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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Irwin

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2-1-06

HB 636

SHORT TITLE 6

th

Judicial District Juvenile Justice

SB

ANALYST Dearing

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

$340.0*

Recurring

General Fund

*Please See Narrative

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 636 appropriates $340,000 from the general fund to the 6

th

Judicial District for the

support of the juvenile justice continuum.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $340,000 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2007 shall revert

to the general fund.

Beginning in 1997, the Sixth Judicial District implemented a comprehensive strategy called the

Juvenile Justice Continuum of Services in order to reduce its severe problem with juvenile crime.

*Prior to FY06, this program was funded only at the federal level, and, as such, the Administra-

tive Office of the courts had requested a base-expansion of $225,000 in fiscal year 2007 for the

6

th

Judicial District Court for the Juvenile Justice Continuum. The Legislative Finance Commit-

tee supported base-expansion of $225,000 for this same period. According to the Administrative

Office of the Courts’ recent analysis, $213,750 of the cost of this program was appropriated in

House Bill 636– Page

2

fiscal year 2006 as a recurring appropriation and is now included in the court’s base budget.

Thus, according to the Courts’ analysis, the actual appropriation needed to fully fund this pro-

gram is $160,000.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The Continuum of Services is a comprehensive strategy that helps a community to develop pro-

grams in juvenile justice ranging from the most restrictive to the least restrictive, from punitive

to preventive. The major phases are:

C

Detention (local detainment and commitments to state facilities)

C

Intervention (probation, community service, electronic monitoring, Teen Court, et

cetera)

C

Prevention (DWI Councils, Teen Outreach Program, Safe Schools Initiative, et

cetera)

C

Positive youth development (mentorship, sports, after-school programs, et cetera)

The program funding covers contractual services and other program related costs. This appro-

priation will allow this program to continue.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

Reduction in juvenile offenses is the basis for the estimated $18.5 million cost savings. During

the same six-year period, the Juvenile Probation and Parole Department reported the following

statistics:

C

61% reduction in property offense

C

38% reduction in offenses against persons

C

62% reduction in repeated offenders

C

63% reduction in total delinquent offenses

C

56% reduction in petitions filed

C

85% reduction in commitments to state facilities.

This funding will give the 6

th

Judicial District Juvenile Justice Continuum of Services resources

to continue gathering the data necessary to calculate and report cost savings to the state.

ALTERNATIVES

An in-kind appropriation for this program, however in the amount of $160,000.

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL

Status Quo

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS

Is this program still receiving federal funds.

PD/mt