www.ceia-usa.com ...CEIA solutions include metal detectors that comply with the strictest security standards and provide unmatched reliability and consistency to detect a full range of metal weapon threat items, over the entire body of the individual. CEIA USA security screening solutions include walkthrough and hand-held metal detectors, cell phone detector and letter/parcel inspection system.

5200 Blue Lagoon, Suite 430 Miami, FL 33126 tel: 786-409-7000 contact: Matt Skarr, Associate AIA - SVP, Business Development email: mskarr@cglcompanies.com website: www.CGLcompanies.com ...CGL works to provide local, state, national, and international communities with more efficient facilities to better serve the public. We have a breadth and depth of services - including facility planning and design, program management and facility maintenance, as well as development and finance capabilities - to solve public facility challenges in the criminal justice sector.

791 Piedmont Wekiwa Rd. Apopka, FL 32703 tel: 407-598-2342 fax: 407-598-1879 contact: Natasha Garraway, Marketing Coordinator email: info@csisoft.com website: www.csisoft.com ...Computing System Innovations (CSI) is America's leading provider of automated redaction, indexing, and classification solutions for state and local governments. CSI's flagship product, INTELLIDACT, reduces the risk of privacy information leakage via highly accurate automatic redaction, while increasing workflow efficiencies via automated document classification and indexing.

Intellidact provides a full suite solution for court documents that spans attorney document creation, e-filing, repository protections, and online public search and access.

4825 Higbee Ave. NW, Suite 101 Canton, Ohio 44719 tel: 330-470-0816 fax: 330-494-2483 contact: Gary Enger, Director of Business Development email: info@courtview.com website: www.courtview.com ...For more than two decades CourtView Justice Solutions has successfully implemented dynamic and intelligent integrated technology solutions in justice agencies across the United States. We help courts, judges, clerks, prosecuting attorneys, public defenders, probation offices, detention operators and law enforcement agencies enhance operations, increase access to justice and improve public safety.

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D I R E C TO R Y Draeger Safety Diagnostics, Inc. 4040 W. Royal Lane, Suite 136 Irving, TX 75063 tel: 972-929-1100 fax: 972-573-1753 contact: Sales Support email: info.dsdi@draeger.com website: www.draeger.com/courts Dräger provides a comprehensive portfolio of solutions for court officials to detect potential alcohol-and drug-related impairment or monitor program compliance. Our alcohol breathalyzers and ignition interlocks are extremely accurate, reliable, and easy to use. Our newest oral fluid drug screening device, the Dräger DrugTest® 5000, is the first of its kind, providing analyzed screening results within minutes.

Extract Systems 8517 Excelsior Drive, Suite 400 Madison, WI 53717 tel: 877-778-2543, ext 534 contact: Troy Burke email: troy_burke@extractsystems.com website: www.extractsystems.com ...Extract systems is the leading provider of intelligent redaction and data capture solutions for government. ID Shield Redaction Software has redacted more than 3 billion image pages for 300 government customers, including district attorneys, municipal, local and state courts. FLEX Index streamlines docketing, autocapturing 70-90% of required

indexing fields.

1881 W. State Street Garland, TX 75042 tel: 972-494-6151 fax: 972-494-1881 contact: James Hurst, Security Sales email: security@garrett.com website: www.garrett.com ...Garrett Metal Detectors is the global leader in the research and manufacture of security walk-through, hand-held and ground search metal detectors. The company supplies walk-through, hand-held and ground search products for special events, airports, courthouses, schools, correctional facilities and government buildings.

Visit www.garrett.com for complete product and application information.

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D I R E C TO RY Gottlieb & Wertz, Inc.

HDR Architecture, Inc

12821 E. New Market St, Ste 308 Carmel, IN 46032 tel: 317-471-9005 contact: William S. Gottlieb, President email: BGottlieb@GAWQuest.com website: www.GAWQuest.com ...Powerful case management and data sharing technology designed specifically for the juvenile justice community. Quest is a Webbased integrated solution connecting courts, probation, detention, clerks,prosecutors, public defenders, police, intake/diversion, schools, and others in the juvenile justice community. Developed with direct input from juvenile court judges, juvenile justice administrators, and system users.

