Arizona Criminal Justice Commission Fill the Gap 2001 Report ARIZONA CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMISSION Chairperson TERRY STEWART Department of Corrections Director Vice Chairperson RALPH OGDEN Yuma County Sheriff JOSEPH ARPAIO Maricopa County Sheriff JIM BOLES City of Winslow Mayor DAVID K. BYERS Administrative Office of the Courts Director CARROL de BROEKERT Board of Executive Clemency Chairperson DAVID DOBROTKA Glendale Police Department Chief CLARENCE DUPNIK Pima County Sheriff TONY ESTRADA Santa Cruz County Sheriff BILL FITZGERALD Yavapai County Adult Probation Officer DENNIS GARRETT Department of Public Safety Director BARBARA LAWALL Pima County Attorney J.T. McCANN Flagstaff Police Department Chief RICHARD MIRANDA Tucson Police Department Chief JANET NAPOLITANO Attorney General ROBERT CARTER OLSON Pinal County Attorney RICHARD M. ROMLEY Maricopa County Attorney CHRISTOPHER SKELLY Judge, Retired MICHAEL D. BRANHAM Executive Director Arizona Criminal Justice Commission Fill the Gap 2001 Report Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................2 STATE AID TO COUNTY ATTORNEYS.................................................................5 STATE AID FOR INDIGENT DEFENSE ..............................................................12 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................17 APPENDIX A: STATE AID TO COUNTY ATTORNEY EXPENDITURES BY AGENCY ........................................................................................................................18 APPENDIX B: STATE AID FOR INDIGENT DEFENSE EXPENDITURES BY COUNTY...........................................................................................................19 Arizona Criminal Justice Commission Fill the Gap 2001 Page 1 INTRODUCTION In 1999, Senate Bill 1013 was passed to provide funding for prosecutors, public defenders, courts and the Attorney General to enhance criminal case processing by creating three new funds within the State Aid Fund allocation. The bill established a composite formula for the distribution of monies from each fund to each county based on a three-year average of felony filings in Arizona Superior Court branches. The longterm goal of Fill the Gap is to bring felony case processing in line with the time standards developed by the Arizona Supreme Court. Those standards require that in each county, 90 percent of the felony cases be disposed within 100 days and that 99 percent of the cases be disposed within 180 days. The appropriation for Fill the Gap funds are specifically designated in A.R.S. §41-2421. For fiscal year (FY) 2001 (July 1, 2000 to June 30, 2001), this statute appropriated $648,300 to the State Aid to County Attorney’s Fund and $615,900 to the State Aid to Indigent Defense Fund. In addition, A.R.S. §41-2421 mandates that additional funds for Fill the Gap come from a portion of the five-percent of monies collected by the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals for the payment of filing fees, clerk fees, diversion fees, fines, penalties, surcharges, sanctions and forfeitures. Of this five- percent total, 21.61 percent is allocated to the State Aid to County Attorneys Fund and 20.53 percent is allocated to the State Aid to Indigent Defense Fund. Earned interest is deposited into the funds and is utilized to support projects. The Arizona Criminal Justice Commission (ACJC) is responsible for administering the funds and reporting on county attorney and indigent defense expenditures related to Fill the Gap. This entails documenting, monitoring and reporting progress made on criminal case processing. The Arizona Criminal Justice Commission must distribute the fund to county attorneys and indigent defense by September 1st each year according to the following formula as directed in A.R.S. §41-2409: Arizona Criminal Justice Commission Fill the Gap 2001 Page 2 1. Obtain the three-year average of the total felony filings in the county Superior Court Divisions divided by the statewide three-year average of the total felony filings in the Superior Court. 2. Take the county population as adopted by the Arizona Department of Economic Security and divide it by the statewide population adopted by the Arizona Department of Economic Security. 3. The sum of the two figures computed above will equal the composite index and is used as the multiplier against the total funds appropriated from the state General Fund and other monies distributed to the fund. The Board of Supervisors in each county is then required to separately account for these funds and expend them only for the purpose of providing enhanced state aid to the county attorneys or county public defenders for the processing of criminal cases.1 The Fill the Gap 2001 report satisfies Arizona Revised Statute (A.R.S.) §41-2409.E, which requires ACJC to report on the State Aid to County Attorney Fund and the State Aid to Indigent Defense Fund expenditures. The purpose of this report is to demonstrate the expenditure of the monies in the State Aid to County Attorneys and the State Aid to Indigent Defense Funds for FY01 and to show the progress made in achieving the goal of improved criminal case processing in accordance