County probation aims to reduce 'super-utilizers'

As a member of the Arrowhead Regional Corrections agency, Carlton County pays 11 percent of that operating budget to handle 100 percent of Carlton County’s client probation needs.

With the advent of the soon-to-be-built justice center, a Carlton County probation committee has been studying ways of managing the growth of the local jail population by “improving criminal justice operations … and reduce recidivism through improvement of existing supervision and treatment programs,” quoting the earlier Carlton County jail and justice system planning study.

Carlton County commissioners approved the probation working group plan and gave permission to implement changes in probation and justice center operations at their June 14 meeting. Carlton County attorney Lauri Ketola explained that statistics will come from the past and current jail population and from the probation program now run through Arrowhead Regional Corrections. Those statistics will be monitored monthly as changes are made both in jail operations and the probation program.

“The action plan will address issues for both the new justice-involved female program in the new justice center to open in 2024,” Ketola said, “and also the needs of the county and jurisdictions impacted by the justice system.”

A large percentage of the local jail population are called “super-utilizers,” or individuals who habitually reuse criminal justice resources. These super-utilizers suffer from high rates of mental health issues, substance use disorders and residential instability. They usually commit low-level, non-violent misdemeanors. As a result, jails become a revolving door.

Program goals for probation and pretrial/supervised release services for Carlton County clients include:

• Emphasis on rehabilitation for individuals and restorative justice, making sure victims do not get lost in the process;

• See a 30-percent reduction of repeaters in medium/high-risk individuals and low risk/low needs-clients phased out of standard supervision;

• Use of education, mental health, medical, stable housing, employment programming and services in each approach;

• Programs for clients will be based on “words matter;”

• Programs should be culturally competent;

• Programs based on assessing and tracking clients leading to measurable outcomes;

• Carlton County will be a test case using measurable outcomes to serve as a “living lab” for Arrowhead Regional Corrections;

• Provide appropriate time and resources to clients with individual needs, since time and resources are limited.

County coordinator Dennis Genereau will lead the effort to oversee the changes and help facilitate program growth. Ketola added that consultant Mike Griebel may be hired to gather information, monitor and propose program improvements.

K-9 hire approved

Permission was given to buy and train a new K-9 for the Sheriff’s Office, at a cost of $15,500 for the dog and training. The Rendezvous Bar held a successful fundraiser and contributed $8,411 for the K-9. The dog is expected to be used for eight or nine years.

Ketola said K-9 efforts contributed to two homicide arrests. In one case, the dog found a phone pertinent to a crime in a swamp. K-9s are also important in locating drugs at potential crime scenes.

In other county news:

• The county board gave permission to hire a new truancy prevention officer. The 0.8 position is 100-percent federally funded at a cost of $85,000. There are 7,000 students in school in the county, and the truancy program has existed for 17 years. During the school year the officer works five days a week and banks part of the time, so checks come out weekly during the summer months.

Commissioner Dick Brenner asked again why school districts do not pay for some of the truancy costs. The Collaborative board, director Donna Lekander explained, has not approved any funding from individual school districts in the years she has worked with the program.

• Zoning administrator Heather Cunningham received permission to raise the cost to garbage haulers 4.84 percent plus 25 cents for an administrative fee due to inflation. The price increase will not go into effect until Sept. 1, to give the haulers a buffer to adjust their prices.

SKB Environmental of Cloquet, which handles the demolition landfill, is increasing its rates at the national inflation rate of 8.3 percent, to start Sept. 1. Cunningham said household rates for those bringing their garbage to the Transfer Station will not change at this time.