Re-entry center concept draws fans and frowns

COEUR d'ALENE — Four of the five candidates for Kootenai County sheriff say they oppose a 130-bed community re-entry center in North Idaho planned by the Idaho Department of Correction.

John Grimm, Kim Edmondson, Rick Whitehead and Robert Norris, all Republicans vying to replace Sheriff Ben Wolfinger next year, are against the proposal.

Mike Bauer, who will run as an unaffiliated candidate, supports the effort.

Wolfinger, who decided to not seek re-election, is also in favor as long as the inmates are from the five northern counties.

Edmondson said the reintegration services that such centers provide — helping offenders transition back into society — are valuable, but she thinks the center would gain more support if it were built closer to Correction facilities in southern Idaho.

"If they are looking for a location that is north, they could look to Orofino or Cottonwood," she said. "Both areas support IDOC prisons and fall within the area (Districts 1 and 2) that the funds were allocated to be used in. A location in District 2 would be more centrally located to all of the other districts that are without community re-entry programs."

Edmondson said a recent Correction report indicates the agency is grappling with how to lower recidivism.

"It sounds like IDOC is still trying to figure out what to do, and I don't want Kootenai County to be their laboratory," she said.

Bauer said he'd look forward to working with Correction any way he could to ensure the re-entry center’s success.

"My past experience as a county parole board member was illuminating," he said. "It demonstrated that inmates who have no-jail sentences and who were asking for early release by encumbering themselves with new conditions such as search-and-seizure waivers and restitution orders were almost always successful because they had work waiting and family support and did not fear the new required conditions that came with an early release. They were, however, closely supervised by probation staff and there were occasional failures."

Grimm said he understands the need to support prisoners transitioning back into the community, but he's skeptical about who may be staying at the center, which seems unclear.

"My primary concern is the IDOC is being deliberately vague abut the class of inmates they intend to house here," he said.

Bree Derrick, Correction's chief of staff, said the North Idaho center could be a unique opportunity for a dual purpose. It not only would serve those re-entering society after prison, but also possibly those already out on supervision.

"We want to see probation officers intervening earlier," she said. "We don't want to wait for offenders to commit a new crime. Other states have this model, but it's not something we've had in Idaho."

Derrick said the model is at the conceptual level.

Once a site is chosen, she said, Correction hopes to engage the community for input and support. Being close to services and work opportunities is important, though the center doesn't necessarily have to be in Kootenai County, she said.

"We'd love to meet with the community to see what they believe are the most important aspects of reintegration," she said.

The Legislature appropriated $12.2 million for the center during its most recent session.

Correction officials said a request for proposals for site possibilities was recently submitted for properties in Kootenai County, though no response was received. Now, Correction is seeking a local real estate agent for further assistance on a 2.5- to 4-acre site. Construction or opening dates can’t be determined until a site is chosen.

During a meeting organized by opponents at The Coeur d'Alene Resort on Wednesday night attended by about 60 people, several who attended said they had safety concerns about the proposed center based on Correction’s 15-employee estimate. Opponents have started a petition drive against its plans.

"They're calling it a community re-entry center, which sounds nice and fuzzy, but it's not," said Duane Rasmussen, who spearheaded opposition of a Correction work-release center in North Idaho in 2001. "I call it a prison release center."

Correction spokesman Jeff Ray said there were six walkaways from the state's four re-entry centers in 2018 and none this year. He said the inmates are supervised 24/7 and must follow rules, including curfew.

Whitehead said he has concerns that the center could have inmates from both the First and Second judicial districts.

"This means we would be receiving inmates from the Canadian border to as far south as Idaho County," he said. "If we must have a facility, it should only serve the citizens being returned who resided in this county."

Norris said enough release issues already exist here without adding another layer.

He said the current release policy at the local jail needs to be addressed. He noted that if a Spokane resident serves time here, he or she is released at the jail without transportation back to Spokane.

"This creates a scenario for a crime of opportunity to occur," he said.

The police chiefs for Kootenai County's largest cities, Lee White in Coeur d'Alene and Pat Knight in Post Falls, said they have not taken a position on the proposal because details are still forthcoming.

"Our agency has not been contacted by IDOC and therefore we do not have enough information about the proposal, its scope, type of inmate that will be housed or restrictions on the center’s proposed use to make an informed comment," White said. "However, I will say that I do not support importing inmates or offenders from other areas to be released into our community in North Idaho."

Ray said Correction had challenges obtaining permits for its center in 2001 and opted to allocate the funding to expand two other housing projects instead.

Matt Roetter, a Hayden City Council member who joined Rasmussen in opposing Correction's plans in 2001, said he plans to propose a resolution that the city will not support a permit for a center. Other boards may be approached with similar proposals, he said.

Correction Director Josh Tewalt said more than 2,000 felony probationers and parolees live in the five northern counties.

"We know this population is the most likely to commit new crimes and be sent to prison," he said. "We want to create a new level of accountability for these people.

"The proposed center would do that by providing people releasing to North Idaho a more structured re-entry process as well as providing additional accountability, treatment and support services for probationers and parolees who are at highest risk of committing crimes."

While employed, community-release inmates pay child support, restitution, court fees and cost of supervision as well as a 35% surcharge that subsidizes the cost of their time at the center, Ray said. They also provide community service to their local communities. The residents are provided transportation by Correction to their work sites.

Jack Hern, owner of Hern Iron Works in Coeur d'Alene, has personal experience with those on work release that should be considered going forward.

"Some of my best employees are on work release, but when time runs out, they fall back and quit showing up for work," he said. "I like the idea (of transitioning inmates back into society), but — "

One man at Wednesday's meeting said opposition to the center has a “Not In My Backyard” feel and is short on offering solutions to the state's crowded justice system.

Rasmussen said he agrees that additional mentoring should be explored, but he has concerns about Kootenai County taking on such a large population when Corretion's plans are conceptual.

The state's fifth community release center is slated to open in Twin Falls in fall 2020. Boise has two centers; Nampa and Idaho Falls have one each.

The state's four centers have 483 total beds. Correction had 1,530 inmates eligible for community release as of July 15.