with A.R.S. §412409. The basis of this report is derived from information submitted to the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission from Arizona’s fifteen county attorney and public defender offices. For FY 01, ACJC found that county attorneys and public defenders have made significant progress toward the goal of improving criminal case processing utilizing Fill the Gap funds. Monies were used to add and maintain staff, purchase equipment, and to purchase and implement case management systems. Eight county attorney offices and seven public defender offices added personnel, which reduced individual workloads and improved the overall efficiency of case processing. Equipment, which was purchased by ten county attorney offices and three public defender offices, improved Arizona Criminal Justice Commission Fill the Gap 2001 Page 3 technological capabilities related to criminal case processing. Four county attorney offices purchased case management systems, which enhanced the processing and accuracy of data collection and management. Three public defender offices utilized funds to hire consultants to evaluate existing case management practices in an effort to further improve case processing methods. 1 Arizona Revised Statute §11-539. Arizona Criminal Justice Commission Fill the Gap 2001 Page 4 STATE AID TO COUNTY ATTORNEYS In its second year of existence, the State Aid to County Attorneys Fund generated a total of $1,228,575, of which $648,300 represents the Arizona General Fund appropriation and the remaining $580,275 is from fines, fees, surcharges, sanctions and forfeitures collected by the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. The allocations by county for FY01 were as follows: Table One: Fund Allocations by County County Attorney Apache County Cochise County Coconino County Gila County Graham County Greenlee County La Paz County Maricopa County Mohave County Navajo County Pima County Pinal County Santa Cruz County Yavapai County Yuma County TOTAL FY01 Appropriation $6,353 $13,874 $17,504 $11,345 $4,797 $1,491 $3,955 $380,358 $24,311 $13,550 $96,921 $23,533 $4,992 $22,042 $23,274 $648,300 FY01 Fine Revenue $5,547 $11,246 $13,074 $9,313 $4,486 $946 $3,273 $356,045 $19,224 $11,588 $83,119 $19,723 $3,749 $19,723 $19,219 $580,275 FY01 Total Revenue $11,900 $25,120 $30,578 $20,658 $9,283 $2,437 $7,228 $736,403 $43,535 $25,138 $180,040 $43,256 $8,741 $41,765 $42,493 $1,228,575 As part of their annual reporting to the ACJC, county attorneys are required to submit a narrative report assessing the impact that Fill the Gap funding has had on their offices. In general, Fill the Gap funds were used in three main areas: the addition of staff, the purchase of equipment and the implementation of case management systems. As Chart One on the following page demonstrates, more than half of the county attorney offices used Fill the Gap funds to add and maintain staff and to purchase equipment. Arizona Criminal Justice Commission Fill the Gap 2001 Page 5 Chart One: Number of County Attorneys Using Fill the Gap Funds for Staff, Equipment and Case Management Systems 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 10 8 Number of County Attorneys 4 Eq Ca uip se Ma me na nt ge me nt Sy ste ms Sta ff Eight of Arizona’s fifteen counties used Fill the Gap funds to acquire additional staff. In all, four counties hired four additional attorneys and six support staff (administrative and legal assistants). One county attorney’s office used Fill the Gap funds to contract with an attorney on a part-time basis. The largest category of Fill the Gap expenditures for county attorneys was for the purchase of new equipment. The following section provides a list of all equipment purchased during FY01. Arizona Criminal Justice Commission Fill the Gap 2001 Page 6 Equipment purchases included: • computer monitor (3) • envelope feeders (2) • printers (3) • upgrade Charge Text software (Damion) • tape controller • computer upgrades • tape drive • wiring • rack mount • equipment replacement • fiber switches • laptop repair • hard drive • • furniture computer back-up system • memory upgrade • Dazzle Video Creator • scanner (1) • SCSI cards (2) • computers (7) • file shelves • server Other Fill the Gap expenditures not related to the addition of staff or the purchase of equipment included fees associated with implementing and maintaining new case management systems, liability insurance and increased pay for criminal attorneys and legal secretaries. Each county attorney office was also asked to provide a description of how Fill the Gap funds helped to improve criminal case processing in 2001. According to each office, Fill the Gap funds for FY01 were utilized as follows: • The Apache County Attorney’s Office used monies to purchase a computer monitor as well as Crystal Reports and Microsoft Office software. The computer monitor is being used by an attorney who previously was unable to access his computer, thus impeding case processing efforts. The software was purchased for use in conjunction with the Prosecutor Dialog Data Base which accesses and disseminates needed information in the prosecution of misdemeanor and felony crimes. • The Cochise County Attorney’s