The Billings Adult Misdemeanor Treatment Courts consist of three specific courts that are grant funded. City Council approved the four grants that fund the courts at its November 13, 2012 meeting. Program evaluations must be conducted by a third party evaluation service on either a semi-annual or quarterly basis for each grant. National Public Consortium Research (NPCR) has been selected to provide these services for all of the Billings Adult Misdemeanor Treatment Courts (BAMTC).  NPCR is a third party evaluation service which provides social services evaluation, policy analysis, research, and training to treatment courts across the United States. NPCR strives to involve key stakeholders in the development, implementation, and interpretation of the research to ensure that information produced is timely, relevant, and useful to the treatment court needing evaluation.

Previous evaluation services utilized by BAMTC were compared and NPCR was found to be dramatically less expensive. Additionally, NPCR is supported by the SAMHSA and Bureau of Justice Administration agencies and is nationally recognized for the services they provide as acceptable to the federal agencies that awarded funding to Municipal Court.

Council may:

• Approve the contract for NPCR provide evaluation services;
• Do not approve the contract for NPCR to provide evaluation services and provide guidance to staff on the Council's preferred program evaluation method.

The NPCR contract has a maximum price of $94,633 over the 2-3 year time span of the grants. The cost is included in the grants.

Staff recommends Council approve the contract with National Public Consortium Research for evaluation services for the Billings Adult Municipal Treatment Courts.