HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report Amended (2)KITTITAS COUNTY
Juvenile Court Services
AGENDA STAFF REPORT - AMENDED
AGENDA DATE: September 17, 2019
ACTION REQUESTED: Request to approve Professional Services Agreement
between Sentinel Offender Services, LLC and Juvenile Court Services
BACKGROUND:
We value keeping kids in our community. Our goal is to significantly reduce the use of
secure confinement for our youth by building strong detention alternatives and
programming. Electronic monitoring is one alternative that we have identified to support
our goal. Our youth are detained in Yakima County at $137.00 per day. While we know
they are in a safe environment and their basic needs are met, we also know they become
disconnected from our community and from their family and positive supports,
educational programs, mental health/behavioral health treatments, substance abuse
treatments and employment. It is our goal to significantly reduce and near eliminate the
use of detention for probation violations for youth who present a low risk to community
safety. Electronic monitoring will provide appropriate supervision, structure and
accountability for youth.
We believe we can save the County taxpayers a significant amount of money utilizing
detention alternatives, specifically electronic monitoring while also keeping the
community safe. I have been advised we can access the 1/10 of I% sales tax to fund
electronic monitoring (this sales tax funds our detention costs). The estimated annual
cost for us to run the program with 5 electronic monitoring units on hand and in use every
day during the year is $6,716.76. In 2018 our youth spend 1,107 days in detention.
While it is difficult to accurately estimate a cost savings, in review of detention stays in
2018, 1 estimate if electronic monitoring had been available as a detention alternative
there was a potential to eliminate a minimum of 282 confinement days out of 1,107, a
$38,634.00 savings in detention costs.
INTERACTION:
The Prosecutor's Office has reviewed the contract in accordance with Kittitas County
process and approved as to form. The Presiding Judge of the Superior Court reviewed
and signed the agreement.
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve the Professional Services Agreement between Sentinel Offender Services, LLC
and Juvenile Court Services
HANDLING:
Request 1 copy (and the original) with signatures are returned to Katrina Mankus for final
signature of the service provider and the return of the fully executed document to the
BoCC for County Records.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attached are one original and one copy of the professional services agreement.
LEAD STAFF:
Katrina Mankus, Juvenile Court Administrator