Office used Fill the Gap funds in conjunction with funds from a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) grant, Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) funds and County General funds to maintain staff (two attorneys and a clerk) in the Misdemeanor Prosecution Unit created in FY00. The personnel dedicated to the Misdemeanor Prosecution Unit allow felony prosecutors to concentrate exclusively on felony cases and increases the efficiency of both the felony and misdemeanor caseload. Arizona Criminal Justice Commission Fill the Gap 2001 Page 7 • The Coconino County Attorney’s Office used Fill the Gap funds to support and improve existing office functions by updating attorney and support staff resources and office computer systems through hardware repair, replacement, and upgrades. The office also implemented the DAMION: District Attorney Management Integrated Office Network case management system and purchased software upgrades and equipment for the new trial support unit. In addition, the Coconino County Attorney’s Office redefined and upgraded a paralegal position to a deputy county attorney, funded temporary clerical support, and contracted part-time attorney services for the new Coconino County Drug Court program. • The Gila County Attorney’s Office used Fill the Gap monies to begin working on the development of its own case management system and to purchase equipment necessary for the implementation of this project. The Gila County Attorney’s Office expended all Fill the Gap funds on computer equipment to expedite case processing time. • The Graham County Attorney’s Office upgraded their case management system for more efficiency, and also used funds to purchase two Pentium III computers. This purchase improved both case processing and access to the case management system. • The Greenlee County Attorney’s Office utilized funds for new computer equipment. The computers used by the Greenlee County Attorney’s Office were six to seven years old and staff was experiencing frequent processing and memory problems, especially with new software programs. The new computer equipment has allowed the office to update their operating system and office suite program as well as add some additional trial presentation software so that staff can assist the attorneys as they prepare for trials. The new equipment is used extensively for the purpose of calendaring and case tracking which contributes to the enhancement of criminal case processing. • The La Paz County Attorney’s Office used monies to enhance and maintain two full-time prosecutors and two full-time legal secretary positions to continue the timely processing of criminal cases. • The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office used funds to hire prosecution staff to handle the increased workload resulting from the addition of a new Superior Court Division created in 1999. In addition, the Maricopa County Early Disposition Court at the Southeast Facility in Mesa has improved criminal case processing by reducing early case processing days; for all cases, a minimum of 9 case processing days are eliminated, and for those offenders who are sentenced, approximately 45 days are “saved”. Also, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office added support staff in the pre-trial bureaus using Fill the Gap monies to ensure timely filings. Arizona Criminal Justice Commission Fill the Gap 2001 Page 8 • The Mohave County Attorney’s Office used monies to purchase a computer with increased memory and speed, thus improving case processing time. They also purchased Dazzle Video Creator and SCSI card which is a hardware and software system that allows a video tape to be downloaded onto the computer hard drive. The images from the tape can then be captured and printed frame by frame and edited or enhanced as well as viewed on the computer without a TV/VCR. • The Navajo County Attorney’s Office purchased computer equipment and wiring to further advance criminal case processing efforts. The computer equipment and wiring made it possible for the data entry clerk to input criminal reports received by the office. More timely input of data into the case management system allows the office to effectively monitor when reports are received, cases are charged, the first plea offers are made and when cases are concluded. • The Pima County Attorney’s Office purchased two computers, two monitors, two printers, and two envelope feeders. Funds were also used to hire three full-time legal assistants who designed and implemented new case flow procedures to improve processing efficiency in both the felony and misdemeanor divisions. The additional staff allows prosecutors to more quickly identify cases appropriate for trial disposition. Also, the additional staff and accompanying new procedures have allowed prosecutors to identify those defendants who may be eligible for diversion programs or plea agreements more quickly and efficiently. • The Pinal County Attorney’s Office implemented the DAMION case management system, which allows the agency to track compliance with Victim Notification requirements. The Pinal County Attorney’s Office also purchased one Dell Poweredge 6350 File Server, one