Linda Weinmaster's Research
Letter to the Editor
I released an article on the Douglas County GOP reorganization meeting debacle with a link to Linda Weinmaster’s research on Brent Hoffman; however, that link did not work. Below is a list of links and information Weinmaster provided. This post will be linked to that article.
https://www.justicemattersinkansas.org/ending_homelessness
https://www.justicemattersinkansas.org/incarceration
https://www.justicemattersinkansas.org/affordable_housing
https://www.justicemattersinkansas.org/mental_health
https://www.justicemattersinkansas.org/blocking_a_jail_expansion
https://www.justicemattersinkansas.org/ending_homelessness
We’re advocating for a program called Built for Zero to be implemented by all service providers across Douglas County. This program has brought the number of people experiencing homelessness to “functional zero” in 17 cities across the United States. The concept of functional zero is explained here.
All service providers are working together to maintain a “by-name list” with information from each person experiencing homelessness. This list is updated as new people enter the system.
Each person has unique needs that contribute to their homeless situation- they might need treatment for mental illnesses, or medical care, or addiction treatment- just to name a few. All of the service providers work together to find each person the best services based upon their unique needs. This is called case conferencing.
With all providers working together using this method, homelessness becomes rare overall and brief when it occurs. Bergen County, NJ, with a population of 932,000 people, ended veteran and chronic homelessness within a year of joining Built for Zero. Learn more about Built for Zero here.
Like many programs that get to the root of the problem, Built for Zero saves money in the long run but does have an increase in costs up front. However, Lawrence-Douglas County has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take advantage of millions of dollars of federal COVID-19 relief funds allocated for affordable housing & homelessness. We just have to get all key players together to form a proposal on how we'll use them.
Justice Matters got a commitment in May 2021 from our Mayor and County Commission Chair to end chronic homelessness using the Built for Zero model. That same month, the City and County adopted a joint resolution to become a Built for Zero community and began convening regular planning meetings.
At our Action Assembly in May 2022, Justice Matters brought together over 400 people at the Douglas County Fairgrounds to call for our city & county leaders to continue to prioritize this issue. At this meeting, County Commission Chair Shannon Reid committed to making sure that the information from a KU research center's Homelessness Needs Assessment is used to inform a comprehensive plan to end chronic homelessness in our community.
The city, county, Justice Matters, and other key stakeholders are holding regular meetings to coordinate and prepare the plan. If you want to take part in Ending Homelessness in our community, please email camille@justicemattersinkansas.org.
https://www.justicemattersinkansas.org/incarceration ail Alternatives
Justice Matters played a key role in halting a long and contentious effort to expand the local jail. In January of 2020, the County Commission voted unanimously to invest over $30 million in tax dollars in expanding the Douglas County Jail, despite strong public opposition to the project. The following month, Justice Matters filed a lawsuit against the county, calling into question the County Commission’s authority to bypass the decision of citizens who had voted down a jail expansion proposal just 10 months earlier. This legal action prevented the County from issuing debt to expand the jail. Then the pandemic hit, and contrary to the myths spread for years by the County about the inability to lower our jail population safely, the Douglas County Sheriff and the courts emptied the jail virtually overnight without any consequences for public safety. In September of 2020, the County Commission completely reversed their decision and voted unanimously to rescind their earlier resolution, laying to rest the jail expansion plans.
Even with the jail expansion off the table, our work is not over. We are now focused on promoting policies and programs that will reduce rates of incarceration, which have been growing steadily in Douglas County over the last decade even as crime rates have been trending downwards. We must also recognize and address the racism baked into our criminal justice system. The Douglas County Jail disproportionately incarcerates people of color, even more so than the already disturbing national average.
