Pitt commissioners authorize first steps in starting pretrial release program.

The Pitt County Board of Commissioners has approved the first steps to launch a pretrial services program.

The board voted 6-0 to adopt the recommendation of the Pretrial Services Advisory Board and requested it bring back a detailed budget for getting a program underway.

Commissioners Beth Ward, Benji Holloman, Christopher Nunnally, Mary Perkins-Williams, Ann Floyd Huggins and Tom Coulson voted in favor of the proposal. Commissioners Melvin McLawhorn, Mark Smith and Lauren White didn’t attend Monday’s meeting.

A pretrial services program assists the court and judicial officers in making release decisions that promote court appearances and public safety, along with getting qualified individuals into programs that would benefit them.

“I know there is often a reluctance when people hear we are letting people out of jail and they ask why we are letting people out of jail when they are charged with a crime,” Pitt County Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Marvin Blount III said. “In our country, under the law, the only way you can keep someone confined is if they are a danger to society and are unlikely to show up.”

A pretrial program will reduce the Pitt County Detention Center’s population, allowing the sheriff to focus on people who need attention, Blount said.

The pretrial process will include screenings for substance abuse and mental health issues to identify causes that can lead to people being jailed and get people the help they need, Blount said.

“What we are trying to do is address people with minor offenses who come into the court system, to reduce recidivism,” District Attorney Faris Dixon said.

“It does no good for anybody to have somebody with minor offenses sitting in jail,” Dixon said. It prevents them from hiring their own attorneys or preparing themselves for court by pursuing other assistance, he said.

Jessica Ireland, a consultant with the Center for Effective Public Policy who is working with the advisory board, said in the 3 ½-year period between January 2019 and August 2022, 76 percent of the bookings into the Pitt County Detention were pretrial bookings. The top reasons for booking someone into the jail involved felonies, 35 percent; non-traffic misdemeanors, 27 percent; and non-driving while impaired traffic misdemeanors, 23 percent, she said.

Blount said the advisory board is recommending the pretrial services program become a department of county government to establish its independence from the court system.

Commissioner Tom Coulson asked if that could present liability issues if a person on pretrial release commits a serious crime such as murder.

Blount said since judges ultimately decide who is accepted into the program, the county should have no liability issues.

Ireland recommended the county implement the following:

A dedicated pretrial services program.An assessment tool to review individuals charged with misdemeanor offenses and H and I felonies, excluding domestic violence and driving while impaired.Develop supervision practices using evidence-based strategies that promote court appearances. Ireland said research shows that actions as simple as telephoning individuals to remind them of their court date can be very effective.Establish pre-trial performance measures to determine the monitoring program’s success.Provide education opportunities to the communities and people involved in the judicial system as the program is rolled out. The advisory board is recommending the program hire a director, two assessors who will determine who is accepted into the program, and two case managers who will supervise the participants.

Along with funding for staff, the program also has recommended technology purchases, training programs and a translation budget be funded.

The board’s recommended budget is $287,999 annually, but that does not include employee benefits.

Other action tthe commissioners took during Monday’s meeting:

Reappointed Russell D. Hill as Pitt County’s tax administrator for a four-year term. He was sworn in first as interim tax administrator in June 2022 and then appointed to a two-year term as tax administrator in August 2022. Hill has direct supervision of both the assessment and collections divisions of the tax office.Crystal Melton, project manager for the Pitt County Economic Development Department, was recognized as employee of the month.Reappointed Jeffrey Earl Briley as the ETJ member of the Winterville Board of Adjustment for a three-year term.Reappointed former Pitt County Commissioner Mike Fitzpatrick to the ABC Board for a second, three-year term.Pitt County Manager Janis Gallagher reported that Pitt County Human Relations Coordinator Jessica Williams secured a $10,000 America 250 grant so Pitt County can undertake activities marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.With assistance from East Carolina University and Pitt County Public Health, the county received a $398,608 Digital Champions grant from the N.C. Department of Information Technology for computers equipment and broadband costs for the Pitt Stop location in Bethel.Michael Taylor received the Digital County Survey Award during the National Association of Counties conference. The award recognizes the county’s efforts in using digital technology.The county’s financial service department received the certificate of achievement for excellence in financial reporting for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022. It’s the 34th year the department has received the award.Gallagher reported Commissioner Ann Floyd-Huggins was selected as the N.C. Association of County Commissioners District 2 representative on Monday.