Dell Powervault 650F Hard Drive Assembly, 2 Dell Powervault 51F Fiber Switches, one Dell Powervault 35F Tape Controller, one Dell Powervault Tape Drive, and one Dell Poweredge Rack Mount for the newly purchased equipment. The purchase of the additional computer equipment will be used in conjunction with the DAMION case management system. • The Santa Cruz County Attorney’s Office used Fill the Gap funds to create a clerk position so that legal secretaries and attorneys could spend more time on legal matters and less time on daily office operations. • The Yavapai County Attorney’s Office used monies to fund the salary of one fulltime prosecutor, thereby reducing all prosecutors’ caseloads and improving the efficiency and quality of case processing. Arizona Criminal Justice Commission Fill the Gap 2001 Page 9 Looking to the future, the county attorneys outlined their plans to continue improving criminal case processing. It should be noted that their plans are contingent upon the availability of appropriated funding. • The Apache County Attorney’s Office would like to purchase a complete system for in-court presentations, including a portable projector, screen, notebook computers, digital camera, scanner, software, and color printer. • The Cochise County Attorney’s Office stated that they will continue to use Fill the Gap funds to pay for additional equipment costs. The office added that if they could be assured of continued funding, Fill the Gap funds would be used to support new clerical or secretarial positions. • The Coconino County Attorney’s Office plans to use future Fill the Gap funds to continue funding their current attorney and support staff positions and the law clerk/intern program. Any additional funds would be used to support costs related to maintaining and improving the office’s computer system and to further the office’s role in the county-wide criminal justice integration project. Contingent upon future funding, the office would also like to add at least one full-time deputy county attorney and one full-time legal secretary position. • The Gila County Attorney’s Office reported that most funds will be utilized to upgrade old equipment which is not compatible with the forthcoming case management system. Future funds may also be needed to cover the costs related to upgrading the case management system. • The Graham County Attorney’s Office intends to purchase printers to replace current inoperable equipment. The office also intends to purchase drug test kits. • The Greenlee County Attorney’s Office has experienced an increased caseload and will continue re-organizational efforts to better access and process criminal cases. • The La Paz County Attorney’s Office will continue to dedicate the necessary hours to process criminal cases by retaining necessary staff with Fill the Gap funding. • The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office will use future Fill the Gap Funds to explore a collaboration between the Superior Court, Indigent Representation, Clerk of the Court, Sheriff’s Office, Adult Probation, and other agencies to develop initiatives to reduce the time to disposition. Arizona Criminal Justice Commission Fill the Gap 2001 Page 10 • The Mohave County Attorney’s Office plans to purchase an electronic CCD/projector, a digital camera to project the image to a screen, and a printer to enable the office to print photographs. The office also plans to purchase a case management system. • The Navajo County Attorney’s Office plans to continue to evaluate prosecution efforts and allocate appropriate resources where necessary to address issues that impair prosecution efforts. • The Pima County Attorney’s Office hopes to expand the use of their diversion programs and implement procedures for felony cases in which the defendant refuses to negotiate. This would allow the office to process cases in a more timely manner. The office also indicated that using Fill the Gap funds for a legal assistant position would further contribute to the efficient processing of court cases. • The Pinal County Attorney’s Office plans to initiate a Criminal Justice Users Group between law enforcement, the courts, probation, and their office to develop a strategy for future systems integration. In addition, the office will update their DAMION software to 4.1 which will have enhanced features such as the ability to e-mail victims when appropriate and track actual file folders by bar codes. • The Santa Cruz County Attorney’s Office will continue to fund the full-time clerk position that was created with previous Fill the Gap funds. The addition of this position has increased the overall efficiency of the office and improved case processing efforts. • The Yavapai County Attorney will continue to fund one full-time prosecutor to expedite criminal processing efforts. Additionally, the office may look to partially fund another position if monies are available. • The Yuma County Attorney’s Office will fund a full time investigator. This position will be responsible for serving subpoenas, tracking evidence and witnesses for hearings, and conducting any follow-up needed for trials. Finally, county attorneys were asked for suggestions to improve the Fill the Gap