NorCo Joins White House Data-Driven Justice Initiative

Northampton County has a jail problem, and it goes way beyond its aging walls. Many, if not most, inmates really belong somewhere else. Judges know this. In fact, that's one reason for the problem-solving courts being spearheaded by Judges Steve Baratta and Craig Dally. According to the White House, this problem is by no means exclusive to Northampton County:

"Every year, more than 11 million people move through America’s 3,100 local jails, many on low-level, non-violent misdemeanors, costing local governments approximately $22 billion a year. In local jails, 64 percent of people suffer from mental illness, 68 percent have a substance abuse disorder, and 44 percent suffer from chronic health problems."

It's a revolving door, too. People bounce from jail to emergency room to homeless shelter and back to jail again. To combat this problem, President Obama has established something called the Data Driven Justice Initiative. Northampton County has decided to join this effort.

Executive John Brown and Corrections Director Dan Keen are most concerned about two types of inmates.

First are those with serious mental illness, substance abuse or chronic health problems. They repeatedly cycle through multiple systems, including jails, hospital emergency rooms and other services. Second are pretrial defendants who pose no threat to the community and are no flight risk, but are unable to afford bail. They are essentially jailed for being poor.

How does a data driven justice initiative work? Well, just as the Lehigh Valley Regional Crime Center relies upon millions of reports from police departments and jails, this data driven initiative adds health systems and social service agencies into the mix to identify persons who need help. Objective, data-driven, validated risk-assessment tools will identify low-risk defendants held in jail. Front-line responders will get equipment and training to de-escalate crisis situations.

Basically, the approach is to use technology to treat human beings like human beings, making the community safer in the process and saving tax dollars as well.

When this program was announced in late June, there were 67 participating communities. That number grows daily and now stands at over 100. On Monday alone, more than a dozen communities in Middlesex County, New Jersey, joined the Initiative.

Matos Welcomes Treatment Program Audit

Arnie Matos

Lamont McClure's plan for a performance audit of the success of treatment programs at the jail sailed through Northampton County Council last night. Unanimously, Council approved a resolution requesting Controller Steve Barron to audit the treatment programs offered by Community Education Centers, Inc. Those programs, designed to reduce the number of offenders who return to jail for new offenses, will cost $5.5 million over the next five years.

"Where is the evidence this program is working?" asked McClure, who cast the sole vote against this contract last year. He conceded there is anecdotal evidence the program works, but noted that the actual recidivism rate at the jail has remained steady.

"We welcome the audit," said Corrections Director Arnie Matos, who added that a parallel study is being done by a local college.

Controller Barron told Council he will render no opinion, and instead perform an audit addressing 12 points, including what is paid by other jails with similar programs and whether treatment graduates end up in jails somewhere else.

"I don't want this to be used as a warrant for anyone to go out on a witch hunt," cautioned Hayden Phillips. Barron assured Council that, contrary to concerns raised here that he was doing the bidding of a political ally, he would be fair. "I come from treatment myself," he said, referring to his previous employment in group homes.

$5.5 Million Treatment Program Approved For Inmates

Over Lamont McClure's claims that it's unnecessary, Northampton County Council has approved a $5.5 million program designed to prevent inmates from returning to jail. At their December 12 meeting, by a 5-1 vote, Council approved a five-year contract with Community Education Centers to provide substance abuse programs called the Future Foundation program for men, Sister to Sister program for women and the West Easton Treatment Facility program.

"It's a lotta' money," complained McClure, who said prison policy should be decided by the next administration. "I've seen no evidence that is justified," he added. He argued that education, not treatment, is what reduces recidivism, noting that 1/3 of the inmates have no high school diploma. Corrections Director Arnie Matos countered that he has seen jails with and without treatment programs.

"This way works," he insisted.

"You're wrong," answered McClure.

Council member Tom Dietrich worried that that they were setting prison policy for the next administration. "You can cancel this with three months notice. What are you talking about?" answered Stoffa.

Matos told Council of one suicidal female inmate who went through the Community Education Center program and claimed it saved her life and gave her a reason to live.

"How do I put a price on that?" he asked.

Unmoved, McClure said the treatment could be done by volunteers at no cost to the County. But he was a minority of one. The contract was approved by John Cusick, Tom Dietrich, Peg Ferraro, Scott Parsons and Bob Werner.  Barb Thierry, Bruce Gilbert and Ken Kraft were absent.

In their final act of business of the year, Council appropriated $5,000 grants from their contingency fund for the following:

* Stephen's Place, a halfway house for non-violent males recovering from addiction;
* Slate Belt YMCA, which is under construction;
* The Miracle League, which allows differently abled children to experience the joy of baseball;
* Pennsylvania Water Rescue, which performs rescue operations along the Lehigh and Delaware Rivers; and
* College Hill Neighborhood Association, for improvements to Nevin and Eddyside Parks.