Justice Zimmerman called the retreat to order and welcomed everyone in attendance.

He thanked Commission members for their attendance, participation, and commitment to the racial and ethnic fairness implementation. The meeting facilitator, Diane Hamilton, was introduced and reviewed the agenda for the day and established groundrules.

• ICE BREAKER/INTRODUCTIONS:

"Who Do You Know" ice breaker to move around and interact with one another.

• MISSION STATEMENT DISCUSSION

• What power do we have: media, spotlighting strengths & weaknesses, public accountability, reporting timeframes
• Commission serve as a clearinghouse of resources
• Strengthen last sentence to include points of accountability

• Carolina Webber, Leticia Medina, John Nielsen, and Dan Becker devised language to amend the 03/27/02 Approved Mission Statement. Dialogue approved their changes.

4. FURTHER ACCOUNTABILITY DISCUSSION

• Accountability should not be forced, should be approached in a communicative manner
• Balance is critical-caution of the expectations that the public can generate; false sense of expectations
• The Annual Report is a bureaucratic process, we should hold a series of statewide meetings similar to the Public Hearings to report implementation progress and generate public accountability; town meetings would serve as checks and balances.

5. SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS

"What has been your experience with the Commission? How can it be improved?"

• want to build towards something, work towards identified goals/projects
• divide meetings into Agency reports and Action items; need for action
• change vehicles from Task Force to Commission, move more aggressively with communities at large
• difficulty with "representing" an entire ethnic community when ethnic communities are very factioned; being a single representative of a diverse group
• in Agency reports: highlight three things that you need help in solving, areas where the Cmsn can assist
• Agency reports are helpful-to reflect upon what you have done, impetus for immediate action, etc
• devise a built-in complaint process where the Advisory Council forwards written, legitimate complaints to the Commission to be addressed. They will be forwarded to the appropriate entities who will address them, then Cmsn staff will bring back to the originating source. Cmsn agencies will report to the Cmsn periodically about the number of complaints received and how they were resolved.
• need meeting time to evaluate Agency reports; reserve time at beginning of each meeting to review, as a Commission, the previous meeting's agency presentation(s)' strengths, weaknesses, and to respond.
• have a permanent chair/leadership
• more clarity about the Commission's function and our respective roles, even if self-defined
• need to discuss staffing and resources on all initiatives; for instance-agencies have staff resources to devote to their internal committees and projects who conduct the administrative functions, research, etc.
• Advisory Council to coordinate the Public Hearings
• We are losing sight of the Task Force recommendations; need a detailed record/scorecard of what has/not been implemented

6. DISCUSSION: CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM COMPLAINTS (please see item #13)

• Utilize existing mechanisms to help respond to complaints. These are currently addressed at the agency level, city government level, and POST level. The Commission could serve as a conduit to these entities and track complaints.
• Cmsn could ensure follow up from agency
• Broader focus, look for larger themes, common threads (eg. Need for training, etc)
• Cmsn could report on the complaints in the 2003 Annual Report (once procedure is implemented)

7. DISCUSSION: DEFINED COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT (please see item #14)

• How to integrate the Advisory Council; communicate direction
• Offer a concrete description to Advisory Council of what is to be done or outlining process; the Task Force Final Report/recommendations served as the blueprint for the Commission, the Advisory Council also needs a blueprint.
• Mirror Town Meetings/Public Hearings
• Need friendly formats, conversational atmosphere
• Community focus (Not PR for the Cmsn)
• Recognize agency efforts to interface with communities and public
• Advisory Council gives tools to members to do outreach. Maybe a training opportunity on 'how to do outreach' could be given
• Need to work more effectively with Advisory Council. Communities give feedback. Reciprocity is needed. Mutual exchange.

8. DISCUSSION: RESEARCH (please see item #15)

• Research has critical role, according to members
• Need for empirical data to substantiate anecdotal and perceptual views of bias
• Partnering with other research efforts; HB101 will provide future data
• Placement, serious youth offender, etc are examples of where research can be done
• Some issues elude ability to draw conclusions
• Research Consortium is in infancy stages, but being developed by CCJJ. This is a collaborative efforts with state institutions of higher education to conduct state research in the midst of shrinking availability of financial resources. Racial and ethnic studies are considered highly viable by the Consortium. If your agency has research recommendations to implement still and would like to explore the possibility of the Research Consortium, contact Mike Haddon at CCJJ (in Groupwise).