8750 N. Central Expressway, Ste 100 Dallas, TX 75231 tel: 972-960-4000 fax: 972-960-4015 contact: Mike Brenchley, Senior Vice President.

12 Crain Hwy. N Glen Burnie, MD 21061 contact: Geoffrey L. Hunt, President tel: 410-766-4868, 800-950-3376 fax: 410-760-0630 email: geoffhunt@courtreport.com website: www.courtreport.com ...Let our experienced team of verbatim transcribers provide your trial transcription services.

Serving the Federal and State Courts and all levels of government.

•All Digital and Analogue Recording Format •AAERT Certified Transcribers •Secure File Transfer •Analogue to Digital Format •Conversion including VHS •Litigation Support including mini, condensed, hyper-linked exhibits

25900 W. 11 Mile Road, Suite 100 Southfield, MI 48034 tel: 248-948-8100 X 200 contact: Scott Bade email: sbade@imagesoftinc.com website: www.imagesoftinc.com ...We work with courts to make them paperless by building one paperless caseflow management system that is uniquely designed for each stakeholder in the court.

JusticeTech’s best of breed e-Filing, eBench, document management and workflow solutions fills in the technology gaps to reduct the high cost of a paper court.

email:

mike.brenchley@hdrinc.com website:: hdrjustice.com

...For over 40 years we’ve forged partnerships and created tailored solutions to transform your pressing needs into specialized justice facilities. From implementing bond programs through design and partnered construction, we deliver justice one client at a time.

Integrated Software Specialists (aka iJustice Solutions) 1251 N. Plum Grove Rd, Ste. 105 Schaumburg, IL 60173 tel: 847-240-5070 x 5353 fax: 847-240-5073 contact: Michael Locascio, CEO email: www.ijusticesolutions.com website: iJusticeInfo@issintl.com ...A trusted name serving government customers for over 25 years! Find out why more Court and justice customers throughout the USA and Africa are choosing our award-winning iJustice® (integrated justice) software for Courts, Diversion Programs, Supervision, Probation, Prosecution, Integration, eFiling/eServices, and more.

Innovative solutions, 100% successful projects, 100% Customer Satisfaction!

4250 River Green Parkway, Ste D. Duluth, GA 30096 tel: 678-533-4025 contact: Maddie Alexander email: malexander@infax.com website: www.infax.com ...Infax, Inc. provides real-time docket and facility information to patrons at particular junctions.

The CourtSight Suite is an integrated digital signage solution for your courthouse. It helps alleviate wayfinding confusion, and helps patrons successfully navigate through your facility.

The system uses commercial displays, kiosks and the web to electronically guide patrons to their end destination.

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D I R E C TO R Y

211 Robert E. Lee Drive.

Tyler, TX 75703 tel: 903-561-8328 fax: 903-561-8329 contact: Heath Rosenstein, Director of Sales and Marketing email: Heath@judicialsystems.com website: www.judicialsystems.com ...Judicial Systems, Inc. is the premier provider of jury management software systems and court technology services to courts and municipalities nationwide. We serve our customers by delivering services and solutions focused on each customer's specific needs, with particular emphasis on developing and integrating information systems and improving technology in court processing.

MARSHALL

700 Elmont Road Elmont, NY 11003 tel: 516-285-1000, 407-620-3983 contact: John Glenn, Dist Manager email: glennmarketing@aol.com website: www.Meridian-tech.com ...Meridian Technologies, a U.S. manufacturer of TAA compliant solutions specializing in high quality solutions for fiber optic technologies.

