I. Call to order
The meeting was called to order at 2:38PM.
II. Roll Call
Chairman Pam Rodriguez, Commissioners Dana Weiner, Rick Velasquez, Mike Rodriguez, Staff: Jeff Bradley, by phone, Rob Vickery, Julie Stremlau, Michelle Arnold, Karrie Rueter, Lin Ferguson, Guests: Erica Hughes, Heidi Mueller, Susan Witkin, Dr. Voisin, Interns from Youth Network Council. Quorum declared present.
III. Approval of Minutes
Commissioner Rick Velasquez made a motion to approve the minutes of the August 20, 2012 meeting. Commissioner Rodriguez seconded the motion. All in favor. None opposed. The minutes of the August 20, 2012, meeting were approved.
IV. DMC Assessment
Susan Witkin reported on the qualitative portion of the Assessment. There are three segments: Literature review, key informant interviews and an online survey. Thirty-nine key informant interviews were conducted using the same format for each and were conversational in tone. The online survey received 659 responses.
Erica Hughes reported on the quantitative portion of the report. To date there data from 20 counties has been received. Staff are working to get data from the remaining counties and if we are successful we will have 99% representation. She is working to meld all of the data together, since some of the data is from the tracker system and some was hand collected. She has not yet started the analysis and will begin when she gets all the different data collection practices melded together.
Chairman Rodriguez asked for a list of the sites that were funded. Michelle Arnold has that information and she will send the report to Chairman Rodriguez and Karrie Rueter. Karrie Rueter asked if we can keep a running list of data collection issues so it can be incorporated into the Commission plans moving forward.
V. DMC Federal Requirements
A. Federal Site Visit: No report.
B. Compliance Update: We were found to be out of compliance because the data we have reported to OJJDP and the data on the website do not match and we are only reporting on three decision points. We have to show legislative intent to collect the data.
C.Compliance Report: Karrie reported that a response to the OJJDP Compliance letter is in progress that addresses both citations: Data and reporting on three decision points rather than five. Erica Hughes reported that she entered the data on the website from the information she had. Since our data is not collected in the same fashion as what is requested on the website, she was unable to enter the data as collected. She discussed the issue with Andrea Coleman who was unable to help her. This was going to be discussed at the Federal Site Visit, but that meeting was cancelled. When Candice Jones resigned, Erica was unable to get any further help. She asked for permission at the last Commission meeting to contact OJJDP and she thinks she will be able to rectify the problem once she receives some guidance from them.
Karrie Rueter asked Erica Hughes to send her a short report detailing the three data sets and what the problems are that she is encountering on the website. Karrie will bring it up at the meeting with OJJDP on October 23, 2012.
Chairman Rodriguez addressed the second issue of only reporting on three decision points. We received an extension to March 30, 2013, for submission of the Assessment and that will be our argument back to OJJDP, since the Site Visit has never occurred.
We are to collect five data points on 60 counties. We discussed with them the possibility of collecting data on 41 counties which represents 90% of the minority population in the State. Karrie Rueter does not remember receiving an extension to March 2013 on the data collection part.
VI. DMC Quarterly Report
Chairman Rodriguez asked Karrie Rueter how the report should be completed and by whom. She responded that YNC would be compiling the data to the report and two weeks prior to submitting to the Feds it would be submitted to the DMC Coordinator. Karrie Rueter added that she, as the JJ Specialist, would work with the DMC Chair and YNC to finalizing the report. We need to exhibit the significant progress that we have made in each section. We need to assure that the components of the letter are incorporated into the next quarterly report. At this point in time all of the components in the letter are not addressed in the report. Chairman Rodriguez clarified that we need to stress what our ongoing procedures will be concerning investment in new systems and mandating data collection strategies and what we are going to do as part of our analysis, including putting the weight of the Commission behind it, should all be included in the report. Will use information from the draft bill and JJ Leadership Council that are going to be used to solve some of these issues. Karrie wants to let them know that we have data from most of the counties and may, by that time have all of it. As soon as we receive the data from St. Clair which should be here any day, we will have the top five counties’ data which represents about 85% of the minority population.
VII. Data Liaison
No report.
VIII. New Business/Other
No report.
IX. Adjourn
Commissioner Velasquez made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Chairman Rodriguez seconded the motion. All in favor. None opposed. The meeting was adjourned at 4:14PM.