9. DISCUSSION: INDIGENT DEFENSE REVIEW COUNCIL (please see item #17)

(Task Force recommendation #9 in the Research section).

• anticipated barriers: political will and financial resources
• Commission could serve as a vehicle to heighten awareness of issues, needs
• very political issue, indigent defense is county funded, not state funded. Issues vary in severity by location throughout the state
• Cmsn could advocate the importance to the Bar and legislature to own the issue
• Outside of Salt Lake County, public defense is uneven in quality

10. DISCUSSION: MEDIA

• link this up to the Advisory Council
• utilize KRCL
• media spotlight successes, failures, and help with political processes
• need supportive media people; use reliable, accurate media
• investigate media firms to to a month-long, pro-bono media blitz
• submit press releases only; distrust of media; media tendency to sensationalize
• utilize the media directors in various Cmsn agencies (eg. Verdi White offered DPS' officer, another possibility is Jack Ford at Corrections (who addressed the Cmsn at the October 01 meeting).
• respond ad hoc to/for media involvement

11. OTHER SUGGESTIONS FOR ISSUES TO ADDRESS

• Minority recruitment (please see item #16)
• Annual Report, Evaluation scorecard (please see item #18)
• Partner in strategic plans
• Leadership, procedure, governance, Cmsn management, etc

12. OPERATIONS COMMITTEE

• Desire for a smooth transition of leadership if current transition team opts to remove themself(ves). Smooth transition = gradual transition. Rotate members out if burned out.
• Need more assertive leadership
• One role is to liaison with the sponsor (Utah Judicial Council and legislature)
• Op Cmte will meet and set forth recommendation of who will chair the Commission
• Operations Committee will consist of: Leticia Medina, Haruko Moriyasu, Anthony Smith, Justice Michael Zimmerman, Judge Tyrone Medley, John T Nielsen, Dan Becker, Susan Burke, and Judge Bill Thorne (depending upon Judge Medley's and John Nielsen's acceptance of continued service).

13. GOAL #1: CJS COMPLAINT PROCESSES (please see item #6)

SUBCOMMITTEE PLAN OF ACTION:

• Members: Leticia Medina (Chair), Kal Farr, Sid Groll, Keith Hamilton, Joan Smith, and Rep. Lamont Tyler. Note: Judge Tyrone Medley has subsequently joined this group.

Complaint Process:

1. Community groups and state ethnic offices complete standardized written reports

2. Ethnic Offices filters to the specific, appropriate member of Cmsn, also tracks for data collection

3. Complaints submitted to Commission staff

4. Member relays complaint to appropriate agency for response

5. The direct agency body reports the outcome back to the specific Cmsn member

6. Commission reviews and reports to three bodies:

the complainant, review for new recommendations, and Annual Report subcommittee

Action Plan:

1. Develop a report: Leticia

2. Screening/filter: Ethnic Affairs

3. Complaint Process to criminal justice components

14. GOAL #2: DEFINED COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT (please see item #7)

SUBCOMMITTEE PLAN OF ACTION:

• Members: Carolina Webber (Chair), Dan Maldonado, Haruko Moriyasu, Justice Michael Zimmerman. Note: Joe Tafua & Brent Johnson have subsequently joined this group.

