I. Call to order
Meeting was called to order at 2:29 p.m.
II. Roll Call
Co-Chairman Pamela Rodriguez, Edith Crigler, Randell Strickland, Esther Franco-Payne (P). No Quorum.
Staff: Julie Stremlau, Lin Ferguson and Miguel Millett Guests: Ada Skyles
III. Approval of Minutes
Unable to approve minutes due to lack of quorum. Co-Chairman Rodriguez requests the minutes be available for review and approval at the Commission meeting March 16th. Minutes will be distributed.
IV. Statewide DMC Assessment
Miguel Millett explained the requirement to develop a 3-year plan that tracks DMC activities not only in the targeted areas but statewide. Updates are sent to OJJDP annually. Statistics have to be separated by racial and gender lines. There is no data system to support the plan. Illinois is not the only state in this bind. The DMC Committee will need for the budget to allow for up to $200,000 for the development of the plan. A circuit by circuit assessment is recommended rather than county by county. Currently, 62 out of 102 counties have disproportionate arrests. 40 of the 62 have very small numbers, but if we selected the top 20 populace counties it will include counties such as Peoria, etc. We may be able to get ICJIA working on this faster, because we already have a contract with them and this could be an amendment. To use this data in the 3-year plan, we need the data and we need to move quickly. A date will be set for the federal program assistant to meet with the Committee.
V. OJJDP Three Year Plan Update
The update to OJJDP is due March 28, 2011. This update is from the 3-year plan on how to address DMC in Illinois. Next year we will need a whole new plan and the assessment must be included in that plan. A draft of the 3-year report has been sent for editing. It was discussed that counties that don’t report their data should be de-funded.
VI. Funding Strategies
It was noted that DMC needs to make a firm statement about the dire straits of DHS and other funding sources.
VII. Models for Change DMC Activities
Future planning activities include statewide conferences with school, families and justice people to identify problems. For example, in 2009 one third of arrests were in Chicago schools, numbers on race and ethnicity, black and Latino males lead expulsion/suspension rates. Plan to hold conferences in Chicago, South Suburbs, Central and Southern Illinois. There are successful models in Illinois such as Peoria and Decatur. We need to ask the question, “If provided with the funds and trainers, what would we do?” Will be requesting $20,000 per conference and will request that the IJJC fund at least one. It was also proposed that the Commission fund 25% of each conference. It was recommended that four conferences be considered.
VIII. DMC Events for FY11
none
IX. For Full Commission Attention
- Scheduling DMC assessment TA visit with Dr. Michael Lieber: Miguel will facilitate scheduling at March 16th Commission meeting.
- This is the 3rd Committee meeting in a row without quorum. This has resulted in an inability to make progress on Committee and Commission business. The Committee requests that the Chair reduce the number of committee members to represent the current and active members.
- The Committee requests that $20,000 be contributed to support the 4 statewide conferences addressing policies and practices contributing to the School to Prison pipeline, an initiative of Models for Change DMC activities. The remaining $75,000 will be funded by the Open Society Foundation.
X. Adjourn
Co-Chairman Rodriguez moved to adjourn, Commissioner Strickland seconded the motion. All in favor, meeting adjourned at 3:45pm.