REPORT OF THE
COMMITTEE ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Public Hearing
The Honorable,
The Board of Commissioners of
ATTENDANCE
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Present: |
Chairman Collins, Vice Chairman Beavers, Commissioners |
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Absent: |
Commissioners Gorman, Goslin, Maldonado, Murphy, Peraica,
Schneider, Silvestri and Steele (8) |
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Also
Present: |
Mr. Earl Dunlap Transitional Administrator for the JTDC,
Honorable Timothy C. Evans, Chief Judge, Jonathan A. Rothstein, Acting Chief
of the Bureau of Human Resources |
Court Reporter: Anthony Lisanti, C.P.R.
Ladies and
Gentlemen:
Your Committee
on Criminal Justice of the Board of Commissioners of Cook County met pursuant
to notice for a public hearing on
Your Committee
has considered the following item and upon adoption of this report, the
recommendation is as follows:
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293372 |
REQUESTING A MEETING OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE TO
ADDRESS THE ISSUES AT THE PROPOSED RESOLUTION WHEREAS, the Cook County Juvenile Temporary
Detention Center (JTDC) has been under duress going back several years; and WHEREAS, on August 14, 2007, the court
appointed Mr. Earl Dunlap as Transitional Administrator for the JTDC in
preparation for the transfer of the facility to the Office of the Chief
Judge; and WHEREAS, in light of recent media reports
and issues outlined in Mr. Dunlap’s most recent update to the Board and that
appear to hinder progress towards compliance with the Memorandum of Agreement
(MOA). NOW, THEREFORE, BE
IT RESOLVED, that
the Cook County Board of Commissioners does hereby request that a meeting of
the Criminal Justice Committee be scheduled as soon as possible to address
the issues at the JTDC mentioned in the report and in the interest of
protecting the well-being of both the residents and the employees at the
center; and BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, that
Mr. Earl L. Dunlap, Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and Jonathan A. Rothstein
appear before the Committee to address these concerns and to collectively
find ways to resolve them. *Referred to the committee on Criminal Justice on |
Mr. Earl Dunlap, Transitional Administrator of the Juvenile
Temporary Detention Center (JTDC) thanked Chairman Collins and the Honorable Timothy
C. Evans, Chief Judge for appearing at the federal court hearings in August. Chairman Collins and the Chief Judge Evans have
been aggressive in stepping up at the JTDC.
Mr. Dunlap stated he is committed to transparency which means
there is nothing to hide at the
JTDC. The first report he submitted to the federal
court dealt with the dysfunction at the JTDC. The first couple of months
focused on developing a table of organization and the 2008 budget submission.
Mr. Dunlap stated new procedures have been implemented which
are important to the children. One is
the due process hearings for violating the rules. The JTDC established four
staff positions to conduct due process hearings and to investigate any wrong
doings going on at the JTDC including physical and sexual abuse of children. The
due process hearing procedures were explained to the staff; although some staff
members were on the defensive. Many staff members responded in a positive way.
In the year of 2008 there have been 50 internal
investigations. A staff person was
alleged to have physically abused a resident at the JTDC was placed in a non-contact
situation. This staff member is removed
from any kind of direct and continuant supervision of children until the
investigation is completed. The vast
majority of the investigations have come back as unsubstantiated, and no staff
was immediately put back to work. In
those instances where they were substantiated, the appropriate disciplinary
action was taken. The JTDC had an
enormous number of staff members placed on “non-contact,” “stop orders” and
remove from the building” until the situations were resolved. This process has worked effectively. The staff has come to understand throughout
the JTDC that abusing the children will not be tolerated.
In the year of 2007 the budget had four 462 staff members
and in 2008 the Cook County Board approved an increase to 567.
The JTDC has developed a 160 hour curriculum for all staff
members, including new employees. The
JTDC has developed an eighty hour leadership training curriculum for middle
managers and managers.
In January the JTDC will transfer intake screening, business
and payroll functions over to the Chief Judge’s Office to maximize resources
and minimize unnecessary duplication.
Commissioner Moreno asked about the security firm Wackenhut. He
inquired whether the firm has ever been involved with juvenile detention
facilities.
Mr. Dunlap responded that Wackenhut’s
reputation is not the greatest in the world.
He stated that problems have occurred in
Commissioner Beavers inquired regarding the hiring practices
at the
Mr. Dunlap
responded that he has hired no one.
Commissioner
Beavers inquired if any interviews were conducted for any open positions at the
JTDC.
Mr. Dunlap
responded over a hundred interviews have been conducted but that hiring is a
very complex process.
Commissioner
Beavers requested that Mr. Dunlap refrain from blaming
Mr. Dunlap
agreed to quit engaging in such conversation.
Commissioner
Quigley inquired on the overcrowding and reduction of population at the
Judge Evans responded that the State Legislature and the
Governor Blagojevich placed the
The Chief Judge’s Office has regular meetings with the
Transitional Administrator so that change occurs even before that time elapse;
the Transitional Administrator has turned over certain ancillary functions to
the Chief Judge’s Office in anticipation that the Chief Judge’s Office may carry
out those functions better. These include
certain contractual functions providing food, procurement and MIS systems. In addition, the Transitional Administrator
is asking the Chief Judges’ Office to assist his office with training and other
aspects of testing. The Chief Judge’s
Office should provide alternatives to detention for many of the children who
are housed in the detention center. The
Chief Judge’s Office provides an evening reporting system and that alternative
has resulted in 93% of the children who go through the evening reporting
program never getting involved in delinquency activities again. The evening reporting system described is
recognized by the Congress of the
Commissioner Daley asked if the alternative programs were
increased whether there would be a decrease in the population.
Judge Evans stated that he would like for the
The Community Advisory Committee
for the
1) Doctor Beverly Butler – Community
Advisory Committee
2) Kenneth Schmetterer
– Community Advisory Committee
3) Katina
Cummings – Committee Advisory Committee
4) Sharon Grant – Community Advisory
Committee
5) Darthula L.
Young – Community Advisory Committee
Chairman Collins asked the
Secretary to the Board to call upon the registered public speakers, in
accordance with Cook County Code, Sec. 2-108(dd):
1) George
Blakemore – Concerned Citizen
2) Sheldon
Smith – Metropolitan Area Group for Igniting Civilization
3) Damian
Turner – Concerned Citizen
Chairman Collins thanked everyone
in attendance and concluded the meeting.
Commissioner Daley, seconded by
Commissioner Quigley, moved to Receive and File
Communication No. 293372. The motion carried.
Commissioner Daley, seconded
by Commissioner Sims moved to adjourn the meeting. The motion carried and the meeting was
adjourned.
COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDS THE FOLLOWING ACTION WITH REGARD TO THE MATTER NAMED HEREIN:
Communication Number 293372 Receive
and File
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Respectfully
submitted, Committee
on Criminal Justice xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Earlean Collins, Chairman |
Attest:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Matthew B. DeLeon, Secretary
The
complete audio recording of this meeting is available in the Office of the
Secretary to the Board,