By Wendy Culverwell
Tri-City Herald (Kennewick, Wash.)
Benton County is using a little money from its public safety sales tax, and a lot of volunteer hours, to give inmates what it hopes will be a one-way ticket out of custody.
The jail launched what it calls a “redirection program” two weeks ago. The school-like approach offers inmates a chance to take courses to help them build crime-free lives on the outside.
Conceived two years ago by then-Undersheriff Jerry Hatcher, the program is available to inmates with good behavior records. It began with about 20 inmates but can handle up to 64, the capacity of each of the jail’s living pods.
By helping inmates learn to deal with the issues that led them to jail in he first place, Hatcher -- now the county’s appointed sheriff -- wants them to will get out and become clean, sober and productive members of the community.
Hatcher is running against Sgt. Ken Lattin of the Kennewick Police Department in the Nov. 7 election to serve out the remaining year of his predecessor’s term, which expires in 2018.
The jail school is paid for by Benton County’s voter-approved public safety sales tax, the 2014 voter initiative that raised the local sales tax by 0.3 percent or three cents on a $10 purchase to support law enforcement, courts and crime prevention initiatives in the county and its five cities.
In the first eight months of 2017, the tax generated $5 million.
The sheriff’s department added seven deputies, and municipal police forces added officers and crime-prevention programs. Richland notably decided to play host to a task force to pursue internet crimes against children. The public safety sales tax also supports anti-gang programs for youth and the county’s new mental health court.
Benton County earmarked for the jail school $37,000 in the current biennium, giving officials less than $20,000 a year to run the classes. Chaplains and the jail’s 100-plus volunteers teach more than 30 courses, covering high school equivalency, alcohol and narcotics addiction, finances, anger management, nonviolent communication and myriad other topics.
The small budget pays for workbooks, software license fees and curriculum materials. Like their college peers, inmates apply to the program and go through an interview with chaplains to gain admission. Those who are accepted take a core curriculum that consumes five hours the day. There are electives as well.
Shadow Stearns, 28, faces a felony charge of violating a protection order involving the mother of his young children. He told reporters he’s ready to stop cycling in an out of custody during a media open house Wednesday.
“I’ve been coming in and out of this place since I was 18,” he said. “I’ve been dying and starving for help.”
Stearns said he has mental health issues and is grateful for help to leave jail and stay out. His class load includes courses on nonviolent communication, relapse prevention, meditation and a Bible-based course on communicating in intimate relationships.
Stearns is optimistic the new tools will help when he’s released, even if it takes a while.
With two prior convictions, he faces a potential sentence of five years. Stearns said he hopes for a suspended sentence.
“First thing I’m going to do is get a job,” he said. “I’m going to walk out and build a foundation and join a church.”
Michael Long, 32, has been in custody since May, the latest in a string of stints behind bars.
A recent domestic violence charge was dismissed, but jail records indicate he is being held on a charge of felony failure to appear, as well as several misdemeanors. He said he has a trial date in November, but he is looking ahead to when he’s released.
In a court appearance last week, Long was proud to be able to tell the judge he was taking advantage of programs in the jail to learn life skills.
“I like to be proactive with my time,” he said. He’s been studying the Bible and taking courses on managing finances, nonviolent communication and avoiding chemical dependency relapse.
“I wouldn’t want to be in the program if I didn’t want to change,” he said.
Sheriff Hatcher said he hopes that preparing inmates to succeed outside will echo the drug court approach, which has reduced recidivism reportedly by 60 percent or more.
But jail school has limits. The average jail stay is 14 days, so programs are compressed or can be picked up later.
An inmate who takes GED classes in the jail probably won’t be there long enough to graduate. So the jail loads the course information onto a drive that can be taken to one of the GED test centers in the area.
Abraham Islas-Torres, 26, is in custody on a felony failure to appear charge. He pulled visitors aside to say he likes that the jail is acting like a corrections facility and not an inmate warehouse.
“It opens doors,” he said as corrections officers summoned the jail school crew to lunch.
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(c)2017 Tri-City Herald (Kennewick, Wash.)