Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Board review finds sharp drop in program utilization; members move to streamline contracts and curriculum
Loading...
Summary
Wayne County Community Corrections staff presented data showing utilization of grant-funded programs fell from about 88–90% in 2016–18 to 60% in 2020 and 34% in 2021. The board discussed rolling over funds, outreach to arraigning judges to increase referrals, and plans to rewrite vendor contracts and simplify the HEAT violence-prevention curriculum.
Wayne County Community Corrections staff on Wednesday presented utilization and referral data that show a significant decline in use of grant-funded programs since the pre-COVID period, and discussed contract revisions intended to simplify invoicing and preserve program outcomes.
The chair told the board utilization rates were roughly 88–90% in 2016–18, dropped to about 60% in 2020 and to 34% in 2021 following COVID-related disruptions. He reviewed recent referral counts from October through February: Center for Family Development: 14 new referrals; ETRS domestic violence jail program: 10 referrals; ETRS community-based: 48 referrals; Lakewood Village: 48 referrals. The Center for Family Development program carries an allotment of $125,000, the chair said.
The chair emphasized urgency about increasing utilization, saying that ‘‘lives are at stake’’ and stressing the need to understand what practices led to the decline so the board does not repeat mistakes. Board members pressed for clarity that reported dollar amounts include rollovers from previous fiscal years; staff confirmed that rollovers are included and said a forthcoming quarterly report will present a fuller picture of budget usage and program enrollments.
The board also reviewed contract work with vendors. The chair said staff will rewrite the agreements with vendors, including Real Solutions, to streamline billing and consolidate the violence-prevention curriculum under the HEAT model (empowerwithheat.com). He said the streamlined contract will keep required services but make invoicing and charges simpler.
Members suggested targeted outreach to arraigning judges (Prentice Edwards, Christopher Blount and Hathaway were cited as high-volume arraignment judges) and to docket prosecutors to encourage judge-ordered referrals, which staff said is the clearest path for timely enrollment.
No formal votes were recorded at the meeting. Staff said a more complete utilization and financial report will be provided at the next quarterly meeting to allow the board to track changes after contract updates and outreach efforts.