In 2021, Sheriff Jay Armbrister responded to Justice Matters' calls to work with the Vera Institute of Justice, the preeminent expert on criminal justice reform research and policy in the country. Douglas County shared the information needed for Vera to conduct a full analysis of the drivers of our jail population that has begun to shed light on our inexplicable explosion in incarceration over the past decade. Vera's findings showed that the number of bookings for failing to appear in court were through the roof- 1,532 in 2021. Booking people into jail for failing to appear in court has not been shown to improve public safety – it only derails people’s lives and increases their chances of further entanglement in the criminal justice system. Two reforms to avoid bookings for failure to appear recommended by Vera are:
1. Failure-to-appear rescheduling, so that when an officer discovers during a routine stop that someone has failed to appear in court, they automatically reschedule the court date and notify that person, rather than arresting them and booking them into jail.
2. Strong cite-and-release policies, compelling officers to issue citations instead of arresting people for low-level, nonviolent crimes such as trespassing or driving with an invalid license.
At the 2022 Action Assembly, we asked Sheriff Armbrister to initiate a collaborative effort with municipal & district court judges to establish a failure to appear rescheduling policy, strengthen cite & release practices, and track the progress- to be reported quarterly to the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. He committed to do so, in front of the hundreds of people in attendance.
The Alternatives to Incarceration team is in continuing conversations with Sheriff Armbrister to track progress on his commitment. If you'd like to join us in ending the misuse of our jail, reach out to your team leader or contact camille@justicemattersinkansas.org.
Home Jail Expansion
https://www.justicemattersinkansas.org/blocking_a_jail_expansion
After three years of Justice Matters fighting against expanding the Douglas County jail, in September 2020, the Douglas County commission unanimously voted down the measure. This allows our community to focus on alternatives to incarceration and saves $30 million in taxpayer money. Here's how we did it:
In early 2018, Douglas County officials decided to connect a proposal that would link an expansion to the Douglas County Jail and the creation of a Behavioral Health Crisis center. Both of these were on a single-question, yes/no ballot. While Justice Matters facilitated the creation of the Behavioral Health Crisis center, we were deeply uncomfortable with voting to incarcerate more of our friends and neighbors. Justice Matters decided to advocate against this measure.
In May of 2018, the measure was officially voted down by the Douglas County community. However, immediately after the vote, the commissioners pledged to find other avenues to proceed with the jail project, even though the community had just voted against it. Justice Matters followed through on our commitment to expanding mental health services.
In December of 2018, county leaders announced that their new plan to finance the jail expansion would not need voter approval. Moving through 2019, the proposal continued to develop, and it was announced that the initial cost of the project would cost over $30 million.
In January 2020, County commissioners voted to authorize the jail expansion, despite opposition from the community. Justice Matters took legal action, alleging that the Douglas County Commission was illegally blocking a vote on the issue. This delayed the start of construction on the jail expansion.
In March of 2020, COVID-19 hit, and contrary to previous claims that it couldn't be done, the jail was nearly emptied overnight without any increased risk to public safety, using the same reforms and alternatives that Justice Matters had been suggesting for years. The jail expansion project was put on hold. Shortly after, a study on the Douglas County Jail showed that even prior to the pandemic, there was no need to expand the jail.
In September 2020, Douglas County Commissioners unanimously voted down the same proposal for jail expansion that they had unanimously passed, just months before.
Justice Matters continues to advocate for alternatives to incarceration to prevent the jail population from rising again. For more information, check out our Jail Alternatives page. in us in ending the misuse of our jail, reach out to your team leader or contact camille@justicemattersinkansas.org.
https://www.justicemattersinkansas.org/affordable_housing
With Justice Matters leading the way, voters in Lawrence approved a 1/20th of a penny in sales tax to an affordable housing trust fund that is expected to raise $10 Million in the next 10 years. Here’s how we did it:
Lawrence had a clear lack of affordable housing for decades. Studies in 1993 and 2001 demonstrated the need for at least 4,000 affordable housing units. Yet, for nearly 30 years, the city of Lawrence and Douglas County failed to act.
During our listening process in fall 2014, community members told stories of their struggle finding a safe, affordable place to live in Lawrence. Justice Matters members voted to act to make sure our struggling friends, families, and neighbors could move from “crisis mode” to building hope and new futures.
At the 2015 Nehemiah Action, city council members approved a $100,000 pilot project- a three-building development that will remain permanently affordable. These homes currently hold 18 people in three families.
