Along with numerous other criminal justice associations, APAI is an Ex -Officio Member of the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision (ICAOS). The Commission held its Annual Business Meeting October 12 -12 in San Antonio, Texas. I was invited to attend to represent APAI.
The Commission contains a representative, with voting authority, from each US state and a couple of US territories. This group, along with many other duties, establishes the rules to effectively and efficiently achieve the purposes of the Interstate Compact for the Supervision of Adult Offenders. The role of the Ex-Officio is to serve in an advisory capacity to the Commission.
The meeting started off with a 1/2 day Commissioner's Training where all the participants, my self included, were given information about the legal foundations for the Commission, the role of the National Office, the role of the Commissioners and the role of the Executive Committee. Those in attendance were given a review of the rule proposals that were going to be on the agenda the following day and were given the opportunity to give feedback prior to the official voting session scheduled for the next day.
In the afternoon of the first day the Commissioners gathered for their respective regional meetings where they discuss issues on the horizon and mapped strategy for the upcoming year. They also recruited nominees for the Executive Committee. Later that afternoon a period of time was set aside for public comment on the proposed rule changes that would be voted on the next day.
On Wednesday the meeting convened with reports from the various committees. I was impressed with the hard work of all the committees, but particularly the work done in the area of training, compliance and information technology It was impressive to see the data that is now available on the interstate transfer and supervision functions and the hard work that goes into obtaining voluntary compliance with the rules of the compact through training, much of which is done by the Commissioners themselves.
The majority of the day was dedicated to a comprehensive and thoughtful discussion of the various rule change proposals that had made their way through the respective committees. You may view the proposed changes at www.interstatecompact.org under the "Proposed Amendments" tab. Ultimately, after the debate, several rule amendments were passed and one was defeated. The Commission passed proposals to slightly modify the requirements for the contents of a transfer request and to spell out the scope of investigation that must be done before an offender is declared an absconder. The Commission also passed rules that require that the mandatory re-taking of violent offenders and offenders who commit new felony offenses be accomplished through the issuance of a warrant, not merely ordering them to return to the sending state. The Commission however defeated a proposal (2010-EXEC-5.103) to impose the same requirement on the mandatory retaking of an offender who is being returned because they committed "three or more significant violations" All changes are set to be effective March 1, 2011. For a complete report of the proceeding including the language of the proposals passed and rejected, visit the Commission website.
On a side note, the meeting was held on the beautiful San Antonio Riverwalk. Incidentally this is the site for the 2011 APAI Annual Training Conference. I was in awe of the natural beauty of this area and the many attractions available, including shopping, restaurants and historical sites. I would urge each of your to mark your calenders for May 15 -18, 2011 and plans to attend the training and perhaps spend a few extra days visiting San Antonio.
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