1. REGULAR CALLED MEETING of the DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT ADVISORY BOARD NOVEMBER 18, 2022 AT 8:00AM ONE TEXAS CENTER, STE 125, TRAINING CONFERENCE ROOM 505 BARTON SPRINGS RD AUSTIN, TEXAS 78704 Some members of the BOARD/COMMISSION may be participating by videoconference. Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, call or email Edna Staniszewski at edna.staniszewski@austintexas.gov or at (512) 974-1260. CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS/COMMISSIONERS: Lea Downey Gallatin, Chair Kergin Bedell Darilynn Cardona-Beiler, Vice Chair Jason English Sylvia Alvarado Kate Garza Nicole Golden Jocelyn Schwartz CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL AGENDA The first 5 (five) speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES the minutes of Approve ADVISORY BOARD SPECIAL CALLED MEETING on SEPTEMBER 30, 2022. the DOWNTOWN AUSTIN COMMUNITY COURT 2. 3. 4. 5. AUSTIN HOMELESSNESS SYSTEM FEEDBACK Individuals sharing first-hand account regarding their experiences being served through Austin’s homelessness system. Speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will be allowed a three-minute allotment to provide their feedback to the Board. DISCUSSION ITEMS Status of DACC operations (Downey Gallatin/ Cardona-Beiler) – Pete Valdez, Court Administrator, Downtown Austin Community Court (DACC) DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS Downtown Austin Community Court geographic service area (GSA)/ and adjudicated offenses analysis project – Lauren Stott, DACC Business Process Specialist Adopt meeting schedule for 2023 (Downey Gallatin/ Cardona-Beiler) – Edna Staniszewski, DACC Business Process Specialist ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call Edna Staniszewski at Downtown Austin Community Court, at (512) 974-1260), for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Downtown Austin Community Court Advisory Board, please contact Edna Staniszewski at (512) 974-1260 or at edna.staniszewski@austintexas.gov.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT REPORT For the Downtown Austin Community Court Geographic Service Area and Adjudicated Cases Analysis SEPTEMBER 2022 1 DACC GEOGRAPHIC SERVICE AREA STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS Report Introduction……….………………………………………………..………………………………………………Page 03 Section 1: Executive Summary………………………………………………..……………………………………….Page 04 Section 2: Geographic Service Area Analysis Project Overview………………………..………………Page 06 Section 3: Stakeholder Engagement Summary and Participant Snapshot……………..…………Page 07 Section 4: Emergent Themes and Data Analysis…………………………………………………..………….Page 10 Section 5: Summary and Next Steps…………………………………………………………………….………….Page 21 Appendix A: Stakeholder Engagement Approach and Methodology Detail……………..………Page 23 Appendix B: GSA Data Analysis Needs……………..………………………………………………….………….Page 27 Appendix C: Current DACC Geographic Service Area Map…………………..………..…….………….Page 29 Appendix D: List of Class C Misdemeanors……………………………………………..….……….………….Page 30 2 DACC GEOGRAPHIC SERVICE AREA STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT REPORT REPORT INTRODUCTION What is included in this document? This document is a comprehensive exhibit of the results from the Downtown Austin Community Court (DACC) stakeholder engagement process for its geographic service area (GSA) and adjudicated cases analysis project. This report includes an Executive Summary that begins on the next page. The Executive Summary is a brief overview of the general project, the engagement process and the resulting key takeaways. All of the information in the Executive Summary is included in subsequent sections of the document with greater detail and context. Following the Executive Summary is a detailed description of the GSA analysis project in Section 2: Geographic Service Area Analysis Project Overview. This section including DACC’s history and the purpose of the GSA analysis. A summary of the stakeholder engagement process, and a brief look at the participants, are included in Section 3: Stakeholder Engagement Summary and Participant Snapshot. Additional detail about the stakeholder engagement process is included in Appendix A. Section 4: Emergent Themes and Data Analysis is the longest section of this report, and includes synthesized data from the stakeholder engagement process. Eight themes are outlined in this section, which serve to inform the next steps of the GSA analysis project. The report concludes with Section 5: Summary and Next Steps. Included in the appendices are additional context and detail about the engagement processes, data analysis needs for the forthcoming project phase, a map of DACC’s current GSA, and a list of all Class C misdemeanors processed at DACC. 3 DACC GEOGRAPHIC SERVICE AREA STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT REPORT Section 1: GSA Stakeholder Engagement Data Synthesis Executive Summary DACC Background and Project Summary For more than 20 years, the Downtown Austin Community Court (DACC) has provided justice diversion and …
