Efforts will focus on reducing recidivism, improving substance abuse & mental health treatment for offenders

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney announced on Monday that Delaware has been selected to participate in the National Criminal Justice Reform Project – an initiative led by the National Governors Association and the National Criminal Justice Association Center for Justice Planning to assist states in implementing evidence-based criminal justice reforms.

Governor Carney’s office, the Delaware Criminal Justice Council, and a newly-created Criminal Justice Reform Committee will lead Delaware’s work with the national project.

Reform efforts will focus on two specific areas:

• Improving the reentry process for offenders in Delaware’s correctional system, and reducing recidivism;
• And improving access to mental health and substance abuse treatment for offenders in Delaware’s criminal justice system.

“We all have a stake in making sure that, once offenders serve out their sentences in Delaware’s correctional system, they are able to successfully reenter their communities and positively contribute,” said Governor Carney. “This work will not only help offenders successfully transition back into society, but will improve public safety, more effectively coordinate treatment services, and reduce costs for Delaware taxpayers.”

Earlier this month, Delaware and Vermont joined Illinois, Arizona and Oregon as states participating in the National Criminal Justice Reform Project. The project assists participating states in using data to plan and implement evidence-based criminal justice reforms.

Delaware continues to experience high rates of incarceration and recidivism, which come at a high cost for Delaware taxpayers. The average cost of incarcerating one prisoner each year is $35,000 – or 20 times the cost of probation.

Additionally, 24 percent of Delaware’s offender population was receiving some form of mental health treatment in 2015, and 80 percent of the offender population experienced issues with substance abuse.

Challenges with substance abuse and mental health can prevent offenders from successfully reentering their communities. The Delaware Criminal Justice Reform Committee will focus on more effectively coordinating treatment services.

“The Delaware Criminal Justice Council is excited to work with Governor Carney and the Criminal Justice Reform Committee to build on the continuing work of improving reentry services to all offenders and providing treatment to those in our system with mental health challenges,” said Christian Kervick, Executive Director of the Criminal Justice Council. “This is a great opportunity to work with experts and implement national best practices to improve our Criminal Justice System.”

The Delaware Criminal Justice Reform Committee will begin meeting next month. The committee will use technical assistance from the National Criminal Justice Reform Project to improve collaboration between various state agencies working on reentry issues and community groups, and to improve data collection. Its members also will focus on strengthening and streamlining strategic planning processes around criminal justice reform.

###

The Criminal Justice Reform Committee will include representatives from:

• Law Enforcement
• Delaware Department of Justice
• Delaware Courts
• Office of Defense Services
• Department of Labor
• Department of Health and Social Services
• Department of Services for Children, Youth & Families
• Department of Safety and Homeland Security
• Department of Correction
• Department of Education
• Research Partners from the University of Delaware
• Statistical Analysis Center
• Community Members
• Local Govt. Representatives
• Delaware Center for Justice

“Thank you to the members of the Delaware Senate for confirming a group of dedicated public servants to positions in my Cabinet. Together, we will work to improve our public education system; make common-sense criminal justice reforms; invest in Delaware’s agricultural industry; expand broadband access; make affordable housing more accessible; and continue to make investments that modernize our Delaware National Guard.”

The Delaware Senate voted to confirm the following nominees to Governor Carney’s Cabinet on Wednesday:

Brigadier General Carol A. Timmons was confirmed as the next Adjutant General of the Delaware National Guard. General Timmons will replace Lieutenant General Francis D. Vavala, who will retire effective January 31 after nearly 50 years of service. He has led the Delaware National Guard as Adjutant General since 1999.

General Carol A. Timmons is currently the Assistant Adjutant General responsible for leading the Delaware Air National Guard, commanding an authorized force of 1,100 Airmen and ensuring that all Guard Airmen are trained, organized and equipped to support federal and state missions.

General Timmons has served as a member of the Delaware National Guard for 39 years, serving as a pilot in both the Delaware Army National Guard and the Delaware Air National Guard.

She is a veteran of Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Southern Watch, Joint Guard, Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom. In 2008, she earned a Bronze Star for her service commanding a combat deployment to Afghanistan.

General Timmons will become Delaware’s first female Adjutant General, with responsibility for preparing the Delaware National Guard to support both federal and state missions.

 

Anas Ben Addi was confirmed to continue serving as Director of the Delaware State Housing Authority, a housing finance and community development agency that ensures that Delawareans have access to quality, affordable housing and oversees community and neighborhood revitalization efforts statewide.

Ben Addi was first nominated by Governor Jack Markell and confirmed by the Delaware Senate in 2009 to lead DSHA. During his time as Director, Ben Addi has helped launch and implement the State Rental Assistance Program, which helps Delawareans who require supportive services to live safely and independently in their communities.