In 2016, the city commission approved $300,000 to the trust fund for the 2017-2018 fiscal years. Yet, the project needed a sustainable revenue stream.
In 2017, Justice Matters was successful in getting a 1/20th of a penny sales tax for affordable housing on the ballot, and helped secure the votes needed to win by contacting more than 14,000 voters.
On November 7th, 2017, voters in Lawrence officially approved the ballot measure to provide a sustainable revenue stream for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. This 1/20th of a penny in sales tax will generate roughly one million dollars each year over the next ten years!
Justice Matters maintains a representative on the Affordable Housing Advisory Board to help ensure that these funds are put to good use, assisting those who need it most in the best way possible.
https://www.justicemattersinkansas.org/mental_health
In 2019, Justice Matters won the creation of the Douglas County Behavioral Health Crisis Center, which will be up and running by fall 2021. It is projected to reduce the $8.5 million in emergency room losses for behavioral health patients, and divert 200 individuals with mental illness away from incarceration each year. Here’s how we did it:
In our listening process in 2014, we were shocked to hear the same story again and again regardless of geography, income, race, or gender: people suffering from mental illness could not find adequate treatment in Lawrence.
During our research process, the team learned of a Restoration Center in San Antonio, Texas, where people experiencing mental health crises could walk in or be taken in by law enforcement for a suite of treatment services. Justice Matters organized a group of nearly 20 stakeholders from the community to see the restoration center in action, including the mayor, chief of police, and hospital executives.
In 2017, we won a commitment by the Lawrence Police Chief to train all officers on how to effectively handle those in a mental health crisis. This training will help divert people experiencing a mental health crisis toward treatment and away from incarceration.
In mid-2018, we were successful in getting a measure on the ballot that would permanently dedicate a quarter of a penny in sales tax to mental health services.
In fall of 2018, our community overwhelmingly supported the measure, with 71% of voters in favor. The sales tax is estimated to raise around $4.9 million per year for the Behavioral Health Center.
The Behavioral Health Center is projected to be fully up and running in the fall of 2021
https://www.justicemattersinkansas.org/justice_matters_history
On November 10, 2014, the group held their founding convention at First Presbyterian Church. Twenty congregations joined together that night to create Justice Matters including: Eastlake, First Baptist, First Christian, First Presbyterian, First United Methodist, Good Shepherd Lutheran, Immanuel Lutheran, Islamic Society of Lawrence, Jewish Community Center Congregation, Lawrence Indian United Methodist, Morning Star, Oread Friends, Peace Mennonite, Plymouth Congregational, St John the Evangelist Catholic, St Luke AME, St Margaret Episcopal, Trinity Lutheran, Victory Bible, and Velocity Church.
Brent started as treasurer
https://www.justicemattersinkansas.org/executive_committee_orientation
https://www.zoominfo.com/c/justice-matters/398696184
https://www.justicemattersinkansas.org/morning_star_house_mtgs
https://klcjournal.com/douglas-county-jail-2020/
https://klcjournal.com/douglas-county-primary-jail-expansion/
Brent Hoffman opposed the Republican Sheriff Ken McGovern and the jail expansion, mental health facility connected with the jail, sheriffs dept having a central location He took the side of the 2 liberal Dems Shannon's as late as 7/28/2020. He does not represent what I believe is to be conservative or even a Rino! He puts on a good act, you can't change your colors that quickly. He is an excellent salesman.
He promotes and supports a George Soros funded group Vera Institute of Justice https://www.vera.org
I have not found one thing that is Republican, anti vaxx or health related.
https://www.justicemattersinkansas.org/morning_star_house_mtgs
https://www.justicemattersinkansas.org/executive_committee_orientation
https://www.ctnewsonline.com/opinion/article_a0ff3ab8-9aab-11e8-af82-874168df50b3.html
From the CCJC
Brent Hoffman, Justice Matters, said he wants to see Douglas County have a safety effective jail. He also believes overcrowding is a problem, but the solution is to either make the space bigger or remove people from the facility. Justice Matters believes in the latter and we need to take an opportunity to address the root causes of the overcrowding. He feels the research Justice Matters has concluded is that people are being incarcerated unnecessarily. Their search team suggests five decision- making stages to be analyzed and adjusted:
Stage One Arrest Stage, training officers in crisis intervention. LPD has already trained 116 officers. Citation in lieu of arrest.
