Tighter laws for offenders and money savings for taxpayers... Yes!
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TRI-CITIES, Wash. -- It's catching crooks. It's saving money. And it's filling our jails. A new DOC program is getting huge returns here in the Tri-Cities. It's called "Swift and Certain." It leaves little room for a slip-up by someone under supervision. It's expected to save millions of tax payer dollars in the long run.
It's a typical offender visit for community corrections officer, Charles Dorendorf. He explains, "They shut the door on arrival, there's trace amounts of marijuana.."
And under the new rules of Swift and Certain...
Dorendorf continues, "I knew he would be going to jail."
And that's the result. It's been a big change for parole officers in Benton and Franklin Counties.
He explains, "Before Swift and Certain, we would make maybe 3 arrests in a day. Now we might make 10."
The change is that there's no wiggle room on the rules. A minor violation and you are likely to go to jail. The stay can be anywhere from one to three days. More arrests means more inmates that jails don't have room for. But the DOC tells me it shouldn't last long.
DOC representative, Ron Pedersen tells KEPR, "As offenders respond, we're expecting that to decline."
City police have been responding to help make arrests and lessen the load on corrections officers.. it could be this way for months.
DOC says it's worth the wait.
Pedersen continues, "We expect savings in the millions of dollars within 2 years or less I would say."
Which may be surprising since you'd think more jail visits would cost more money. The savings come from shorter, swift stays being used as a deterrent against future violations. Those savings will go towards behavioral therapy for criminals.. so once they get out, they can get professional help. Until then, it's the shock therapy that officers are seeing as offenders can't believe a minor violation puts them in jail.
The officer explains to an offender, "There's no DOC hold. You'll see a judge in the morning. When you get out, come in within one business day and we'll keep going from there."
In hopes that a few nights in the slammer can make it clear the DOC isn't messing around next time. The Swift and Certain approach has worked in many other states, saving millions of dollars and lower the amount of people re-offending after two years.
It's a typical offender visit for community corrections officer, Charles Dorendorf. He explains, "They shut the door on arrival, there's trace amounts of marijuana.."
And under the new rules of Swift and Certain...
Dorendorf continues, "I knew he would be going to jail."
And that's the result. It's been a big change for parole officers in Benton and Franklin Counties.
He explains, "Before Swift and Certain, we would make maybe 3 arrests in a day. Now we might make 10."
The change is that there's no wiggle room on the rules. A minor violation and you are likely to go to jail. The stay can be anywhere from one to three days. More arrests means more inmates that jails don't have room for. But the DOC tells me it shouldn't last long.
DOC representative, Ron Pedersen tells KEPR, "As offenders respond, we're expecting that to decline."
City police have been responding to help make arrests and lessen the load on corrections officers.. it could be this way for months.
DOC says it's worth the wait.
Pedersen continues, "We expect savings in the millions of dollars within 2 years or less I would say."
Which may be surprising since you'd think more jail visits would cost more money. The savings come from shorter, swift stays being used as a deterrent against future violations. Those savings will go towards behavioral therapy for criminals.. so once they get out, they can get professional help. Until then, it's the shock therapy that officers are seeing as offenders can't believe a minor violation puts them in jail.
The officer explains to an offender, "There's no DOC hold. You'll see a judge in the morning. When you get out, come in within one business day and we'll keep going from there."
In hopes that a few nights in the slammer can make it clear the DOC isn't messing around next time. The Swift and Certain approach has worked in many other states, saving millions of dollars and lower the amount of people re-offending after two years.