D OW N TOW N AU S T I N C O M M U N I T Y C O U R T GEOGRAPHIC SERVICE AREA AND ADJUDICATED CASES ANALYSIS November 18, 2022 PROJECT SUMMARY DACC is conducting an analysis of its current and potential geographic service area (GSA) and adjudicated citations. Geographic service area: The neighborhoods for which DACC adjudicates citations. Currently: downtown, UT’s west campus, and east Austin Adjudicated cases: The charge codes, or offenses, that are heard at DACC. Currently Class C misdemeanors (includes Prop B and state camping ban violations) The purpose of this analysis is to understand the efficacy of DACC’s current GSA and adjudicated citations, and to determine whether expansion or alterations might better serve the community and DACC stakeholders. RESEARCH QUESTIONS How effective is DACC’s current set-up of geographic service area and adjudicated cases? Are there changes that should be considered, or potential reimagined operations structures that DACC management should explore? STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PROCESS OPTION SET Option #1: DACC to Maintain Adjudication of Prop B/Statewide Camping Ban Violations Citywide; Expand Adjudication of Current Charge Codes (all other Class C misdemeanors) Citywide Option #1.5: DACC to Maintain Adjudication of Prop B/Statewide Camping Ban Violations Citywide; Expand Adjudication of Current Charge Codes (other Class C misdemeanors) to Other Parts of Austin on a Needs-Based Timeline Option #2: DACC to Maintain Current Charge Codes in Existing Geographic Service Area and Citywide Prop B/State Camping Ban Violations, Expand to Include Any Charge Codes for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness Citywide Option #3: DACC to Drop Current Charge Codes, Adjudicate Only Citywide Prop B/State Camping Ban Violations, and Any Charge Codes for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness Citywide CASE VOLUME DATA Option #1: DACC to Maintain Adjudication of Prop B/Statewide Camping Ban Violations Citywide; Expand Adjudication of Current Charge Codes (all other Class C misdemeanors) Citywide - Average (max) # of cases currently adjudicated at AMC that would come to DACC: 4,715 Option #1.5: DACC to Maintain Adjudication of Prop B/Statewide Camping Ban Violations Citywide; Expand Adjudication of Current Charge Codes (other Class C misdemeanors) to Other Parts of Austin on a Needs-Based Timeline - Average (max) # of Top 10 cases that would come to DACC instead of AMC: 3,915 Option #2: DACC to Maintain Current Charge Codes in Existing Geographic Service Area and Citywide Prop B/State Camping Ban Violations, Expand …
Alignment with Key Takeaways (below) from Stakeholder Engagement Process Expanding DACC’s GSA to other parts of Austin is supported by 93 percent of participants that chose to express their preference. DACC maintaining case types for housed people (instead of exclusively serving people experiencing homelessness) is supported by 69 percent of participants that chose to express their preference. More than 40 individual stakeholder references to geographic or service expansion directly emphasized the resources needed to maintain quality service levels. Stakeholders frequently discussed ways to strengthen opportunities for individuals experiencing homelessness to connect to social service. Stakeholders expressed desire for elements such as access and equity to be prioritized in upcoming decision-making or recommendations regarding DACC’s GSA and adjudicated cases, with particular attention to the current exclusion of DACC’s benefits for people outside of the current GSA boundaries. In discussions/questions about citations, responses did not strongly align with any particular viewpoints. Some respondents said they want to see more enforcement for Class C misdemeanors; others prefer a more lenient approach. Stakeholders