Misdemeanor Sentencing Committee

This committee focuses on several areas around the sentencing process in misdemeanor criminal cases. Its duties include:

1. Provide recommendations to the Court regarding enhancements to sentencing options for magistrate judges through review of relevant research on sentencing practices and sentencing alternatives with emphasis on community-based programs;

2. Increase understanding of who is sentenced to probation, how those decisions are made, how long individuals are supervised, for whom and why probation is revoked, and the implications of all of these;

3. Review and provide recommendations for enhancing information available to judges at sentencing, including information related to criminogenic risk and needs, the availability of behavioral health treatment, and other programing, as well as other sentencing information;

4. Work with the Idaho Association of Counties Misdemeanor Probation Administrators Association and make recommendations to enhance misdemeanor probation services statewide and support evidence-based supervision practices;

5. Serve as a liaison to each judicial district to increase understanding, develop recommendations for judicial education and receive feedback on misdemeanor sentencing practices for new and existing magistrate judges; and

6. Review and provide recommendations regarding evidence-based practices for pretrial justice, risk assessment data, conditions ofrelease infonnation, and specific county policies relating to monitoring and reporting criteria to judges in concert with criminal justice stakeholders.