IN THE COUNTY LEGISLATURE OF JACKSON COUNTY, MISSOURI
Title
A RESOLUTION in support of the establishment of a community-based Second Chance Center, an offender risk reduction resource center, at the Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission to increase the chances of high risk criminal offenders to become productive citizens and/or expedite their return to incarceration for the resulting improvement of public safety.
Intro
RESOLUTION #17237, April 5, 2010
INTRODUCED BY Scott Burnett and Henry C. Rizzo, County Legislators
Body
WHEREAS, public safety is a priority of Jackson County, Missouri; and,
WHEREAS, Missouri Probation & Parole supervises over 12,000 offenders and United States Probation Services supervises over 1,500 offenders in the Kansas City area on a daily basis; and,
WHEREAS, the recidivism rate for parolees to return to incarceration within the first three years of release in the Kansas City area is over 50% and according to the Missouri Department of Corrections the recidivism rate for high risk offenders is 83% and many of these offenders create new crime victims in the process; and,
WHEREAS, Missouri Probation & Parole now identifies through an evidence-based assessment process those offenders being supervised at highest risk for re-offending; and,
WHEREAS, the Kansas City Metropolitan Crime Commission has established a Second Chance Program to provide a crime prevention strategy for the Metropolitan Kansas City area through research, advocacy and the funding of programs/projects that improves opportunities for ex-offenders to lead productive lives with the wide support of the community including the police department, Missouri Department of Corrections, United States Probation Services, Jackson County Prosecutor's Office, educational institutions, business leaders, and faith-based and community organizations that provide direct services; and,
WHEREAS, the Second Chance Program seeks to establish a community-based Second Chance Center to reduce the risk to public safety that will provide specific resources needed by high risk offenders who are referred to the center by Missouri Probation & Parole for services that address their respective criminogenic needs including cognitive behavioral, substance abuse, family support & mentoring, education/employment, housing, identification, health care, transportation, and other need resources; and,
WHEREAS, the operation of this center will increase public safety by improving the chances to develop productive citizens or assist Missouri Probation & Parole in the revocation process that removes high risk offenders more expediently; now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the County Legislature of Jackson County, Missouri, that the Legislature hereby supports the establishment of Second Chance Center, making this a future legislative priority, and supports the need to identify funding to make the Center a State of art public safety initiative for the Jackson County community.
Enacted and Approved
Effective Date: This Resolution shall be effective immediately upon its passage by a majority of the Legislature.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
______________________________ ________________________________
Deputy/Assistant County Counselor Acting County Counselor
Certificate of Passage
I hereby certify that the attached resolution, Resolution #17237 of April 5, 2010, was duly passed on April 12, 2010 by the Jackson County Legislature. The votes thereon were as follows:
Yeas __________8_________ Nays _________0__________
Abstaining _______0________ Absent ________1__________
______________________ _________________________________
Date Mary Jo Spino, Clerk of Legislature