Security and Surveillance – Single or multiple channels Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) – Digital Fiber Optic products for full motion CCTV surveillance Video Conferencing – Bidirectional digital video, audio and data links over one fiber System Integrations - Consulting and Services from the experts

email:

michelle@marshallfurniture.com website:

www.marshallfurniture.com ... Since 1986 Marshall Furniture has been providing courtroom technology furniture. From ADA lecterns, evidence carts and counsel tables to boardroom and video conference furniture, we can match any architectural detail and meet any budget. Let us help design and build your next project.

rhett.donagher@penncredit.com website: www.penncredit.com ...Penn Credit is a leading provider of collection services to court and government entities throughout the United States.

Founded in 1987, we use the latest technology and highest ethical standards to earn an unsurpassed reputation for attaining optimum results and a superior level of service for our clients.

Pointmaker, LLC 4650 S. Butterfield Rd. Tuscon, AZ 85714 tel: 520-745-0001 fax: 520-745-0004 contact: Jonelle Kearney, Communications Specialist email:

Integration-Friendly Furniture®

999 Anita Ave, Antioch IL 60002 tel: 847-395-9350 fax: 847-395-9351 contact: Michelle Wille

tel: 800-800-3328 fax: 717-238-0901 contact: Rhett Donagher email:

Ontario Systems 1150 West Kilgore Ave. Muncie, Indiana 47305-1588 tel: 765.717.1670 fax: 765.751.7198 contact: Don Siler email: don.siler@ontariosystems.com website: www.ontariosystems.com ...Ontario Systems is a leading provider of RevQ technology solutions and consulting services for improved revenue recovery.

Serving public sector entities including courts, taxation and other centralized revenue offices, Ontario Systems leverages leading receivables technologies and techniques along with unparalleled government expertise to optimize efficiency, improve compliance, and improve receivables.

jonelle.kearney@pointmaker.com website: www.pointmaker.com

...Pointmaker annotation systems offer advanced courtroom technology with the most robust annotation features, streamlined to meet the requirement specified by courtroom design consultants.

This simplifying concept also makes the product easier to install (HDMI in/out) and easier to use. Connect between video sources and displays, with or without a switcher.

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D I R E C TO RY MHS Assessments

www.MHS.com

1010 Church Road Lansdale, PA 19446 tel: 800-839-5060 ext. 111 contact: Anne Waite, Marketing Coordinator email: ahw@profsyseng.com website: http://profsyseng.com/ ...Holder of a USCA contract from the Administrative Office of the United States Courts (AOUSC) for Court Technology Professional Systems Engineering provides completely independent consulting services for Physical and Electronic Security; Communication Infrastructure; Courts / Justice/ Corrections Technology and A/V Infrastructure; Acoustics, Noise and Vibration Control; Network Infrastructure Service and Support; Connectivity with Entities, VoIP Phones, Cellular Phone Detection, and IP-based communication for 28+ years.

861 SW 78th Ave. Suite 102 Plantation, FL 33324 tel: 954-734-7400 ext. 282 fax: 954-424-7601 contact: Alexandra Gonzalez, Commercial Executive email: sales@realauction.com website: www.realauction.com ...Reduce costs. Increase results.

Visit our website to download our Online Auction White Paper and find out why over 150 government Tax Collectors, Treasurers and Clerk of the Courts across the US are reducing administrative costs and increasing revenue utilizing online auction technology from Real Auction.

144 North Rd, Suite 3250 Sudbury, MA 01776 tel: 978-610-4040 fax: 978-610-4041 contact: Randall Lee, Director, Strategic and Channel Marketing email: sales@revolabs.com website: www.Revolabs.com ...Revolabs, a wholly owned subsidiary of Yamaha Corporation, delivers superior professional wireless microphone systems for today’s courtrooms.

Revolabs’ flexible solutions combine crystal-clear audio quality with the AES-256 encryption to securely safeguard confidential communications, while wireless tabletop and lightweight wearable microphones provide users with the freedom of natural movement.

Relational Semantics, Inc. 1185 Washington St. Newton, MA 02465 tel: 617 965-1700 contact: Bob Gorman, President email: bob@rsi.com website: http://www.rsi.com/ ...Relational Semantics, Inc. (RSI) develops and delivers solutions that help state courts streamline processes, lower costs, and improve customer service.

