In January 2019, CGS Justice Center staff traveled to Wyoming twice, once to review the policy framework with members of the Joint Judiciary Committee (JJC) at a Criminal Justice Investment (CJI) meeting and a second time to provide information and technical assistance to Wyoming leadership related to Justice Reinvestment data analysis and the policy options that are currently under consideration by the Wyoming legislature.
During the first visit, CSG Justice Center staff presented on the Justice Reinvestment data analysis and the policy recommendations approved and endorsed by the JJC. The presentation focused on Wyoming’s growing prison population and associated rising costs, technical supervision revocations as a major driver for prison admissions, and the barriers that people on community supervision face in accessing substance addiction and mental health treatment services. The presentation served as an introduction to the Justice Reinvestment project for six new JJC members, as well as a review of the policy recommendations that the incumbent JJC members endorsed.
Also during this visit, CSG Justice Center staff met with an advocacy coalition to discuss the analysis presented to the JJC and the potential for reinvestment in expanding behavioral health treatment services for people on supervision. Additionally, CSG Justice Center staff attended Senate and House Judiciary Committee meetings to answer questions posed by members of legislature concerning the Justice Reinvestment data analysis and findings and policy options. CSG Justice Center staff met with Wyoming Department of Corrections (WDOC) leadership to discuss implementation needs and areas for preliminary planning for technical assistance activities. CSG Justice Center staff also met with Erin Johnson, former Executive Director for the Wyoming Association of Mental Health Substance Abuse Centers (WAMHSAC), to discuss her new role as the Health and Human Services Policy Director at the Wyoming Governor’s office, and to update her on Justice Reinvestment findings and policy options.
During the second visit to Wyoming, CSG Justice Center staff attended the House Judiciary Committee hearing for the policy recommendations regarding parole and probation sanctions and incentives. CSG Justice Center staff answered questions concerning the research and data analysis pertaining to Justice Reinvestment. While on-site CSG Justice Center staff also met with the WDOC Field Service staff to identify areas in need of technical assistance and review the process for applying for Phase II technical assistance.
Next month, CSG Justice Center will continue to provide members of the JJC and WDOC with information and technical assistance as they evaluate Justice Reinvestment policy options for possible enactment. CSG Justice Center staff will also continue to develop a preliminary implementation technical assistance plan to be vetted by WDOC and will work in collaboration with WDOC to develop an approach for deploying implementation strategies in Wyoming if Justice Reinvestment policies are passed.
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• 1/10: Meeting with Joint Judiciary Committee Co-Chair to discuss preparations for the Criminal Justice Investment (CJI) presentation.
• 1/10: Presentation to the Wyoming JJC to educate the new members on the JR data analysis and policy recommendations approved by the JJC in November 2018. The presentation also served as a review of the Justice Reinvestment policy package for the incumbent JJC members that agreed to sponsor the bills in the 2019 legislative session. All 14 members of the JJC were present including the Joint Judiciary Committee Co-Chairs. Approximately 30 additional people were in attendance, including other members of the legislature, agency leadership, and members of the public.
• 1/10: Meeting with Health and Human Services Policy Advisor (Office of the Governor) to congratulate her on her new appointment and to discuss arranging a meeting with the governor’s Chief of Staff.
• 1/10: Attendance at the House Judiciary Committee hearing on the Justice Reinvestment policy recommendation regarding crime victim compensation. CSG Justice Center staff answered questions related to data analysis and research relevant to the policy option. All eight members of the committee were in attendance with House Judiciary Committee Chair and approximately six members of the public. The policy recommendation was unanimously approved in the committee.
• 1/10: Meeting with TReND Wyoming, a coalition of individuals advocating for better reentry and behavioral health care, to discuss the data analysis presented in the CJI meeting and the behavioral health needs of the people in Wyoming. Members in attendance included ACLU Policy Director and 11 people from various nonprofits, social work organizations, college students, and people in recovery from substance addiction and mental illnesses.
• 1/11: Attendance at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing for two Justice Reinvestment policy recommendations: (1) expanding the courts’ ability to modify probation terms, to sentence people to unsupervised probation, and the usage of eight criteria to determine probation period or modify probation terms; (2) the modification of probation term lengths. CSG Justice Center staff answered questions related to data analysis and research relevant to the policy options. All four members of the committee were in attendance with Senator Tara Nethercott (Chair, Senate Judiciary Committee) and approximately 10 members of the public. Both of the policy recommendations were unanimously passed in the committee.
• 1/11: Meeting with 44th House District Representative to answer additional questions related to data analysis and research for the four Justice Reinvestment policy recommendations.
• 1/11: Meeting with WDOC Deputy Director to discuss implementation needs for WDOC Field Services.
• 1/17: Attendance at the House Judiciary Committee hearing on the Justice Reinvestment policy recommendations regarding probation and parole incentives and sanctions. CSG Justice Center staff were present to answer questions related to data analysis and research relevant to the recommendations. All eight members of the committee were in attendance with House Judiciary Committee Chair and approximately 12 members of the public. The Justice Reinvestment policy recommendation unanimously passed in the committee.
• 1/17: Meeting with Field Services Administrator (WDOC) and three additional WDOC staff to discuss potential areas to deploy technical assistance efforts, as well as outlining the process for Wyoming to apply for Phase II technical assistance.
• 1/3: Call with Joint Judiciary Committee Co-Chair to discuss planning and preparation for the CJI meeting on January 10, 2019.
• 1/11: Meeting with 44th House District Representative to provide additional information for the Justice Reinvestment Initiative in Wyoming and to devise a strategy to maintain momentum and support of the JR policy package in the 2019 legislative session.
• 1/15: Meeting with WDOC Field Services leadership to introduce Phase II implementation and discuss preliminary planning to initiate administrative changes correlated to the Justice Reinvestment sanction and incentives policy recommendation.
• 1/27: ACLU Policy Director to discuss the progress of the Justice Reinvestment policy package in the legislative session.
• 1/27: Joint Judiciary Committee Co-chair to review the progress of the Justice Reinvestment policy package in the legislative session and identify next steps for obtaining a budget amendment for one of the policy recommendations to be used for an upfront investment in expanding behavioral health treatment services
• 1/29: Call with Joint Judiciary Committee Co-chair to discuss the progress of the policy options in the legislative session.
• 1/29: Video meeting with members of TReND Wyoming to discuss progress of the policy package in the legislative session.
Torrington Telegram - 1/22/2019 - Legislature tackle criminal justice reform package
Wyofile - 1/15/2019 - Senate moves on criminal justice reform
Wyoming Tribune Eagle - 1/12/2019 - Probation reforms gain traction in Wyoming Senate
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