program. Many county attorney offices stated that increased funding is needed to add and maintain necessary staff, which would further improve case processing time. They also indicated that an assurance of continued funding is necessary in order to make additional staffing decisions. Arizona Criminal Justice Commission Fill the Gap 2001 Page 11 STATE AID FOR INDIGENT DEFENSE The State Aid for Indigent Defense fund generated a total of $1,166,995 in its second year of implementation, of which $615,900 was appropriated through the State General Fund and $551,055 was received through Supreme Court and Court of Appeals fines. The allocations by county for FY01 were as follows: Table Two: Fund Allocations by County County Agency Apache Superior Court Cochise Superior Court Coconino Superior Court Gila Superior Court Graham Superior Court Greenlee Superior Court La Paz Superior Court Maricopa Public Defender Mohave Superior Court Navajo Superior Court Pima Public Defender Pinal Indigent Defense Santa Cruz Superior Court Yavapai Public Defender Yuma Public Defender TOTAL FY01 FY01 Appropriation Fine Revenue $6,036 $5,268 $13,180 $10,680 $16,629 $12,415 $10,778 $8,844 $4,558 $4,260 $1,417 $898 $3,757 $3,108 $361,349 $338,116 $23,096 $18,257 $12,872 $11,005 $92,077 $78,933 $22,357 $18,730 $4,742 $3,560 $20,941 $18,730 $22,111 $18,251 $615,900 $551,055 FY01 Total Revenue $11,304 $23,860 $29,044 $19,622 $8,818 $2,315 $6,865 $699,465 $41,353 $23,877 $171,010 $41,087 $8,302 $39,761 $40,362 $1,166,995 As part of their annual reporting to the ACJC, county agencies receiving Aid to Indigent Defense Funds are required to submit a narrative report assessing the impact that Fill the Gap funding has had on their offices. Like the State Aid to County Attorneys Fund, Fill the Gap funds for indigent defense were used in three main areas: the addition of staff, the purchase of equipment and contracts for services. Chart Two provides an illustration of how the public defenders/superior courts used Fill the Gap funds. Of the Fill the Gap funds used by public defenders/superior courts, expenditures related to staffing was cited more often than any other category. More specifically, the staffing category included expenditures for temporary attorney services, and the consultant category included contracting consultants for the purpose of software implementation Arizona Criminal Justice Commission Fill the Gap 2001 Page 12 and process evaluation. Equipment purchases included computers, printers, a CD-Rom tower, a fax machine, a digital camera and legal research materials. Chart Two: Number of Public Defenders using Fill the Gap Funds for Staff, Equipment, Contracts for Services and Other Expenses 7 7 6 5 4 Number of Public Defenders 3 2 3 3 1 1 0 Eq uip me nt Co ns ult an ts Le Sta ga ff lR ese arc hM ate ria ls FY01 Aid to Indigent Defense Fill the Gap funds were used for the following: • The Apache County Superior Court used Fill the Gap funds to help pay the salaries of contracted public defenders. • The Cochise County Public Defender applied Fill the Gap funds towards consultant fees to assist with the implementation of the Time Matters, Inc. Case Management System. • The Coconino County Superior Court implemented a drug court in January 2001, and Fill the Gap funds enabled the office to pay the salaries for the addition of one drug court administrator, one administrative services specialist and half the salary of one full-time drug court judge. • The Gila County Superior Court utilized consultants for the purpose of evaluating and developing a plan to improve criminal case processing. Funds are being deposited until the evaluation is complete and the most effective usage of the money has been determined. Arizona Criminal Justice Commission Fill the Gap 2001 Page 13 • The Graham County Superior Court utilized monies for contract defense attorneys. • The Greenlee County Superior court used funds to pay for contract defense attorneys. • The La Paz County Superior Court experienced a transition period during FY01 after the public defender was appointed to the Superior Court Bench. There was nearly a four-month period in which there was no public defender, and during that period an evaluation process was ongoing as to the direction of the Public Defender's Office--including the decision to hire the new public defender. That decision was based, in part, because of an urgent need to modernize the office (re: computerize). Therefore, monies allocated for FY01 will be directed towards long term strategies implemented in FY02. • The Maricopa County Public Defender’s Office was able to provide much needed staffing to assist in handling a 9.11 % increase in adult felony case assignments. Fill the Gap monies funded twelve attorneys, two secretaries, and one legal assistant. Without the additional staff, the public defender’s office would have been ethically obligated to withdraw from cases due to workload issues, thereby causing delays in case processing. • The Mohave County Public Defender’s Office purchased a color printer and a digital camera to assist in courtroom presentations. The office also used funds to purchase internal law library resources, including legal research materials