Judicial Branch Education
Probation Officers Receive Certificates
Congratulations to the following Probation trainers for receiving the following certifications: Darci Poland, District 4, Omaha, attended the Advanced Defensive Tactics training at the Law Enforcement Training Center April 13-15, 2009, Kyle Estes, District 5, Papillion; Marty Beyer, District 9, North Platte; Tammy Peterson, District 4, Omaha; Darci Poland, District 4; and Jeff Reed, District 6, Lincoln, all attended an OC Aerosol certification course May 18, 2009, in Crete.
Webinar Series
On April 16, 2009, a total of 84 court staff participated in the Webinar on limited scope representation. The audience was divided among clerk magistrates and clerks of the district court. Judge Teresa Luther provided background regarding the work of the Court’s Pro Se Committee. She also discussed the increase in the number of self represented litigants coming before her court and appearing in the clerk’s office. The committee’s goal is to make certain pro se litigants are given procedural assistance in pursuing claims so no one is denied access to justice. Janet Bancroft updated the courts on resources currently being made available for pro se assistance and Paula Crouse demonstrated the new functions in JUSTICE designed to track limited scope appearances by counsel.
The May 21, 2009, Webinar featured the “Through the Eyes of the Child” initiative with Judge Larry Gendler and project director Kelli Hauptman.
JBE is using Webinars to unveil new procedures as they are instituted. Each session is announced and scheduled via e-mail.
Summer Meetings
Registration for all summer education meetings remain open on the JBE Web site.
Contact Carole McMahon-Boies, Director, JBE, 402-471-3072, carole.mcmahon-boies@nebraska.gov.
Contact Alicia Guerra, Administrative Assistant, 402-471-3137, alicia.guerra@nebraska.gov.
JUSTICE & Technology
Successful E-Payments in All 93 Counties
As of May 2009, all 93 counties in Nebraska have received traffic citation payments through the Court’s e-payment system. On May 19, Arthur County Court received an e-payment making it the final of the 93 counties to use the e-payment application.
In early May 2009, the e-payment application went over the $3 million dollar mark in collections. Since its inception in September 2007, over 23,500 payments have been made, resulting in staff time savings of over 1,566 hours.
The Information Technology Office is very close to launching an e-payment application for the district courts and expects to have a pilot in Lancaster County District Court in June 2009 which will be available for other district courts in July 2009.
Contact Sherri Stark, Business Analyst, 402-471-3036, sherri.stark@nebraska.gov.
Problem-Solving Courts
Statewide Case Management System Online in July
Over the course of the past two years, a group of problem-solving court coordinators along with members of the information technology department of the Office of Probation Administration have been working diligently in creating a comprehensive statewide case management system for all problem-solving courts in Nebraska. The fruits of their labor are about to be realized when the Problem-Solving Court Management Information System (PSCMIS) goes online for all programs in July of this year. This system will allow for not only the case management of problem-solving court participants, but also for the collection of standard data to be used to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of these programs. Currently our three largest adult drug court programs are up and running and are experiencing the tremendous value of the system.
The Statewide Coordinator for Problem-Solving Courts, Scott Carlson, will also utilize the system to provide program data to an array of entities such as the Nebraska Community Corrections Council, Nebraska Crime Commission, National Association of Drug Court Professionals, and the Nebraska State Legislature. The system will also be of great value to any future statewide evaluation efforts. It is imperative that Nebraska be able to collect good, meaningful data regarding these programs to ensure their ongoing support.
Contact Scott Carlson, Statewide Coordinator of Problem-Solving Courts, 402-471-4415, scott.carlson@nebraska.gov.
Probation
Probation Management Update
The Office of Probation Administration held its Spring Management Meeting in Norfolk, April 20-23, 2009. District Court Judge Robert Ensz welcomed Probation management staff from across the state and thanked them for their service to the courts and communities of Nebraska. Adhering to the theme of Pursuing Excellence in Probation Management topics included hiring for results, ethics in management, and motivating performance in times of change. During the meeting, all management present voted unanimously to support a Draft Code of Ethics for the Probation System. This code was then forwarded to all Probation staff for feedback and will soon be submitted to the Supreme Court for approval.
Contact Ellen Fabian Brokofsky, State Probation Administrator, 402-471-2141, ellen.brokofsky@nebraska.gov.
VERA Institute of Justice Evaluation of Nebraska’s SSAS Program
The Specialized Substance Abuse Supervision (SSAS) study recently released shows strong support for the program by internal and external stakeholders including offenders. The study identifies the biggest gaps that continue to exist for offenders include funding for mental health services and transportation. “Based on our review of the SSAS policies and procedures, administrative analysis of probation data, and the findings from interviews and focus groups, we conclude that there is widespread support for SSAS and for the philosophical shift that has taken place in the Office of Probation Administration (OPA) over the last few years. There is also wide spread support for the statewide expansion of the program…”
Contact Deb Minardi, Deputy Administrator for Community-Based Supervision Programming and Services, 402-471-3525, deb.minardi@nebraska.gov.
Funding for Continuous Alcohol Monitoring Ending
An email was recently sent to district and county court judges, probation, parole, and counseling centers announcing that funding for financial assistance of Continuous Alcohol Monitoring (CAM) is nearly exhausted.
If an offender has already been ordered to be placed on CAM, financial assistance is secure. The remaining funds will be made available on a case-by-case basis. It is estimated that all funding will be spoken for by the middle of June.
Contact Susan Rutledge, Drug Testing Coordinator, 402-471-2121, sue.rutledge@nebraska.gov.
Probation Project Providing Resources for Juveniles on Probation Piloted in Omaha
The Office of Probation Administration (OPA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announce a Pilot Program to provide resources for juveniles on probation in the justice system in Douglas County. Probation welcomes this collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services in the quest to continue to find new and inventive ways to provide services and options for juveniles and families in Nebraska’s juvenile justice system. Placing juveniles on probation within their home communities without the necessity of placing in costly state care improves outcomes for the juvenile which ultimately makes for a safer community.
DHHS has dedicated resource dollars to the Administrative Office of Probation to fund treatment and placement services for juveniles placed on probation in Douglas County to reduce the number of state wards in Douglas County.
Although this pilot is dedicated only to Douglas County in its first phase, it is intended, if successful, for the project to be a first step in the creation of a juvenile system of care across the state. The goal is to provide access to funding for services to all districts within a few years.
The overarching goal of this pilot is to:
• Reduce the number of direct commitments to the Office of Juvenile Services for the sole purpose of payment for treatment/placement services
• Alleviate dual supervision of cases
• Identify juveniles eligible for probation whose families are unable to pay for services and then match the appropriate treatment service
A juvenile justice resource supervisor within the juvenile probation office in Omaha will work with probation officers and families to secure funding for services by:
• Determining eligibility for existing funding sources
• Utilizing new pilot project funding
• Using a combination of both
Services, for purposes of this pilot, include:
• Community-based substance abuse/mental heath evaluation/treatment
• Multi-Systemic Therapy (MST)
• Functional Family Therapy (FFT)
• Placement options from Foster Care to Enhanced Treatment Group Home
Contact Corey Steel, Juvenile Justice Programs Specialist, 402-471-4976, corey.steel@nebraska.gov.
