Jail Time Alternatives
Initiatives to reduce incarceration, according to Jane Klekamp, the director of the La Crosse County Justice Sanctions program, are not always popular. Story from the News Republic.
Speaking to about 14 members of the Portage community Tuesday in St. Mary’s Catholic School cafeteria, Klekamp said that various programs used in her home county have helped to decrease the incarcerated population and prevented millions in incarceration costs.
“We have focused so much on the punishment side of this that I think we have just lost sight of what would be the most helpful,” Klekamp said.
Justice Sanctions takes advantage of various initiatives that focus on changing people’s behavior instead of just punishment — initiatives like a alcohol and drug court systems that focus on treatment instead of jail for certain offenders, and programs that help people reinstate their drivers’ licenses after they are revoked.
Klekamp said that the program saves the use of about 244 beds per day in the county at a savings of $73 per bed. Meanwhile, Klekamp said it costs her program about $13-$19 per day for each of those they are trying to keep out of jail.
Klekamp said that despite the successes of Justice Sanctions it is still hard to get political support for their programs.
“Motivating the system to change is as complicated as getting any person to change. It is no easier,” she said.
The speaker was hosted by the Columbia County Community Corrections Council, which operates the Circles of Support program. The Circles of Support program helps mentor individual offenders once they leave jail. The program is funded by Columbia County and depends on volunteers.
John Kinsler, who is with the council and is also a volunteer in the Circles program, said Tuesday that the Council is looking for a new program to initiate. He said Klekamp and future speakers will help the council decide where they can be most effective in Columbia County.
“Right now what we are trying to say is that Circles of Support is somewhat stable. We need more volunteers but it is making an impact on people’s re-offense and so what else can we do,” Kinsler said.
The more avenues of support, Kinsler said, the better.
“If you have only got one spoke on a wheel, it is kind of a rough ride, and as you add more spokes it kind of smooths it out a bit,” he said.
Whichever spoke the council decides to work on next, he knows that it will need to have a minimal cost and function primarily on community support or grants. There is no available money in Columbia County’s budget.
Columbia County Supervisor Richard Boockmeier, who represents parts of Portage on the board and serves on a committee that oversees the county’s justice system, said that the alternative programs have merit but said that there is little financial or political support to be found in the county government.
“Circles of Support is a pretty effective program but it is not a popular program among county board supervisors. A lot of them don’t like it because it is too liberal. They want to buy bars,” Boockmeier said.
That is not how Boockmeier sees it though.
“The less people we have in jail the better our community is going to be,” he said.
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