expressed need for more education about DACC in order to participate in productive conversations. There was also desire for more information sharing about DACC generally, particularly about available services and successful outcomes experienced by DACC defendants and clients. Stakeholders provided specific input on information that should be considered before any recommendations for change are made. This input ranged from cost analysis for staff expansion to data about DACC defendant/client diversity. Alignment with DACC's mission and purpose Does this option require policy change? Does this option require significant Court Services resources? Option #1: DACC to Maintain Adjudication of Prop B/Statewide Camping Ban Violations Citywide; Expand Adjudication of Current Charge Codes (all other Class C misdemeanors) Citywide Option #1.5: DACC to Maintain Adjudication of Prop B/Statewide Camping Ban Violations Citywide; Expand Adjudication of Current Charge Codes (other Class C misdemeanors) to Other Parts of Austin on a Needs-Based Timeline Option #2: DACC to Maintain Current Charge Codes in Existing Geographic Service Area and Citywide Prop B/State Camping Ban Violations, Expand to Include Any Charge Codes for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness Citywide Option #3: DACC to Drop Current Charge Codes, Adjudicate Only Citywide Prop B/State Camping Ban Violations, and Any Charge Codes for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness Citywide Compatible Compatible Compatible Compatible Compatible Compatible Incompatible Incompatible Compatible Compatible Compatible Compatible Compatible Compatible Compatible Incompatible - People experiencing homelessness receive other citations besides Prop B/State Camping Ban …
Downtown Austin Community Court (DACC) DACC Geographic Service Area (GSA) Options Data Option #1: DACC to Maintain Adjudication of Prop B/Statewide Camping Ban Violations Citywide; Expand Adjudication of Current Charge Codes (all other Class C misdemeanors) Citywide Like Charge Codes at DACC, AMC The table below shows the total number of cases adjudicated at DACC from 2017-2019 in Row 1. In Row 2 (labeled AMC), those same cases cited outside of DACC’s GSA for the same three-year period are shown. Option #1 reflects an expansion of all current DACC cases city-wide. Court DACC AMC 2017 6,026 6,336 2018 2,842 4,649 2019 2,020 3,160 DACC’s average number of total adjudicated cases for the three-year period is 3,629. Average (maximum) number of cases currently adjudicated at AMC that would come to DACC in Option #1: 4,715 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Option #1.5: DACC to Maintain Adjudication of Prop B/Statewide Camping Ban Violations Citywide; Expand Adjudication of Current Charge Codes (other Class C misdemeanors) to Other Parts of Austin on a Needs-Based Timeline A needs-based timeline discussed at the staff level would include the initial expansion of DACC’s Top 10 cases. The table below represents the case increase to DACC if DACC absorbed the Top 10 cases cited outside of the current GSA (now going to AMC). DACC Top 10 Cases Adjudicated at AMC from 2017-2019 Court AMC 2017 4,953 2018 3,940 2019 2,853 Average (maximum) number of Top 10 cases that would come to DACC instead of AMC in Option #1.5: 3,915 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Option #2: DACC to Maintain Current Charge Codes in Existing Geographic Service Area and Citywide Prop B/State Camping Ban Violations, Expand to Include Any Charge Codes for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness Citywide The chart below shows total people experiencing homelessness with cases adjudicated at AMC from 2017-2019. Court AMC 2017 4,029 2018 2,685 2019 2,248 Average (maximum) number of additional cases for people experiencing homelessness that would come to DACC in Option #2: 2,987. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Option #3: DACC to Drop Current Charge Codes, Adjudicate Only Citywide Proposition B/State Camping Ban Violations, and Any Charge Codes for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness Citywide The tables below show the number of cases that would come to DACC, if DACC adjudicated only cases for the Proposition B/Statewide Camping Ban violations and other citations given only to people experiencing homelessness (PEH). Court DACC PEH/ Camping Ban Cases AMC PEH/ Camping Ban Cases Total PEH/Camping Ban Cases Court DACC Current …