1. Update Advisory Council

• Expectations (meet more frequently, revisit groundrules, etc)

• Recognition of implementation

• Opportunity for subcommittee membership

2. Develop plan of action (task to be taken to Advisory Council)

• Media

• Interface with agencies

3. Outreach (task to be taken to Advisory Council and/or collaborate with the Research Subcommittee)

• Community Councils
• Citizenry at large
• Defined interest groups (eg. Insurance companies who are interested in the cost of crime)
• Cost of Crime (including stereotyping as a cost)

4. Focus on minority advocacy groups for collaboration

5. Organize Town Meetings (task to be taken to Advisory Council)

6. Training Opportunities (collaborate with Outreach Subcommittee)

• Stress importance of action
• Educational opportunities (ie. Meet with UofU Linguistic Department to impress the strategy of teaching legalese in their curriculum and the demand for that skill in the job market)

7. Coordinating community efforts (eg. Multicultural presentations/opportunities rather than ethnic-specific

15. GOAL #3: RESEARCH (please see item #8)

SUBCOMMITTEE PLAN OF ACTION:

• Members: Susan Burke (Chair), John Adams, Ed McConkie. Note: Deidre Tyler has subsequently joined this group.

1. Identify all current projects (incl. Bootstrapping, juvenile sentencing guidelines, aggravating and mitigating circumstances, representation for juvenile offenders, etc)

2. Identify potential projects (incl. "What works", SYO Law, HB101 profiling, new economics model, snapshots & long term analysis)

3. Encourage research components for new initiatives

4. Miscellaneous (prioritize as issues evolve)

16. GOAL #4: OUTREACH/EMPLOYMENT RECRUITMENT

SUBCOMMITTEE PLAN OF ACTION:

• Members: Dan Becker (Chair), Mike Chabries (David Gomez), Cmsr Bob Flowers (Cmsr Verdi White), Sheriff Brad Slater (Reed Richards), Judge Bill Thorne

I. Organize focus group of line minorities to:

A. Identify barriers to recruitment

B. Solicit ideas to increase employment

Group 1 Police/Corrections/Pardons-Parole

2 Courts/Youth Corrections

3 Attorneys

C. To be conducted following the August Cmsn meeting

II. Develop avenues for outreach

A. Youth Groups

B. Schools

C. Military

D. Job fairs

E. School counselors

F. Home visits

17. GOAL #5: INDIGENT DEFENSE (please see item #9)

SUBCOMMITTEE PLAN OF ACTION:

• Members: Anthony Smith (Chair), David Biggs, Paul Boyden

1. Investigate state funding of public defenders offices outside of Wasatch Front

2. Research to determine extent of problem, collect data

3. Work with Outreach Subcommittee to bring more people of color to CJS

4. Public defenders view of self and the role of public defender

5. Community outreach

6. Training

18. GOAL #6: ANNUAL REPORT

SUBCOMMITTEE PLAN OF ACTION:

• Membership is in addition to a standing subcommittee membership
• Members: Susan Burke, Keith Hamilton, Judge Tyrone Medley (upon acceptance), Haruko Moriyasu, Anthony Smith, and a staff person from POST
• Subcommittee will meet mid- to late August, once the Operations Committee meets

19. STILL TO CHOOSE A SUBCOMMITTEE FOR MEMBERSHIP

• Deidre Tyler, Joe Tafua, Brent Johnson, Judge Tyrone Medley, John T. Neilsen

20. WRAP UP

• Operations Committee will organize structure for Cmsn (governance, bylaws, etc), nominate Cmsn Chair; will meet in early to mid August, dependent upon member schedules
• Annual Report subcommittee will meet after the Operations Committee meets, likely in mid to late August, with effort to meet prior to August Commission meeting
• Chair will be voted upon at August meeting
• Retreat minutes will be emailed
• Subcommittees established today will be standing through this year and should continue to meet regularly

21. HOUSEKEEPING

• Multiple requests to change meeting date due to conflicts with interim session were taken off of the table. Rep. Tyler informed that interim session will be the third Wednesday of the month, the Commission will continue to meet on the fourth Wednesday of each month. If a member is unable to attend a meeting, please designate a proxy.
• Keith Hamilton requested that members try to attend a Board Hearing (Parole Board, held at the Draper site) prior to his presentation on September 25^th. Hearing schedules are arranged approximately two weeks in advance, and will be emailed to the group.
• Joan Smith announced NCCJ's September 11^th Remembrance event. Please mark your calendars for 5:30-8pm (tentative) at Franklin Covey Field. More details to come.

22. ADJOURN

NEXT COMMISSION MEETING - WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2002

Details will be available ASAP via postcard and email.