Stage Two where charges are pressed: offer diversion, restorative justice neighborhood courts which offer alternatives to prosecution.
Stage Three Pretrial stage: Bond and fee reform (Douglas County already doing), and provide failure to appear units.
Stage Four Case Processing: Felony case management (heard Dr. Beck is studying this) and case packaging.
Stage Five Sensing and Post Conviction: Re-Entry Program (Douglas County is already practicing), swift pre-sentence investigation reports (Dr. Beck is researching), accelerated sentencing action to decrease average time used to prepare PSI report initially decreasing jail days.
Hoffman said though Douglas County is already addressing many of these suggestions, Justice Matters would like the County to explore more options. Justice Matters feels these effective alternatives will scale back the money needed on the jail expansion and in return the County can invest more money in services.
https://www.douglascountyks.org/search/node/Brent%20Hoffman
Search results
Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) Meeting on Tue, May 9, 2017 - 11:00 AM
... a final jail renovation plan is put before the voters. Brent Hoffman, Justice Matters, said he wants to see Douglas County have a safety ...
Commission Board Meeting on Wed, August 1, 2018 - 4:00 PM
... and carried. PUBLIC COMMENT 08-01-18 Brent Hoffman, Justice Matters, stated an anonymous donor would like to contribute ...
Commission Board Meeting on Wed, July 26, 2017 - 4:00 PM
... at each KDOC facility dealing with thousands of people. Brent Hoffman, 3412 Chance Lane, thanked the Commission for what they’ve done in ...
Hearings - Six Month Calendar
District Court Hearings - Six month calendar.
Commission Board Meeting on Wed, February 20, 2019 - 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM
... If they are a low security risk they should be let out. Brent Hoffman, Justice Matters, wants a comprehensive study of the entire criminal ...
https://www.vera.org support immigration, end mass incarceration, invest in communities,
“There’s like six decision makers that are a part of this system that all utilize this jail,” says Brent Hoffman, co-president of Justice Matters, the lead organization in the campaign against jail expansion.
“To identify one stand-alone solution to the question of overcrowding our jail, it’s sort of like talking about one element of a conveyor belt that goes through a series of decision-making points. … All of them need to become aligned with when and how do we utilize our jail in the most just and perfect way.”
To address this, Hoffman has pushed the county since 2015 to work with the Vera Institute of Justice, a national nonprofit that studies the criminal justice system, on a comprehensive analysis of the drivers of Douglas County’s jail population. Hoffman believes the study would bring a data driven approach to understanding how different criminal justice partners – like the court system and district attorney’s office – are working individually and together to impact the jail population, drawing broader conclusions about which points in the system need to be reformed. In recent years, the Vera Institute has even offered to undertake the study for free.
However, the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, created by the commission to foster collaboration between criminal justice system officials and stakeholders, has not undertaken the study. Thellman pointed out that the county hired its own criminal justice data analyst and conducted other research on the jail’s population.
Even before the Nov. 3 vote, it’s already clear that there are different perspectives about the value of the Vera Institute’s involvement and other policy changes that the new officeholders will have to work through.
Portillo, Reid and McDermott all indicated that they would direct the coordinating council to collaborate with the institute. Armbrister, too, says that he wants the Vera Institute’s study to take place. Though the sheriff’s processing system makes it difficult to share the necessary data, Armbrister said the office is looking for solutions.
Thank you, for restoring the links that Linda Weinmaster used in her research! Good job!
Brent continues to say he is not involved but he is involved everywhere!
https://www.justicemattersinkansas.org/morning_star_house_mtgs
https://www.zoominfo.com/pic/justice-matters/398696184