He also has expanded access to DSHA’s low-cost mortgage programs and led efforts to drive private investment in Delaware’s downtown areas through the Downtown Development Districts program.

 

 

Dr. Susan Bunting was confirmed as Secretary of the Delaware Department of Education, overseeing Delaware’s public school system and serving as an education policy adviser to the Governor.

Since 2006, Dr. Bunting has been Superintendent of the Indian River School District, one of the state’s largest school districts serving more than 10,000 students. Dr. Bunting has worked at Indian River since 1977, first as a teacher, and later as the district’s Supervisor of Elementary Instruction and K-12 Director of Instruction.

In 2012, she was one of four finalists for the American Association of School Administrators’ National Superintendent of the Year award. Dr. Bunting earned a Doctorate in Education Leadership from the University of Delaware.

 

 

Robert Coupe was confirmed as Secretary of the Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security, the agency with responsibility for protecting the safety and welfare of all Delawareans, overseeing the Delaware State Police, the Delaware Emergency Management Agency, and the State Council for Persons with Disabilities, among other divisions.

Coupe has served as Commissioner of the Delaware Department of Correction since 2013, having been appointed by Governor Jack Markell and confirmed by the Delaware Senate. In his current position, he oversees Delaware’s correctional system, leading an agency with 2,500 employees that supervises more than 7,000 inmates.

Previously, he spent more than 28 years at the Delaware State Police, including more than three years leading the State Police as Superintendent. During his career as a State Trooper, he worked as a Detective in the Major Crimes and Homicide units, drill instructor at the training academy, Patrol Sergeant, and Internal Affairs investigator.

 

James Collins was confirmed to continue serving as Chief Information Officer at the Delaware Department of Technology and Information, overseeing the department that provides technology services to state organizations and serving as a technology adviser to the Governor.

Collins was first nominated as Chief Information Officer by Governor Jack Markell and confirmed by the Delaware Senate in 2014. During his tenure, Collins has expanded broadband services across rural areas in Delaware, helped implement the Delaware Cyber Security Advisory Council and expanded the state’s open data portal.

He previously served as Deputy Secretary of State and Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Markell. Earlier, he was a senior consultant with Peregrine Systems and MAXIMUS Inc., implementing large-scale software projects for clients including Pepsi Bottling Group, the U.S. Marine Corps and the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority. Collins is also an 8-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, where he helped implement the Composite Healthcare System to convert from paper-based to electronic record and scheduling systems.

 

 

Michael Scuse was confirmed as Secretary of the Delaware Department of Agriculture, an agency that promotes and supports Delaware’s agricultural industry, oversees food inspection services to protect Delaware consumers, ensures agricultural compliance statewide, and helps conserve forest resources.

Scuse has served as the Acting Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture since March 2016, helping support the national agricultural industry, promote vibrant rural communities, and open new markets for America’s farmers. Previously, Scuse was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, leading efforts to promote American agricultural products globally. From 2001 to 2008, he served Secretary of the Delaware Department of Agriculture under then-Governor Ruth Ann Minner.

DOVER, Del. – Governor John Carney today received a final report from the Transition Committee that includes recommended action steps in order to achieve policy objectives set forth by the Governor. The Transition Committee created an “Action Plan for Delaware” as a guide for Governor Carney and his administration.

“Thank you to the entire Transition team and all Delawareans who contributed ideas and comments on how we can make Delaware an even better place to live and work,” said Governor Carney. “This report is thorough yet succinct, and it’s something that we can act on. You have put in many hours into helping create an inclusive and diverse report during our transition, and now it’s time to take action.”

“It was a privilege to serve on the Transition team with three dozen committed Delawareans from across our state, and to produce this report on behalf of Governor Carney and the people of Delaware,” said Bill Bowser, Chair of Governor Carney’s Transition Team. “We took the work seriously, presenting detailed action steps that offer a path forward as the new administration takes office. Thank you to the Governor and everyone involved on the four Transition committees, who worked around the clock on this effort over the past two months.”

The Transition Team was divided into four policy committees to develop policy proposals for the Governor’s consideration. The policy committees focused on: Economic Development & Healthy Environment (Doneene Damon, co-chair); Public Safety & Strong Neighborhoods (Charles Madden, co-chair); Education & Healthy Families (Lolita Lopez, co-chair); and Budget & Workforce (Todd Lawson, co-chair). The committees reached out to stakeholders, held public meetings and invited the public to submit written comment.

A link to the full report can be found here: http://de.gov/transitionreport