and electronic research capabilities, for access to information that is not available locally. Monies were also utilized to pay a first year law student who served as an intern, and provided research and trial assistance. • The Navajo County Superior Court used funds to purchase three computers and a fax machine, which improved overall office efficiency. • The Pima County Public Defender contracted with an outside consultant to conduct an operational audit of its justice and law enforcement departments, including indigent defense. The audit was not completed until April 2001, and the audit recommendations will not be implemented until FY02. • The Pinal Public Defender’s Office utilized monies to purchase a CD-Rom tower with 7 drives and 4 printers to facilitate more efficient case processing efforts. • The Santa Cruz County Superior Court used a portion of the funds to increase the hourly rate for attorney fees. Remaining funds were not utilized due to a capital case being settled by a plea agreement. Arizona Criminal Justice Commission Fill the Gap 2001 Page 14 • The Yavapai County Public Defender’s Office used funds to pay for eight contract attorneys to assist with felony cases. • The Yuma County Public Defender’s Office utilized Fill the Gap funds for the funding of cases assigned to a contract attorney. A conflict administrator assigns cases as appropriate to contract attorneys to assure for efficient processing of the case. Some Arizona public defenders opted to retain Fill the Gap funds for planning/implementation efforts in the next budget cycle. Many county agencies decided to retain and build these funds into their next budget where they will be utilized in accordance with the legislation. It should be noted that future plans are contingent upon legislatively appropriated funding for FY02 2002. • The Apache County Superior Court will continue to use the funds to pay the salaries of the contract public defenders. • The Cochise County Public Defender will continue with the development of an indigent defense coordinator office; assure for more fiscal accountability of their system; purchase additional software; add more technological case management tools; and provide additional training for attorneys and office staff. • The Coconino County Superior Court will continue to apply funds towards the implementation of the drug court system. • The Gila County Superior Court will implement the plan that was developed as the result of a criminal case re-engineering workshop held June 30, 2001. • The Graham County Superior Court will continue to use funds to support increased demands for indigent defense costs. • The Greenlee County Superior Court will continue to use the funds for indigent defense and visiting judges on conflict cases. • The La Paz County Superior Court plans to utilize Fill the Gap funds to hire another attorney, purchase software, and to streamline the preliminary hearing process. • The Maricopa County Public Defender will continue to support and staff expansions related to the Regional Court Center (RCC) and the Early Disposition Court (EDC). In addition, the Maricopa County Public Defender will support any additional programs designed to enhance case processing. Arizona Criminal Justice Commission Fill the Gap 2001 Page 15 • The Mohave County Superior Court intends to utilize funds to enhance technological capabilities by updating their case management system; to hire Federal Work-Study interns from local higher education institutions; and to develop a digital imaging storage system for closed files. • The Navajo County Superior Court plans to improve case processing by purchasing workstations and office equipment including audio tapes, a dubbing machine for video tapes, a digital camera and computer programs. • The Pima County Public Defender plans to contract with an outside consultant to conduct a case-weighing study to assess agency workload among the Office of the Public Defender, Office of the Legal Defender, and Contract Counsel; and establish a method for determining appropriate attorney levels and projecting attorney staff needs based on workload. • The Pinal Public Defender plans to continue to use Fill the Gap monies to contract attorney services. • The Santa Cruz Public Defender intends to use funds for expenses related to an upcoming capital murder case. • The Yavapai County Public Defender will attempt to reduce costs by streamlining case processing time via early intervention and judicial monitoring. • The Yuma County Public Defender’s Office plans to use future Fill the Gap funds to continue funding for contract attorney expenditures. Additionally, some monies will be directed for the training of newly hired staff to assure for the appropriate processing of cases through the court process. When asked for suggestions to improve the Fill the Gap program, some agencies mentioned that it would be helpful if the funding allocation formula considered the individual needs of rural Arizona. Other agencies stressed that Fill the Gap funds have helped them respond to increased criminal justice system demands, and that the Arizona Legislature should not reduce indigent defense funding. In addition, agencies mentioned that