Combining 25 years of judicial experience and expertise in the latest technologies, RSI can help your court solve modern challenges including case management, efiling integration, mobile productivity, and public access.

Saltus Technologies, LLC 907 South Detroit Avenue, Ste 820 Tulsa, OK 74120 tel: 918-392-3900 fax: 918-392-3901 contact: Shawn Sicking, Sales and Marketing Director email: sales@saltustechnologies.com website: www.saltustechnologies.com ...Saltus Technologies is dedicated to partnering with the Public Safety Community to provide the highest quality eCitation solution backed by industry-leading personalized customer care. Our digiTICKET® electronic ticketing solution is a force multiplier enabling officers to quickly issue tickets while eliminating illegible handwriting, error-prone data entry, and missing tickets.

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D I R E C TO R Y

500 E Dallas Road, Grapevine, TX 76051 contact: Chelsey Lewis, Marketing Coordinator tel: 1-800-880-3394 email: info@smartstartinc.com website: www.smartstartinc.com ...Smart Start sets the standard for alcohol monitoring technology with the SSI-20/30™ Ignition Interlock and IN-HOM S.M.A.R.T. Mobile™ device.

Supported by a 24/7 customer care center, Smart Start has an international footprint of more than 1,700 service locations across the U.S. and in 18 countries. Visit www.smartstartinc.com.

tel: 205-758-2000 888 797-2661 fax: 205-345-5525 email: info@syscononline.com website: www.syscononline.com

...Court Clerk streamlines court operations providing scanning, indexing, and viewing of documents associated with a case.

Flexible interfaces allow transfer of information to/from law enforcement, integrated online payments, telephone reminders, and adjudicated information to state agencies to keep all agencies up to date and accurate. Syscon’s award winning CMS uses fingerprint scanners for authentication and electronic signing of forms by judges, clerks, attorneys, and officers. Fingerprint scanners, along with signature pads and PDF generation of forms and reports, allow a court to become virtually paperless.

5101 Tennyson Pkwy Plano, TX 75024 tel: 972-713-37681 fax: 972-713-3777 contact: Michael Kleiman email: michael.kleiman@tylertech.com website: www.tylertech.com ...Tyler’s Odyssey® product suite is a complete solution, from case management and document management to e-filing and financial systems. Odyssey seamlessly integrates these capabilities, improving the user’s experience and increasing court efficiencies.

The Odyssey system has become the market leader, resulting in satisfied clients in more than 500 counties across 21 states.

563 E 770 North Orem, Utah 84097 tel: 801-226-2746 email: nanderson@tybera.com website: www.tybera.com ...Tybera is a market leader in providing eFlex efiling software to courts, attorneys, and government agencies statewide. eFlex provides several workflow queues where submissions can be routed for e-signatures and reassignment, document generation, gatekeepers for judges and our CASEaDia PDF binders judicial tool. Tybera also provides Alpine, a browser-based case management system that manages parties, events and calendaring through the complete lifecycle of a case. Alpine improves standard concepts of case management by adding powerful natural language search features that people expect from web applications.

Lastly, Tybera provides a very affordable document management system, CEDAR, designed specifically for courts who are moving away from full featured DMS systems because of the high cost of licensing and maintaining users and interactive connections.

1700 S. Mt. Prospect Rd. Des Plaines, IL 60018 tel: 800-235-2367 fax: 847-375-0775 contact: Meghan Burke Business Development Manager email: forensicsales@usdtl.com website: www.USDTL.com ...You can’t find what you’re not looking for. With drug testing, it’s imperative you are choosing the right tests. We specialize in offering extended drug testing options on different specimens.

Specific to courts, clients find our hair 10-panel drug test a popular solution for detecting the wide array of substances abused these days.

