Pro: The program works

These are already our people. Our family, our friends, or maybe the kid who grew up down the street and played with our kids but then went through some tough and dark times after passing the legal age for adulthood. Often their behavior is associated with the explosion of substance abuse and related activities that bring some into the whole range of experience in the criminal justice system.

Who among us doesn’t believe that often, a person going through some of those tough times and times of poor decision making would have a better chance of correcting their mistakes in closer proximity to family and other support systems and their home communities?

During my 15-year tenure as Clerk of the Court for Kootenai County, there was a period of time when three of the nine elected county officials might run into each other in the waiting room of the jail, waiting to visit an adult child who was there for various offenses, but all being rooted in substance abuse-related issues. This is not to point out how many kids of politicians are in jail/prison but to point out how common it is these days in our society in general. No one or no family is immune from the risk. In fact, 35 percent of our Idaho prison population and 42% of those on probation and parole are for drug charges. So, what do we do?

One of the potential successful tools that has been developed by the Idaho Department of Correction is Community Re-entry Centers (CRC’s) that so far are all located in southern and eastern Idaho. Last year the Idaho Legislature appropriated $12.2 million to build a 120+ bed community re-entry center somewhere in the five northern counties. Contrary to some inaccurate criticism, the IDOC is not “hiding” where the new center will be located within the five northern counties, but that decision has not been made and it will take time and study to determine the best location.

To gain entry into a CRC program, the inmates are screened to take out high-risk offenders but do focus on those who are most motivated to gain the work and other skills needed to have a successful transition back home. In terms of community safety, it also makes more sense for them to be in one location with supervision and accountability vs. scattered all over the community without the same support combined with strict boundaries for their behavior.

I’ve also noticed some statements claiming that the recidivism rates are up in the 80-90% range. Looking at Idaho, for the most recent three years of data available, the overall recidivism rate for all prisoners is just over 32% while the rate of those who have gone through a CRC drops down to 26.5%. While 32% is not a great number, it does mean that two out of every three inmates did not reoffend in that time period and almost three out of four who had gone through a CRC stayed out of the system.

Secure prison beds are very expensive to build and run. The daily costs per day average $73 and go as high as about $84 for the most secure setting. However, the average daily cost for CRC beds is $56.75. But that is not the end of that story.

Because they are meant to help low risk but highly motivated offenders transition back into their communities, the programs are very deliberate about making the time at a CRC as much like “real life” as possible. Those in CRC programs must have a job and in turn they contribute 35% of their salary to help cover the cost of care. There are also no “free rides.” When they are taken in a van for work, treatment appointments, or other authorized activities, they are charged a $4 fee each time. They end up paying almost 40% of their incarceration costs.

From experience working in the justice system, I know what an issue child support can be in many cases, especially when it’s not being paid. One of the other very positive outcomes of the CRCs is that in 2018, almost $280,000 was paid by CRC residents in child support payments and an additional $142,000 to victims of crimes.

There are currently over 2,000 of our residents on probation or parole in our five northern counties. Over 95 percent of those being supervised by IDOC already called northern Idaho home prior to sentencing. I am just asking that we not jump to conclusions without the facts and then hopefully keep an open mind and an open heart as well. These are our people.

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Dan English is a current Coeur d’Alene City Council member. He has a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration-Corrections and a master’s in counseling psychology and is a former sworn officer for the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office.