the legislature needs to recognize that available grant funding is much higher for prosecutors than for public defenders, and that this causes a significant gap in the public defenders’/superior courts’ ability to update technology and add resources. Arizona Criminal Justice Commission Fill the Gap 2001 Page 16 CONCLUSION The primary objective of Fill the Gap is to ensure that criminal cases are being processed both efficiently and effectively in accordance with state standards. During its second year, Arizona county attorneys and public defenders utilized Fill the Gap funds to improve criminal case processing in Arizona as required by law in Section 16 of A.R.S. §41-2421. Overall, monies were used primarily for the addition or maintenance of staff; for consultants and contractors; and for equipment and case management systems. Approximately 70 percent of all monies provided through Fill the Gap funds were utilized for personnel. Fill the Gap funds enabled County Attorneys and Public Defenders to make significant progress toward the goal of improving criminal case processing. Fill the Gap funds were utilized as follows: • Eight county attorney offices and seven public defender offices added personnel, which reduced individual workload and improved overall efficiency. • Ten county attorney offices and three public defender offices purchased equipment, which improved technological capabilities related to case processing. • Four county attorney offices purchased case management systems, and that aided in the processing and accuracy of data collection and management. • Three public defender offices utilized funds to pay for consultants to evaluate existing case management practices. One public defender‘s office purchased legal research materials with Fill the Gap funds, which enabled the office to access legal resources necessary for adequate defense. Arizona Criminal Justice Commission Fill the Gap 2001 Page 17 Appendix A: State Aid to County Attorney Expenditures by Agency Professional/ Outside Services Travel Other Operating Expenses Equipment Total Expenses $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $798.60 $12,503.38 $315.00 $0.00 $0.00 $1,946.95 $0.00 $0.00 $387.00 $1,239.88 $82.90 $21,618.94 $0.00 $0.00 $60.60 $193.40 $0.00 $0.00 $16,423.53 $2,758.04 $560.17 $0.00 $0.00 $2,220.00 $17,692.43 $3,801.38 $47,882.65 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $992.00 $25,006.76 $18,495.00 $16,423.53 $4,858.04 $2,507.12 $7,228.00 $575,865.76 $2,607.00 $18,932.31 $40,356.69 $69,501.59 $7,713.98 $43,634.29 $5,670.50 EmployeeRelated Expenses Personnel $0.00 $0.00 $1,184.03 $0.00 $2,156.00 $3,760.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $2,100.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $91,803.31 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $4,500.34 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $558.54 $0.00 $6,648.35 $0.00 $525.04 $0.00 County Attorney Apache Cochise Coconino Gila Graham Greenlee La Paz Maricopa Mohave Navajo Pima Pinal Santa Cruz Yavapai Yuma $0.00 $11,319.35 $12,264.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $7,228.00 $484,062.45 $0.00 $0.00 $31,972.07 $0.00 $7,155.44 $36,985.94 $5,084.86 TOTAL $596,072.11 $107,375.61 $5,860.00 $0.00 $38,953.25 $91,531.60 $839,792.57 Distribution of "Fill the Gap" Funds County Attorneys Personnel 70% Equipment 11% Operating Expenses 5% Personnel Outside Services 1% ERE ERE 13% Outside Services Operating Expenses Equipment Arizona Criminal Justice Commission Fill the Gap 2001 Page 18 Appendix B: State Aid for Indigent Defense Expenditures by County Personnel EmployeeRelated Expenses Professional/ Outside Services Travel Other Operating Expenses Equipment Total Expenses Apache Co. Sup. Ct. Cochise Co. Pub. Def. Coconino Co. Sup. Ct. Gila Co. Sup. Ct. Graham Co. Sup. Ct. Greenlee Co. Sup. Ct. La Paz Co. Sup. Ct. Maricopa Co. Pub. Def. Mohave Co. Sup. Ct. Navajo Co. Sup. Ct. Pima Co. Pub. Def. Pinal Co. Ind. Def. Santa Cruz Co. Sup. Ct. Yavapai Co. Pub. Def. Yuma Co. Pub. Def. $0.00 $5,407.37 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $505,724.11 $960.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $92,549.94 $925.94 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $6,294.97 $11,208.75 $0.00 $0.00 $8,860.11 $5,142.87 $0.00 $2,533.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $49,152.46 $0.00 $0.00 $2,105.36 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $3,369.44 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $3,805.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $13,267.00 $1,004.41 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $6,259.77 $7,848.64 $0.00 $5,462.35 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $6,294.97 $22,526.48 $0.00 $0.00 $8,860.11 $5,142.87 $0.00 $614,074.05 $12,519.56 $7,848.64 $0.00 $5,462.35 $0.00 $49,152.46 $0.00 TOTAL $512,091.48 $93,475.88 $83,192.16 $5,474.80 $18,076.41 $19,570.76 $731,881.49 County Agency Distribution of "Fill the Gap" Funds Public Defenders Personnel 71% Equipment 3% Operating Expenses 2% Personnel ERE Outside Services 11% Outside Services ERE 13% Operating Expenses Equipment Arizona Criminal Justice Commission Fill the Gap 2001 Page 19