2025 Leestown Road, Suite A1 Lexington, KY 40511 tel: 585-943-1843 contact: Michael Hartman, VP of Sales email: Justice.Solutions@xerox.com website: www.xerox.com/justice ...At XEROX, we have decades of experience providing and implementing case and jury management solutions in complex, real-world justice environments. We are a Fortune 500 company offering systems integration, justice revenue services, electronic filing, interactive voice response, audio/visual technologies, document management systems, imaging and microfilm conversion, and violation processing.

Starting in 2017, look for Xerox under the Conduent banner. We are a Fortune 500 company.

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Continued from page 7 To address this gap in research and practice, Rose explains, Virginia DCJS completed a research project funded by the BJS to test the efficacy of a pretrial decision-making framework, or Praxis. The study used an experimental design and assigned agencies to either a control group or a test group where staff and stakeholders were trained to use the Praxis. (The Praxis is a matrix that uses the risk level and primary charge category to guide the pretrial release decision as well as the level of supervision for defendant’s that have been ordered to pretrial supervision.)

Changes in Virginia’s Pretrial Release

The matrix yielded some interesting changes in practice in the Virginia agency, Rose details. First, agencies using Praxis increased non-

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financial release recommendations 2.3 times compared to agencies not trained in its use, and judges that were informed by the Praxis were also 1.9 times more likely to release defendants on nonfinancial conditions at first court appearance.

Perhaps more striking was the judges’ response to recommendations from pretrial officers, in which they placed a high level of trust. In fact, “judges’ decisions to release defendants on nonfinancial conditions increased 8.8 times when pretrial officers recommend release, when controlling for risk level, charge category, and demographic characteristics,� Rose tells us.

Further, defendants on pretrial supervision in the Praxis group were more dependable. They were 1.2 times less likely to experience any pretrial failure (failure to appear in court or new arrest), he says.

To make certain it continues to work, the VPRAI has been validated several times (in 2009, 2010, and 2015) and is presently in the process of its third revision. (Research for the new revision is being completed by Luminosity, Inc.)

The Northpointe Suite Risk Scales

Northpointe has developed three risk scales for varying purposes—the COMPAS Pretrial FTA risk scale, COMPAS general recidivism scale, and COMPAS violent recidivism scale, which assess the likelihood of failure to appear (FTA), re-offense & violent re-offense, respectively. Dr. Ilarraza explains that the three scales can be used independently or in any combination. He says, “The results of these tools help justice stakeholders make well-informed decisions regarding eligibility for release and the most appropriate type and/or level of supervision necessary when release is granted. “COMPAS risk assessments do not require any special credential for administration. Court case managers and/or probation or pretrial officers or jail staff could potentially

administer the tool once trained,� he notes.

Two Northpointe Software Suite capabilities are pretty unique, details Ilarraza. This includes the way that data automatically flows from assessment to case planning to full case management. Also, COMPAS Criminogenic Needs scales help assess the nature and severity of criminogenic need domains that may be present in the life of an offender. These scales help to identify, and to a lesser extent, prioritize need domains appropriate for intervention, he says.

Among the scales are: anger, cognitive behavioral, criminal involvement, criminal personality, history of non-compliance and social adjustment problems.

Pretrial Diversion Moving Forward

Pretrial diversion services are widespread across the country in cities and counties like Nashville; Miami-Dade County, Florida; Multnomah County, Ore.; and Midland, Texas. The COMPAS is used as a decision support tool for eligibility determination into diversion programs in several Wisconsin counties. In addition, output from its pre-sentence investigation (PSI) module helps to inform judges in several states across the country.

Rose cautions that integrating risk-informed tools requires not just good staff training, but strong collaboration–something it appears the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services is adept at. “Our implementation process has provided a new focus to the importance of pretrial decision-making and the need to use actuarial risk to inform the release/detention decision and for those released, under the right terms and conditions,� he believes. “Moving forward with Praxis implementation, the tools are in place to help localities maximize pretrial release decisions, while maximizing appearance and public safety rates.

Our goal is to complete full Praxis implementation in 2017.� CT

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