On Wednesday, March 28, 2018, at 6 PM, the Cortland County Legislature held a special Committee of the Whole meeting in the Legislative Chambers to hear a presentation from the Rochester-based consulting firm CGR regarding potential options for the local criminal justice system.

Paul Bishop, Principal at CGR, discussed his organization’s recent experience evaluating the criminal justice system in two Central New York Counties and how an evaluation of the Cortland County Criminal Justice System could assist the county in its ongoing evaluation of the future of the jail.  

Mr. Bishop was part of the team that completed an evaluation of the criminal justice system in Tompkins County in 2017.  Based on that evaluation, Tompkins County is making several adjustments to their county administered programs to reduce the population in their jail.  Bishop is leading an ongoing study in Oswego County related to their criminal justice and law enforcement operations.   He reported on several of the key findings in their recent and ongoing work, the recent trends in the incarcerated population, and the potential impact of proposals in the 2018 Executive Budget.  

While Cortland County has not committed to an agreement with CGR, this presentation is part of the Legislature’s commitment to looking at all options for Cortland County’s overcrowded jail facility.

CGR was founded in 1915, and is an independent, nonprofit management consulting organization delivering expertise in government and education, economics and public finance, health and human services, and nonprofits and communities. Their mission is to improve the quality of communities through impactful research, analysis, consultation and data management for the public, nonprofits and philanthropic organizations that serve them. 

To see the slides of the presentation click here.  The presentation may be seen here: http://cortlandcountyny.iqm2.com/Citizens/SplitView.aspx?Mode=Video&MeetingID=2365&Format=Agenda