RESOLUTION
RE: REQUEST FOR A CORRECTIONS POLICY TO REDUCE THE RECIDIVISM RATE OF CRIME IN PORTAGE COUNTY
TO THE HONORABLE CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE PORTAGE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
RE: REQUEST FOR A CORRECTIONS POLICY TO REDUCE THE RECIDIVISM RATE OF CRIME IN PORTAGE COUNTY
TO THE HONORABLE CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE PORTAGE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
WHEREAS, the non-profit community organizations Justiceworks, Ltd. and Prism drafted, endorsed and circulated a petition to reduce the recidivism rate of crime in Portage County; and
WHEREAS, overwhelming support for the petition by community members indicates they believe more needs to be done to reduce the rate of repeat offenders; and
WHEREAS, the vast majority of the Portage County Jail inmates reside in Portage County and will return to our neighborhoods at the end of their time in jail; and
WHEREAS, community members want these inmates to be contributing members of our community and, consequently, acknowledge that we have a stake in each others futures; and
WHEREAS, community members believe Portage County's policy should commit sufficient resources to provide an appropriate environment and qualified personnel to offer cost-effective, evidence based practices to aggressively reduce the rate of re-offending (i.e. recidivism); and
WHEREAS, programs that reflect this policy may include, but are not limited to:
-assessment, data collection and classification practices to recommend appropriate criminal justice system responses to offenders;
-dedicated programming/counseling space in the jail;
-the use of inmate classification to provide for program oriented cell block usage when it becomes possible;
-community based transitional living opportunities to provide the bridge between jail life and the maintenance of a crime-free social environment post-incarceration; and
-sentencing practices that offer the offender the opportunity to gain sentencing privileges in exchange for monitored, long term, post-sentence programming
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Portage County Board of Supervisors declares its policy to provide adequate space, resources, and financial support for programs that effectively reduce the rate of re-offending; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that cost-effective, evidence-based practices shall be used for the selection of the programs to achieve this policy.