By BRIAN LEAHY
of The Gazette
The public can see and learn more about an ongoing initiative to improve the criminal justice system in Portage County at a community forum at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18, at the Courthouse Annex.
During the past year, the county Justice Advisory Committee has evaluated several issues and created new program options, including utilization of the juvenile detention center, utilization of the adult jail, implementation of offender assessment, expansion of the electronic monitoring program and implementation of a day reporting program. The committee is also considering adding community service work crews to the community service program.
The day reporting system started operation Nov. 20. As part of the program, selected offenders living out in the community report to the Law Enforcement Center, where a day report technician checks up on their behavior while they've been out in the community. A contractor, ATTIC Correctional Services, operates the program in the basement offices of the Portage County Law Enforcement Center. ATTIC is a private, nonprofit organization that has a variety of state, federal and local contracts providing services to offenders within communities. Its main office is in Madison.
"(The day report program) is just an added layer of security, an added supervision tool to help monitor people already in the community," said Laurie Yarie, ATTIC area supervisor.
Offenders are referred to the day reporting program through three sources, said Amy Bozarth, lead day report technician. The Sheriff's Department and jail will send offenders identified by a screening process that are suitable candidates for electronic home monitoring. The courts can have someone awaiting trial report as a bond condition. Probation and parole agents from the state Department of Corrections can order clients who have violated probation or parole conditions report to report.
"It's given as a consequence in lieu of jail time (for probation and parole violators)," Yarie said.
What tests the offenders are given and questions they must answer depend on what the referral source has ordered.
"Everybody who comes gets a Breathalyzer to insure that they're not drinking," Yarie said.
Clients can also be required to undergo a urinalysis testing for illegal drugs, Bozarth said. All testing is done in the building so the results are immediately known.
"We test them before they leave the building, so if they're positive, they're not leaving the building," Yarie said.
If a person referred by the jail or out on bond tests positive for alcohol or drugs, the Sheriff's Department will come downstairs and take the violator to jail, Yarie said. If the person was referred by probation and parole, their agent or, if the agent isn't available, the agent on call will decide what the consequences are.
Sometimes referral agencies will order offenders to be employed, so day report technicians will check on their employment situations, she said. Unemployed referrals can be required to complete job search forms. Technicians can also check on those who have jobs to see if they're showing up to work on time.
The day report program is open seven days a week, including holidays. To accommodate different work schedules of clients, the program has both morning and evening hours. People can be ordered to report a certain number of days, not every day of the week.
ATTIC reports back to the referral agency if it finds any violations.
"They would dispense the discipline then," Yarie said. "We would just report back whatever the violation would be."
Since the day report program started nearly two months ago, 13 clients have successfully been discharged from the program, Yarie said. Right now, there are 22 active clients.
"We're still in the process of explaining the program," Yarie said. "I anticipate as it catches on our numbers are going to go much higher."