| 1997 Fiscal Review Appropriations - Public Safety and Judiciary |
The Criminal Justice Appropriations Bill (Chapter 239) provided approximately $609 million for the Department of Corrections, plus a $56 million appropriation for local corrections aid.
Division| 1997-99 |
Institutions | 369,788,000 |
Juvenile Services | 34,860,000 |
Community Services | 165,211,000 |
Crime Victim and Prevention Services | 20,518,000 |
Management Services | 18,730,000 |
Total | $ 609,107,000 |
|
The biennial appropriation of $370 million for
institutions included $2.2 million to establish and
operate a work camp at Camp Ripley for non-violent first-time adult offenders and $822,000 to
move the adult inmates from the Red Wing
Correctional Facility to an alternative facility to
make room for the consolidation of the Sauk
Centre and Red Wing juvenile inmate populations.
Juvenile Services were funded at approximately $34.1 million. Of this amount, approximately $1.5 million is for long-term planning for juvenile services and upgrading programming at the Sauk Centre juvenile facility. One million dollars was appropriated to establish a weekend work camp at Camp Ripley for male offenders, and $260,000 was appropriated for additional juvenile aftercare services. By January 1, 1999, male offenders who are committed to the Commissioner of Corrections must be transferred from the Sauk Centre to the Red Wing facility. To accomplish this, the Legislature appropriated $500,000 to renovate two cottages at Red Wing, and $1 million for additional programming at the Red Wing facility. In addition, the Legislature appropriated $333,000 for juvenile female programming.
Approximately $165 million was appropriated to Community Services. Of this amount, $5.7 million is for statewide probation caseload reduction. An additional $4 million is for juvenile service grants to counties. The Legislature increased the Community Corrections Act subsidy by $1.5 million and appropriated $1.4 million for night and drug court innovation grants.
An additional $494,000 was appropriated for inmate productive day initiatives, and $450,000 was appropriated for school-based probation projects in Dakota and Anoka counties. The Legislature appropriated $324,000 for additional supervised release agents and a Challenge Incarceration Program caseworker. Finally, $200,000 was appropriated for a gang intervention project, $120,000 was appropriated for electronic alcohol monitoring, $100,000 was appropriated to enhanced probation services in Ramsey County, and $95,000 was appropriated for the family group conferencing program in Dakota County.
Crime Victim and Prevention Services were funded at $20.5 million. Of this amount, $207,000 was for battered women's shelters, and $200,000 was for the Community Preservation Unit.
Management Services were funded at $18.7 million.
Ombudsman for Corrections
The 1997 Legislature appropriated approximately $1.1 million from the General Fund to the Ombudsman for Corrections.
Sentencing Guidelines
The 1997 Legislature appropriated $880,000 from the General Fund to the Sentencing Guidelines Commission.
Courts
A biennial appropriation of about $43.4 million was made to the Supreme Court, including $2.8 million for upgrading the statewide criminal and juvenile justice information system and an additional $1.2 million for civil legal services. A $300,000 appropriation was made to fund guardian ad litem training, and $80,000 was appropriated for a judicial salary increase.
The Court of Appeals received a biennial appropriation of approximately $12.3 million, including $100,000 for increased administrative support, $170,000 for a judicial salary increase, and $100,000 for a video hearing project.
The District Courts received $143.2 million for the biennium, including $2.4 million for a judicial salary increase and $823,000 for additional administrative and judicial support. In addition, the Legislature appropriated $900,000 for increased operational overhead costs for the 8th judicial district and $771,000 for a video hearing project in the 9th judicial district.
Tax Court
A biennial appropriation of $1.6 million was made to the Tax Court, including $344,000 to enhance the court's information system.
Board of Judicial Standards
The 1997 Legislature appropriated $531,000 to the Board of Judicial Standards, including $80,000 for attorney fees incurred in FY 1996 for a disciplinary hearing.
Public Defense
The 1997 Legislature appropriated approximately $83.6 million to the Board of Public Defense, including $2.5 million for district caseload equity and $1.4 million to enhance the Board's information system. In addition, $330,000 was appropriated for appellate caseload relief.
Peace Officer Standards and Training Board
The 1997 Legislature appropriated approximately $7.4 million from the Special Revenue Fund to the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board. Included in this appropriation is an additional $312,000 the second year to reimburse local law enforcement for training costs.
Private Detectives Board
The 1997 Legislature appropriated $262,000 from the General Fund to the Private Detectives Board for the biennium.
Human Rights
A biennial appropriation of approximately $7.6 million was made to the Department of Human Rights, including $50,000 for a rental housing human rights compliance program.
Uniform Laws Commission
The 1997 Legislature appropriated $71,000 from the General Fund to the Uniform Laws Commission.
Auto Theft Prevention Board
The 1997 Legislature appropriated approximately $3.7 million from the Special Revenue Fund to the Auto Theft Prevention Board.
Department of Public Safety
The 1997 Legislature appropriated approximately $72.9 million from the General Fund to the Department of Public Safety for criminal justice purposes.
| Division | 1997-99 |
| Bureau of Criminal Apprehension | $ 5,364,000 |
| Emergency Management | 6,768,000 |
| Fire Marshal | 5,948,000 |
| Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement | 3,398,000 |
| Crime Victim Services | 4,302,000 |
| Crime Victim Ombudsman | 749,000 |
| Law Enforcement and Community Grants | 6,005,000 |
| Administration and Related Services | 318,000 |
Total| $ 72,852,000 |
|
Major initiatives in the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) appropriation of $45.4 million included approximately $7.8 million for a statewide criminal gang apprehension unit and additional BCA field agents. The Legislature also appropriated approximately $7.1 million to enhance the statewide criminal justice information system. A $443,000 appropriation was for enhancing the BCA, Hennepin County, and St. Paul ballistics labs. Finally, the Legislature appropriated $100,000 for an arson forensic scientist, and $100,000 for the agency's victim and witness fund.
The Legislature appropriated $350,000 to the Fire Marshal to establish an arson task force and $50,000 for an additional fire sprinkler inspector.
A $200,000 appropriation was made to the Crime Victim Services division for emergency assistance to crime victims.
The Crime Victim Ombudsman received a $98,000 appropriation for an additional investigator.
Of the $6 million appropriation for Law Enforcement and Community Grants, $2.25 million is for local law enforcement overtime costs, and an additional $2.25 million is for Weed and Seed grants. A $500,000 appropriation is for local reimbursement of costs incurred to implement the community notification of sex offender release law. In addition, $240,000 was appropriated for minority law enforcement scholarships, $150,000 was to establish a youth community service program, and $175,000 was for a grant to the Council on Black Minnesotans to fund the Martin Luther King, Jr. nonviolent institutional child development program. Finally, $100,000 was appropriated to establish a joint youth-police storefront program in St. Paul, and $75,000 was appropriated to establish a 4th Judicial District Family Violence Council.
The 1997 Legislature appropriated $278,000 to Administration and Related Services to provide health care benefits for the families of peace officers and firefighters injured or killed in the line of duty, and $40,000 to provide additional firefighter training.
Miscellaneous Criminal Justice
The 1997 Legislature appropriated $250,000 to the Attorney General for DARE anti-drug use grants. It also appropriated $1.3 million to the Department of Economic Security for the Minnesota Cities Grant program.